Nothing surprises me any more about Mitt Romney’s pandering to the lowest, craziest elements of the right wing base, not even Birther “jokes.”

COMMERCE, Mich. – At a rally meant to highlight Mitt Romney’s hometown roots here in Michigan, a joke delivered by the candidate seemed to make reference to the fringe birther controversy that suggests President Obama was not born in the United States.

“Now, I love being home in this place where Ann and I were raised, where both of us were born,” said Romney. “Ann was born in Henry Ford Hospital. I was born in Harper Hospital.”

“No one’s ever asked to see my birth certificate,” said Romney. “They know that this is the place that we were born and raised.”

And don’t forget, the upcoming Republican National Convention will be featuring appearances by not one, but two high-profile lunatic Birthers: Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Donald Trump.

If Mitt Romney had ever denounced Birtherism, even once, it might be possible to accept his “joke” excuse.

But as you can see in the video above, when Romney made his “joke,” the right wing audience cheered. Welcome to the mainstream Republican Party.