From WorldNetDaily. No link because I’d rather not drive traffic to that site. Linked to on Drudge though, which I just find incredible…..I think just the fact that Drudge is posting this story shows how deep birtherism still runs in the Tea Party despite all reason.

At the request of tea party leaders in Arizona, famed Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has promised to investigate the validity of Barack Obama’s purported long-form birth certificate in a determination of the president’s eligibility for the county’s 2012 election ballot.

Tea party leaders in Surprise, Ariz., met with Arpaio and WND senior reporter Jerome Corsi Thursday morning to express concern that a fake birth certificate would be used to document the president’s eligibility to run in Maricopa County, where Arpaio is the chief law enforcement officer.

At a one-hour meeting in Arpaio’s office, the tea party leaders presented the sheriff with a petition that was drafted after a speech by Corsi the previous night. Corsi, author of a best-selling book challenging Obama’s eligibility, “Where’s the Birth Certificate?”, presented evidence from numerous computer-imaging specialists who believe the document presented by the White House April 27 is not authentic.

…

Arpaio told the tea party leaders the complaint is within his jurisdiction, and he will be forced to investigate. He said he expects political pressure, but he pointed out that as the chief law enforcement officer of Maricopa County, he’s taken an oath to respond to citizens who approach him about enforcing the law.

Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Justin Griffin confirmed to WND that Arpaio is “waiting to receive all the documentation and all the investigative material from Dr. Jerry Corsi, and then he will look into the matter and compare it to the Arizona revised statutes.”

I’m just shocked (SHOCKED!!! I say) that the Tea Party, an organization solely concerned with fiscal issues, would be concerning themselves with this.