The "Birther Five"

Lest you think that the "birthers" are a teeny, tiny sliver of right-wing wackiness, there are now five Republican Senate candidates who just can't quite bring themselves to say that our president is legitimate.

This is a deliberate tactic and part of a long-held, calculated GOP strategy. If the president isn't Republican, they will push the same lies over and over in an effort to undermine his legitimacy. They tried to discredit and delegitimize President Clinton. Now they're doing the same thing with President Obama by standing with – or winking at – the right-wing fringe.

The Republican Party is running on fears and smears, and these candidates should be ashamed of themselves.

Here are the five GOP Senate candidates who won't answer whether President Obama is a natural-born citizen and thus eligible to be president:

•  Rob Portman: After two supporters of the Ohio Republican made birther jokes during a recent appearance, the Cincinnati Enquirer and Plain Dealer asked Portman's campaign whether he believes President Obama is a citizen. He won't answer. Um, Rob? The correct answer is "Yes."

•  Rep. Roy Blunt: Back in February, the Missouri congressman and Senate candidate said he didn't know if President Obama was a citizen and called such questions "legitimate." Bull.

•  Marco Rubio: Florida's tea party darling said he didn't want to "diminish" people who suspect President Obama was born somewhere other than Hawaii. Most likely, he didn't want to diminish donations that come from people who suspect President Obama was born somewhere other than Hawaii.

• ; Rand Paul: The Kentucky Republican and son of fringe Congressman Ron Paul has defended birthers. He now calls it a "moot point." Not exactly a full-throated denial.

•  Chuck DeVore: The favorite of California's conservatives now says that President Obama is the "rightful" president. Earlier, DeVore had said that "the president is doing himself no favors by spending millions of dollars to block the release of documents surrounding his birth certificate."