Yesterday's news that Donald Trump has moved into full-blown birtherism* is, sadly, proving to be the big political news of the week, so far as presidential politics is concerned. First, Trump released his own birth certificate, which was not actually a birth certificate. (Ooops!) It's time to come up with Trump Birther theories, people! Perhaps he's Danish royalty? Maybe he's Transylvanian? Only his hairdresser knows for sure!

Today, Politico says that a Trump aide is downplaying the birther issue while still keeping it alive:

The aide, Michael Cohen, says Trump will focus on "more important" issues if he runs for president next year...[about the phony birth certificate]...Cohen told CBS that what Trump released was clearly "something that his parents had given him years and years ago and he obviously just had it put away."

He said that Trump is "not yet" president, adding: "If he is asked to produce a raised seal New York City Department of Health birth certificate, I'm pretty sure he can have one in as quick a period of time as you can go down and get it. ... I don't think anyone's going to question whether Donald Trump is or was not born in New York**," Cohen said, and added that while New York hospitals bear the Trump name, only hospitals in Ghana have Obama's name. "It's a little bit odd."

And now the other candidates are reacting: Tim Pawlenty is bravely*** taking an anti-birther stand, saying "I, for one, do not believe we should be raising that issue...I think President Obama was born in the United States."

So! That settles that.

* Full-blown birtherism is not to be confused with late-stage trutherism. Although based on Trump's credulousness on the birther issue, if I were We Are Change, I would be desperately trying to get Loose Change into Trump's hands right now; they could make 9/11 truth a national issue again when it blows Trump's mind.

** Um, because he's white?

*** Sadly, I do think it is brave for a Republican presidential candidate to come out and baldly state that he thinks Obama was born in the United States. This will actually cost Pawlenty votes in the primaries. I am totally serious.