Crawford blogs:

The White House says it won’t release Obama’s original birth certificate because it won’t satisfy critics.
It’s true that Hawaii’s certification, which the Obama camp released in 2008, officially proves for legal purposes that the President was born in the USA. And the original certificate being sought by birther critics is no longer the documentation that Hawaii issues to prove anyone’s birth.
But for political purposes why not release the original, Mr. President? Saying it is not worth doing because it won’t satisfy critics empowers them and begs questions.

Because, for political purposes, painting our side as kooks is a winning strategy for the president. The fact that by not releasing the certificate, this administration is creating a more toxic atmosphere is of no concern.