Posted on 06/21/2007 3:56:12 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
(CBS) SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The make-believe presidential ticket of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is gaining some attention.
"There would be a fight to see who would be the presidential candidate and who would be the vice presidential candidate," Bloomberg quipped during a trip to California this week. "He would want to arm wrestle for the top spot; I would want to check the Constitution."
Most know the Constitution says a president must be a natural born citizen.
"It doesn't say anything about the vice president, but the 12th amendment to the constitution ratified in 1804 specifies that vice presidents have to meet the same constitutional requirements," said Jennifer Chacon, professor of constitutional law at UC Davis.
The Constitution states: "No person constitutionally ineligible to the office of president shall be eligible to that of vice president of the United States."
Chacon says the law is clear. But, it's not 100 percent clear that courts would challenge or enforce it rather that leave it to the political process. The only sure bet is a constitutional amendment.
Amendment or not, Sacramento based political consultant Gary Dietrich said he doesn't see a Vice President Schwarzenegger in our future.
"I almost think v.p. would be a step down for this guy. He's already said he's the governor of a nation state. He's been on trade missions to Canada. Why would he want to be v.p.?" said Dietrich.
He thinks a secretary of state appointment is more up Arnold's alley.
"I think we're talking an international role he's already carving out. He's talking with Tony Blair again and I think that's what we are talking about. I don't think he'll be sitting on the Hill waiting to see what happens in the Oval. That's not Arnold's cup of tea."
So bottom line -- no one has ever challenged the amendment. Governor Schwarzenegger said right now he is focused on his next three and a half years serving California. But he's not ruling anything out. He has always said he doesn't know what will happen next.
Is he trying to find his way to the presidency through the back door as vp? If the pres dies, viola...foreign born president.
Not Constitutional, period.
How about an amendment that prevents a presidents’ immediate family members from running for the office?
Fat chance, I know.
It sure would cure Bush/Clinton fatigue.
Journalism majors... Always good for a laugh!
When has the rule of law ever been in the way of what he and the Mrs. want?
Article 2.Section 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; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty-five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.
.............
The easiest way to get this done is to annex Austria, perhaps as a county of California. Wouldn’t even need Congress. I suggest Arnold mobilize the Guard and get ‘er done.
It's not necessary to be born in the US; it's necessary to be a "natural born citizen" or a citizen of the US at the time the Constitution was adopted. John McCain was born a US citizen, but he was born in the Panama Canal Zone, and he's running for President in 2008. Barry Goldwater was born in Arizona, but Arizona was not a state in 1909. I can safely state that no one alive in 1787 is alive today, so there's no possibility short of a constitutional amendment for any naturalized citizen to be elected President.
I don't like the precedent for that.
Get the kraut out of Kalifornia soon!
What an ignorant nincompoop!
Schwarzenegger is a great opportunist (not businessman) there is a difference.
He won in California because of his celebrity and a few polical savvy people on his staff.
He is a disaster as a national candidate.
No chance the Terminator will ever be President of VP.
I wrote about this recently, they just have to run Maria Shriver as VP. She pretty much runs most of Arnold’s decision process anyway, according to many sources. This would put California in either the GOP or Bloomberg column, and the GOP wins the presidency. Bloomberg/Shriver, vote for two you get three! And this would split the women if Hilldog gets her nomination. Maria. . .I just choose a girl named M a ri aaa.
Except, with a liberal, it will be an issue if it runs counter to their desires.
Rules are made for the "little people", y'know...
They just need the Supreme Constitutional Convention to declare the last sentence of the 12th Amendment to be a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. We don’t need a Constitution, because we have a nine member ruling junta.
You might be eligible if you’re born on foreign soil and your parents are US citizens. Not sure. However, the Panama Canal Zone was a US territory at that time.
Thanks. Yes, the blue states would be in a quandry, voting between a Kennedy and a Clinton. Then the non-girly men would be split between Arnold’s stand-in and Fred Thompson but would go with Thompson once they get a look at Bloomberg’s actual thoughts. Let’s hope Bloomy and Arnold/Maria think or hear of this, and fall for it!
I think now is a good time to propose a new Constitutional Amendment.
“A person must live in the United States for at least 35 years with proof of residency and relinquish all foreign citizenships to be eligible for the Presidency of the United States.”
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