Romney's 'birther' jibe prompts Obama campaign to accuse him of 'birtherism'

London - Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney's 'birther' remarks reportedly drew a swift response from President Barack Obama's campaign, who claimed that the presumptive GOP nominee had 'embraced' the most 'strident' voices of his party.

"Throughout this campaign, Governor Romney has embraced the most strident voices in his party instead of standing up to them. Governor Romney's decision to directly enlist himself in the birther movement should give pause to any rational voter across America," the BBC quoted an Obama campaign spokesman, as saying.

Romney, through his remarks, referred to the widespread rumors that Obama, whose father was from Kenya, was not born in the United States and thus, is not eligible to be president.

"I love being home in this place that Anne and I were raised. Where both of us were born. Anne was born in Henry Ford hospital, I was born in Harper hospital.

No one has ever asked to see my birth certificate, they know that this is the place we were born and raised," The Telegraph quoted Romney, as saying, during a rally in Detroit.

However, the Romney campaign later tried to dampen the effect of his 'birther' comments.

"He was only referencing that Michigan, where he is campaigning today, is the state where he himself was born and raised," Romney's advisor Kevin Madden said.

Conservative fringes of the Republican Party, including high-profile Romney backer Donald Trump, have time and again argued that Obama was not born in Hawaii as he claims, the paper said.