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The Republican Party should put something like this in its bylaws:

"A Republican Party candidate for Senator, Representative, Vice-President, and President must provide his/her long form birth certificate and his/her college records to Republican Party officials before she/he can be approved to run in a Republican primary.

Such documents will become part of the public record where the public can examine them when it wishes."

1. Remember, the eligibility bylaws of a political party have no legal connection to the Constitution of the United States.

2. That is, each political party is responsible for the eligibility rules and background checks within its own party.

3. In other words, as long as its bylaws of eligibility do not conflict with the eligibility requirements of the U.S. Constitution, the Republican Party---or any political party---can set its own rules as to what documents a Republican candidate must present to Republican Party officials.

4. Putting pressure on the Democratic Party: If the Republican Party puts the rule above into its own bylaws, such an action might put tremendous pressure on the Democratic Party to put a similar eligibility bylaw in its own rules.

If I shoot myself in the foot, maybe you'll shoot yourself in the foot too? We need national legislation that makes constitutional qualification procedures mandatory BEFORE the start of the Primary Season... I'm thinking we should ask Angela Merkel or Bibi to run for president as a Republican. maybe Putin so we can clean things up in Washington...

Excellent idea!

4. Putting pressure on the Democratic Party: If the Republican Party puts the rule above into its own bylaws, such an action might put tremendous pressure on the Democratic Party to put a similar eligibility bylaw in its own rules.

Hi John,

That's a neat idea, and much simpler than trying to pass a legal change to US or state laws. If only the Republicans had enough spine to act on your suggestion....