Not every diplomat or agent of a foreign government travels under diplomatic passport.The diplomatic passport is the key to immunity from the host countries law. See this Wikipedia article for some background....
How do you read such a case -- not just Obama, but in similar cases of a child born to a citizen and an ambassador or non-citizen agent of a foreign nation?
This chart on the State Department web site summarizes the policy of the US government on diplomatic immunity. It shows real immunity is limited to the top levels of the embassy. This immunity is a powerful thing to have and you can bet it's tightly regulated in all countries.
If you entered the country some other way you are subject to all of the laws (ie jurisdiction).
How do you read such a case -- not just Obama, but in similar cases of a child born to a citizen and an ambassador or non-citizen agent of a foreign nation?The child of a diplomat and a citizen in the United States. Good question. I'd bet it's specifically addressed somewhere in the Vienna conventions but I'm not really sure. My guess is the child is a citizen based on the citizen parent but I can't point to a source for it.
The problem with some of the citizenship arguments is they have blow back on all candidates, not just Obama. As David pointed out, McCain almost certainly has Panamanian citizenship. If dual citizenship is a bar we might have to prepare ourselves for president Barr (pun intended).
FDR was born in Canada to American parents. That gave him Canadian citizenship as well as American. Was he technically ineligible?
The United States can control who it gives it's citizenship to. It cannot control who other countries give their citizenship to. Could Putin bestow Russian citizenship on Bush and have him removed from office?
Using these arguments to get rid of a politically undesirable candidate takes our system of elections in a very bad direction. Do we really want to go there?
Sorry, I forgot to ping you on this one.
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FDR was born at Hyde Park NY, USA. That's according to Mrs. Rushby's 5th Grade Class (http://www.mohonasen.org/grade5/P_Rushby/FDR/fdrbio1.htm).
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I'm not one for calling detremining CONSTITUTIONAL requirements "blowback". In fact as a citizen it is a duty to do so, but as a high US Official, or an elected US Senator or Representative, or Judge - it is a sworn obligation.
Yes, indeed it most assuredly the case that I would want this heard, and the issue determined. As a baby born at the very start of the jet age, Obama's case is typical of our modern smaller world and we should not fear but fear itself to make the law clear so as to avoid problems like a recurring, and precedents working further and further out a weak limb.
FDR born in Canada? (why does Hyde Park pop into my mind?) News to me, or do we have another scandal brewing.........
Yes we do. There are standards required of those seeking office. This individual doesn't meet the standards. He knew it before swindling millions of dollars out of his supporters. He's still trying to pretend he meets the standards while not even being able to produce a very simple document that any other native born citizen of the United States could obtain for $3 and a couple minutes effort to apply for the certificate. He can't do it because he's not a native born citizen. All the flim flam matters not. He's not qualified to run for the office.