Talking Points Memo has the story of Colorado Representative Coffman's (R/Birther) insight into the issue that made him nationally famous.
“We’ve got to focus on the issues,” Coffman said. “That’s going to determine this election. Not focusing on the birther question. God bless people that do that. I understand their passion. I understand that they think that if they can prove that he’s not, that you know, that’s going to change everything. I just, you know, we’re over three years into this presidency, at what point do you move on?”
He added that his offending comments were at a “a closed-door gathering and it was off the record,” but still said he should have both repudiated birtherism and stressed that Obama’s patriotism was not in question. [Emphasis added]
So, two things. First, although he's totally down with the birthers' goals of defeating Obama by labeling him as other and not a real American, it just doesn't work and is more likely to backfire and hurt the birthers, "god bless" them.
Second, the comments weren't meant for general consumption -- he thought he was in an environment where he could express his true subterranean downness with the birthers and not be called to account for believing in the conspiracy theory by the generally sane.
So, bottom line, even though it would be teh awsumz if they could simply label Obama a ferriner and maybe even toss him in jail for his general uppitiness, the dang general public isn't on board with that and you can only speak such birther Republican truths in safe places where you know you won't have to account for your words.
And now he feels the proud satisfaction one feels when one finally coming clean on a difficult issue.