“I believe those people who are concerned about his birth certificate, about whether he is a citizen and qualified … I encourage them to do that,’’ the Oklahoma Republican said of a group pursuing the issue.

Inhofe, however, stressed repeatedly during a brief interview that is not an issue he has taken on.

“My concern is to deal with things I can deal with now, which is stopping the cap and trade, keeping Gitmo open and stopping socialized medicine,’’ he said.

Still, Inhofe’s stance on the Obama birth certificate issue has drawn attention.

Comments by the senator were reported by Politico in a story on how Republican lawmakers are expecting to hear from a “small but vocal crowd of right-wing activists who refuse to believe that President Barack Obama was born in the United States.’’

Politico also reported the office of Oklahoma’s other senator, Republican Tom Coburn, received documents from the group on the issue.

Coburn declined to comment.

Recently Rep. Mike Castle, R-Del., was jeered at a town hall meeting after responding to a questioner and stating that Obama was a U.S. citizen. That story has been reported by several news outlets, and the video of the town hall meeting has been posted on the Internet.

Referred to as “birthers,’’ the group refuses to drop the issue of Obama’s birth despite evidence that he was born in Hawaii.

“I don’t discourage them from going ahead and pursuing that,’’ Inhofe said.

“That is something that in my heart I don’t feel I can do anything about, but I can do something about, and I hope in your story that you will mention, the three things that I can affect and will affect.’’

Asked if he personally thinks there is a chance President Obama is not qualified by birth to be the president, Inhofe said: “You know I have never gone through and read all the stuff on that so I don’t know. I just haven’t taken that one on.’’

Following the phone interview, Inhofe staff called and provided the following statement:

“I am not a legal expert on this subject,’’ the senator said. “Clearly, I gave President Obama the benefit of the doubt by certifying the election.

“If there are legal experts who have concerns, I would encourage them to continue looking into it. Unless and until additional information is provided, I will continue to focus on issues related to preventing President Obama’s liberal agenda from changing the face of America.’’

During his daily briefing, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was asked if there is anything that will make the birthers go away.

“No,’’ Gibbs said.

“I mean, the God’s honest truth is no.

“And I almost hate to indulge in such an august setting as the White House — and I mean this in seriousness — the White House briefing room discussing the made-up, fictional nonsense of whether or not the president was born in this country.’’

Gibbs said more than a year ago he asked that Obama’s birth certificate be put on the Internet “because Lord knows, you got a birth certificate and you put it on the Internet, what else could be the story?’’

Gibbs said even DNA wouldn’t assuage those who refuse to believe the president was born in the U.S.

“But I have news for them and for all of us,’’ he said. “The president was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, the 50th state of the greatest country on the face of the earth. He’s a citizen.’’