SHARON GRIFFITHS comments on the fact that Barack Obama has released a full copy of his birth certificate showing he was born in Hawaii (Echo, April 29).

It is a sad reflection on the far right wing of the Republican party that he needed to do so.

The Republican hawks have constantly hounded Obama with claims that he was either a secret communist – or an Islamic fundamentalist – or both simultaneously.

Sharon describes these people as a “lunatic fringe” but it is far from a fringe.

This pursuit has been instigated and encouraged by such as Fox News, owned by News Corporation and fundamentally under the control of Rupert Murdoch.

I find it very worrying that Rupert Murdoch is now trying to take full control of Sky News, and I would hope that this takeover is refused.

Eric Gendle, Middlesbrough.