LM - I'm going to concede your point about McCain not having produced his birth certificate, although I don't trust any reporting from the NYT.
As far as the Certificate of Live Birth vs. the "long-form" Birth Certificate. Many times the "short form" certificate is not considered valid identification for proof of age or citizenship. For example, I took my 16-year old son to get his driving learner's permit last winter. When we arrived at the license bureau, I had brought the small proof of birth laminated card provided by the State of Kansas, which had the information identifying my son's date of birth and place of birth, plenty of information needed to prove his age and eligibility to obtain his learner's permit (he was 15 at the time). The license bureau refused to accept this card and required a certified birth certificate as proof of his age.
If the long form - i.e., the actual birth certificate - is considered the only proof of age acceptable to obtain a driver's license, why then would it not follow that the long form be the only proof of age and citizenship to be certified for one of the two United States offices where age and citizenship are Constitutionally defined? I, for one, do not know one way or another if what has been determined regarding the Bamster's citizenship is true and I don't care. The damage has already been done.