On this week's Meet the Press, after David Gregory played a portion of Frank Luntz's focus group following President Obama's State of the Union Address, John Boehner refused to take any responsibility for Republicans continuing to pander to the birther crowd.
Boehner on birthers: 'It's not my job to tell the American people what to think':
House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Sunday that while he believes President Obama is an American citizen and a Christian, Americans have a right to think otherwise if they so choose.
"It's not my job to tell the American people what to think," Boehner said on NBC's "Meet The Press" when asked about a recent focus group of Iowa voters shown on Fox News during which several said they believe Obama is Muslim.
"The state of Hawaii has said he was born there. That's good enough for me," Boehner said. "The president says he's a Christian. I accept him at his word."
Boehner rejected the suggestion that he and other Republicans were not forcefully denouncing myths about the president's citizenship and religion because it weakens Obama politically.
"I've made clear what I think the facts are," Boehner said.
