'The Birthers' Continue to Hound Obama

(March 1) - Ever since Barack Obama became a prominent political fixture in the country, he has encountered a large number of rumors and smears concerning him and his family.

There was the one rumor about him being a secret Muslim (he is a practicing Christian). And there was the one allegation his wife, Michelle, was caught on videotape using the word "whitey" (no such clip has ever surfaced).

Most of the charges were, for the most part, put to rest by vigorous responses from the Obama team during the campaign.

But one conspiracy theory lives on -- despite overwhelming evidence debunking it.

Politico.com reports that the Birthers -- a persistent group of conservatives who believe Obama is ineligible to be president because of alleged questions surrounding his birth status -- continue to operate and thrive on the fringe.

"Some individuals and groups who are opposed to Obama's presidency want an 'acceptable' reason to cite to convince other individuals and groups who might be on the fence to join in their way of thinking," said Patricia Turner, who studies rumors at the University of California, Davis.

For the record, officials in Hawaii declared last October that there was no doubt Obama was born in the state. Officials verified that the health department holds the commander in chief's original birth certificate.

But others are still undeterred.

A lawsuit filed in California by a group called the United States Justice Foundation seeks records from Occidental College, where Obama attended school for a period, in order to verify his nationality -- and thus his presidential eligibility, WorldNetDaily reports.

Get the full story about the Birthers at Politico.com to find out about the group's possible impact on the White House and weigh in, below, on the controversy.