Texas Gov. Rick Perry brought the birther issue back to life in this week’s issue of Parade magazine. President Obama sought to bury it once and for all when he released a copy of his birth certificate. When challenged for a more definitive response to whether Perry believes the president was born in the United States, he gave the oddest answer: I don’t have a definitive answer, because he’s never seen my birth certificate. He also said that the issue is “distractive.”

In an interview on Tuesday with CNBC’s John Harwood, Perry said he that he doesn’t “have a clue” about what Obama’s birth certificate said, but it’s a fun to talk about.

“It’s a good issue to keep alive. Just, you know, Donald [Trump]’s got to have some fun,” Perry said.

He was referring to the mogul's refusal to let sleeping dogs lie with his continued questioning of Obama’s birthplace and the validity of the birth certificate.

“I’m not really worried about the president’s birth certificate. It’s fun to — to poke and add him a little bit and say hey, how about — let’s see your grades and your birth certificate,” Perry said.

But shouldn't Perry be focussed on more important things, like the economy or his own campaign?

The Republican presidential hopeful reiterated his point that the issue is a distraction. He does indeed have more important things to worry about, such as his lagging poll numbers. In a CBS News poll released Oct. 25, Perry garnered a piddling six percent of support among Republican primary voters, a steep decline from the 23 percent he received mid-September.

(Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)