McCain's Birth Abroad Stirs Legal Debate

The Washington Post ^ | Friday, May 2, 2008; | Michael Dobbs

[TexasCajun]

The Senate has unanimously declared John McCain a natural-born citizen, eligible to be president of the United States.

That is the good news for the presumptive Republican nominee, who was born nearly 72 years ago in a military hospital in the Panama Canal Zone, then under U.S. jurisdiction. The bad news is that the nonbinding Senate resolution passed Wednesday night is simply an opinion that has little bearing on an arcane constitutional debate that has preoccupied legal scholars for many weeks.

[merry10]

I have always liked John McCain. Had my primary vote in 2000 meant anything, i would have voted for him then. But I will be honored to vote for him this election.

[El Cid]

Who do you think he’ll pick for VP?

In the interest of reaching out .... Jeremiah Wright.

[weegee]

We may be seeing him a lot more in the next 4 years.

[KamperKen]

“Since I was born in the “Hawaiian Territories”, does that make me ineligible? I don’t think so.”

This very same issue was raised with Barry Goldwater in 1964. Goldwater was born in Arizona in 1909 but Arizona didn’t become a state until 1912.

If the stakes weren’t so high, this would be yet another laughing matter like every ‘issue’ the liberals raise.

[martin_fierro]

lolz

For the Win

[river rat]

I love it...

The Libs heads will explode after we “steal” the Presidency again —

1. We denied the Affirmation Action candidate OBAMA from winning.
2. We did it with an illegal alien as our candidate.
3. We did it by trashing a black man, his pastor and his wife.
4. We did it by trashing ALL his Leftist, Racist, terrorist and militant Islamic friends.
5. We did it by casting aspersions on his integrity, believing him to be a Muslim in Christian clothing.
6. We poked fun at him for holding his crotch rather that saluting the American Flag.
7. We did it with an old fart - who is a war monger, and their previously favorite RINO.

The smarmy bastards will go nuts!

[Vigilanteman]

My guess is that he won't pick Huckabee. I'm guessing that Romney's quick exit and endorsement of McCain was payback to Huckabee, who was then angling for the VP slot. I'm not sure what agreements were made between McCain and Romney at the time, but given Romney's ability to make money, I'm reasonably certain he did not walk away empty-handed.

And no, I do not think McCain will pick Romney. There is still too much bad blood between them. More importantly, there is too much ego on McCain's part to pick anyone who would show him up. My guess is that he goes with someone who generates few negatives and is idealogically dull-- someone who won't overshadow McCain. Tim Pawlenty, Governor of Minnesota, or Charlie Crist of Florida would be my guess.

[nfldgirl]

Ditto that! This is such a non-entity. What a useless waste of space, time and energy.

[nfldgirl]

More importantly, there is too much ego on McCain's part to pick anyone who would show him up.

Romney standing next to McCain makes McCain look like an old, senile, shriveled up, namby-pamby dwarf. At the very least, McCain would need to stand on a two-foot stool in an overstuffed suit.

[TexasCajun]

"Where’s the “Not this s***t again” guy? "

I thought about posting it but then I knew I'd get some help. ..lots of help for this new old story.

[MarineBrat]

“Since I was born in the “Hawaiian Territories”, does that make me ineligible? I don’t think so.”

>>This very same issue was raised with Barry Goldwater in 1964. Goldwater was born in Arizona in 1909 but Arizona didn’t become a state until 1912.

Interesting. I wasn’t familiar with Goldwater’s case. I’ve always been interested in this specific issue because I was born when MarineDad was stationed at Kaneohe, and Hawaii hadn’t become a state yet.

My entire life I’ve been told by everyone who has cared to give an opinion that the child of an American GI, who is born overseas because the GI is stationed overseas, is eligible to run for president. US Military bases are considered to be soverign US territory.

Isn’t that what McCain’s situation is?

[Izzy Dunne]

You, sir, are an unmitigated optimist.

;->

[True Republican Patriot]

The VP decision has already been made!! and the candidate didn’t deny it when interviewed on FOX. It’s Gov. Crist of Florida, a very popular Gov. who WILL deliver Florida with a good margin.

[Liberty Valance]

HA!

[Oratam]

"I took Panama . . . matter closed!"

[Dan(9698)]

for not being a “naturalized citizen”.

A "naturalized citizen" is not eligible. They are an immigrant.

He must be a native born. Being born of Service members, diplomats and so forth in a military hospital qualifies as native born.

[Vigilanteman]

Crist is a two-bit hack who does nothing for the ticket and will make Floridians nostalgic for Jeb Bush. Republicans can’t win without Florida any more than Democrats can’t win without Pennsylvania. If McCain can’t carry Florida without Crist, he will cede Ohio, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and possibly even Iowa. But at least his VP won’t show him up.

[TommyDale]

It doesn’t matter WHERE McCain was born. His parents were U.S. citizens. That makes him a natural born U.S. Citizen.
Anyone arguing the case that McCain is ineligible is an idiot.

[Cementjungle]

Has anyone actually verified Obama’s past?

[Southerngl]

I thought you just had to be born a citizen, not in the borders of the continental US. I mean doesn’t his parents make him a citizen?? I’m confused.