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.
Its like, you know, like, that stuff was written by all these dead guys. Its not like it means anything now like, you know?
I don’t favor such an amendment. I think the Founding Fathers qualifications for the Presidency and Vice-Presidency should not be altered. Additionally, such an amendment would have to have a delay clause so that it wouldn’t apply to the 2008 election (no chance at adoption without a delay clause).
Would this be the official “National Socialist” ticket ?
no
It’s not one to be taken seriously.
If he weren’t from such a Rodent-leaning state, I wouldn’t even support him for another office like U.S. Senate (he may run against Barbara Boxer in 2010).
Morphed ? Anyone with two good eyes could see what he was before the recall election, a leftist RINO.
You can’t be serious?
The only people Arnie would want to disarm are US citizens, while selling off everything to the UN.
Hello? Conan and the Terminator do NOT exist! It’s fiction!
> Hello? Conan and the Terminator do NOT exist! It’s fiction!
Lighten up already.
First off, I didn’t say who he’d be saying it to, and that’s really not relevant anyway because the Secretary of State is not in charge of selecting the messages he sends or the people he sends it to.
Second, just because it’s fiction doesn’t mean it’s not entertaining. I simply found the image of sitting at a negotiating table across from the guy pretty hilarious.
Yeah... Sec of State... no big deal. They just answer the phones and take messages, right?
Sorry... but there is nothing funny about the damage that Schwarzenkennedy is inflicting on California and the United States in the form of environmental and healthcare programs (and many more). Electing this trojan horse has resulted in irreversible damage. To take that so lightly shows a serious lack of understanding of the man’s liberal programs. The actions he has been taking internationally should worry everyone. Next week he’ll be in France to talk up global warming and his fascist public-private partnerships.
Go ahead.... laugh away!
Constitution? We don’t need no steekin’ Constitution!
Any 6th grader would know that?
I know MY 6th grader knows it, but I am confident that you wouldnt want to bet the house on a survey that might prove it differently.
its a scary, scary world.
The Terminator and the Verminator.
He’s not eligible for Vice President, because he isn’t eligible for President. Unless of course, someone attempts to change the Constitution. Now THAT would bring an uprising!
I don’t know what “precedent” you’re talking about. The only close thing I can think of, is when Sam Houston was considered for U.S. President during the 1850s, at least by some of his fellow Texans. Houston was born in Virginia and was, thus, a “natural born citizen,” but in migrating to Texas, accepting an commission in the army of that place, and certainly in accepting the office of president of that place, he had become a citizen of Texas. We, back in the United States, might have thought of him as a dual citizen. But, it could be said that, upon Texas’ annexation, he and everybody else there, got U.S. citizenship either brand new or restored. This is the precedent I had in mind.
I don’t think anybody born in Louisiana prior to its purchase, or born in the Mexican states of New Mexico or California prior to their purchase, or born in the Kingdom of Hawaii prior to its annexation, wgi was thereby made a U.S. citizen, was ever considered for U.S. President. But, according to the Congressional Act or the Treaty that was involved, the people of those places were not “naturalized” in the sense of the relevent section of the U.S. COnstitution regarding the qualification for the office of President. They became U.S. citizens by reason of their birthright in the places annexed. So, the only precedent we have (Houston) isn’t as close as we would like.
BTW the Constitution says that any person who was a Citizen of the United States at the time of the adoption of the Consitution, atherwise qualified, would be eligible for U.S. President. This meant, e.g., that Alexander Hamilton, who was born in the British West Indies, and “naturalized” a United States citizen (informal as that process was back then), was qualified.
With regard to persons born of U.S. parents overseas, or of persons born to immigrants to the U.S. while they are on the high seas, or of persons born in U.S. Territories such as the Canal Zone when it was a U.S. Territory, and of course any person born in the United States proper, they are American citizens by birth.
It was a joke. Here's what Extremely Extreme Extremist said.
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.
Back in 1938 a certain expatriot Austrian and former German army corporal who became the dictator of Germany annexed Austria.
I will say that the original amendment should have included anyone in line for the presidency, not just the VP. This crap will eventually come up.
If anyone whose position puts him or her in line for succession but does not meet the contstitutional requirements to hold the office of President, that person is skipped, the next in line succeeds to the Presidency. Potentially the Speaker could be foreign born and ineligible to hold the office of President. In that case the President Pro Tempore of the Senate assumes the office of President. After that the members of the cabinet in order of the creation of the cabinet position. The Secretary of State was the first cabinet position created so therefore the Secretary of State is the fourth in line to become President. In my lifetime there have been two people to hold that position who were born outside of the US and were naturalized US citizens, Henry Kissenger and Madeleine Albright. If the issue of succession had come up, the next person in line is the Secretary of the Treasury. What is interesting is that the Constitution only bans foreign born persons who were not US citizens at the time the Constitution was adopted from becoming President. The first Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton actually could have served as president if necessary enven though he wasn't born in the US.
"CAN THEY BE PRESIDENT?®"
Thanks for the clarification. I thought the amendment had specifically addressed the V.P. only.
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