Obama birth certificate issue at Electoral College vote signing

PHOENIX — Arizona’s 11 Republican electors formally cast their votes Monday for Mitt Romney — but not before three of them, including the state party chairman, said questions remain about whether Barack Obama is a natural born citizen.

"I’m not satisfied with what I’ve seen,’’ said Tom Morrissey, head of the Arizona Republican Party after signing the formal paperwork to cast his Electoral College vote for Romney. "I think for somebody in the president’s position to not have produced a document that looks more legitimate, I have a problem with that.’’

Morrissey was not alone. John Rhodes, another GOP elector, expressed similar sentiments as he signed the required paperwork certifying his vote for Romney. Both also specifically used the president’s middle name, Hussein, in their comments.

And Don Ascoli said the fact that a majority of Americans voted for Obama, even having heard those perennial allegations now for years, is irrelevant to finding out the truth. He said that was borne out in the tenure of the last Democratic president.

"The majority of the people had no dream that Bill Clinton did what he did until a young lady had a blue dress and proved he did,’’ Ascoli said.

Gov. Jan Brewer, sitting in the front row to watch Monday’s proceedings, sought after the ceremonies to distance herself from the view of her fellow Republicans.

"The bottom line is everybody’s entitled to their own opinion. And I happen to disagree.’’