[FelixFelicis]

I’m not a legal scholar, but as far as I can tell, no one has come up with an iron-clad definition for what the founders meant by “natural born.” We can agree it means “born in the U.S.” Beyond that, I’m not convinced this “father was a British subject” issue has any bearing on the matter. In light of that, I continue to maintain that judging people by their parents’ status is not fair game.

[Las Vegas Ron]

Here, you might want to spend some time here, lot's of historical stuff you would never see anywhere else:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2450158/posts

[Man50D]

I’m not a legal scholar, but as far as I can tell, no one has come up with an iron-clad definition for what the founders meant by “natural born.” We can agree it means “born in the U.S.” Beyond that, I’m not convinced this “father was a British subject” issue has any bearing on the matter. In light of that, I continue to maintain that judging people by their parents’ status is not fair game.

Citizenship status is a central and essential element to the eligibility per the natural born citizenship requirement in Article 2 Section 1. An explanation is below.

"Natural Born" is declared in Article II [No Person except a 'natural born' Citizen...]

.. and "Natural Born" is implied and expressed in the Constitution as a result of COMMON LAW.

The Common Law in this case goes all the way back to the Magna Carta (over 700 years). "Natural Born" was actually expressed (written) in Vatel's Law of Nations. If you don't know what the Law of Nations said about "natural born" you should. The Founding Fathers did. The Founding Fathers knew exactly what was implied, expressed and common to law when they drafted Article II, the "natural born" eligibility clause.

The Constitution and de Vattel’s Law of Nations has the answer to any questions regarding citizenship abroad and any laws crossing national boundaries:

EXCERPT 1. U.S. Constitution, Article II, §1: No Person except a natural born Citizen, OR a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President;

EXCERPT 2: de Vattel’s Law of Nations circa 1758 Book 1, Chapter XIX, § 212: The natives, or NATURAL-BORN CITIZENS, are those born in the country, of parents who are citizens…The country of the fathers is therefore that of the children; and these become true citizens merely by their tacit consent.

Finally, the main item in the Constitution that ties both together:

EXCERPT 3: U.S. Constitution, Article I, §8: The Congress shall have Power…To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offenses against the LAW OF NATIONS.

LAW OF NATIONS is CAPITALIZED, meaning our framers were citing a proper name. There was only one Law of Nations in 1787 officially declared. And yes, Congress has the power to create and enforce ANY LAW mentioned in the Law of Nations written by Emmerich de Vattel! It was sitting right under our noses the entire time. <

[Josephat]

I suggest you do more reading. You don’t sound particularily informed.

[danamco]

But you forget that he could still be (most likely) an Indonesian citizen!!!

[tired_old_conservative]

Legal scholar or not, I think your instincts are correct.