Alan Keyes Tells Us Why He Questions Obama's [the Kenyan's] Presidency

Essence ^ | 11/21/08 | Cynthia Gordy

[solfour]

The Constitution requires that, to be president, one must be a natural born citizen of the United States. Conservative Alan Keyes-who ran against President-elect Barack Obama in the 2004 race for the Illinois Senate, and in the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign (Keyes ran on the American Independent Party ticket)-is challenging whether that is the case for our new president. In November, Keyes filed a lawsuit against Obama, the California secretary of state, and others, to stop California from giving its electoral votes to Obama until a birth certificate is produced proving that he is indeed a natural born citizen. ESSENCE.com talked to Keyes about where he thinks Obama was born, why he questions the birth records already provided, and if this whole lawsuit is just an overblown case of sour grapes.

ESSENCE.COM: What exactly do you want to accomplish with this lawsuit?

... snip ...

The reason an issue has been raised about Obama is because of the simple question, which can be answered with a birth certificate that shows he was born in the United States, or born to parents who had the capacity to transmit U.S. citizenship. When the question was asked, he danced around it. If the most important office of the federal government can be occupied by someone who is not qualified under the United States Constitution, that destroys the authority of the Constitution. I think it's something that needs to be dealt with in a clear, straightforward way. Eventually the case will get to the Supreme Court, establish the facts, and clear the air. It's really all very simple.

[solfour]

No legal dictionary defines the difference between “jury” and “victim”. It defines the terms separately.

As for “natural born” it is not defined anywhere in statutory law or in the Constitution, although used therein, like many words in the Constitution that are not defined except by the usage at the time. To understand it you need to be familiar with the history of the term. I refer you again to Donofrio and Benjamin.

The concept of natural born is quite simple. It springs from the simple concept of a people, like “the English people”. The idea is that by nature people are born from two parents. You are natural born part of the English people if you came from the seed of an English man and the womb of an English woman. Flesh from flesh.

Orthodox Judaism is similar except they go only on the basis of the woman. You are a Jew if you came out of a Jew.

The requirement of natural born is due to it being a strong indicator of undivided allegiance.

I hope this clears things up.

Are you an Obama supporter?

[solfour]

Obama, the Kenyan.
Obama, the Kenyan.
Obama, the Kenyan.
Obama, the Kenyan.
Obama, the Kenyan.
Obama, the Kenyan.
Obama, the Kenyan.
Obama, the Kenyan.
Obama, the Kenyan.
Obama, the Kenyan.
Obama, the Kenyan.
Obama, the Kenyan.
Obama, the Kenyan.
Obama, the Kenyan.
Obama, the Kenyan.
Obama, the Kenyan.
Obama, the Kenyan.
Obama, the Kenyan.
Obama, the Kenyan.
Obama, the Kenyan.
Obama, the Kenyan.
Obama, the Kenyan.
Obama, the Kenyan.
Obama, the Kenyan.

You know, I think it works!

[Non-Sequitur]

1) His Kenyan grandmother says he was born in Kenya.

Yeah, let's look at that claim for a minute. It comes from one of Berg's documents, an affidavit from a Reverend Shuhubia who claims she told him that. The affidavit is posted here. Reverend Shuhubia claims to be fluent in Swahili and he conducted the interview with this woman in Swahili in her village of Alego-Kogello. And in this interview the woman says she was present at Obama's birth. Problem is that Obama's grandmother does not speak Swahili, she speaks Luo. The two are not the same. And she doesn't live in Alego-Kogello, she lives in Nyang’oma Kogelo. And all this documentation he claims to have found in Mombasa? Where is it?

2) The COLB that was posted on KOS and which is the same COLB that was posted on Obama’s site was admitted to be a forgery by the guy who runs KOS.

And? The state of Hawaii has said they have his original birth certificate on file.

I suppose that since there may be no specific procedure in place to determine eligibility Castro can come over and run for the Presidency???

I'm sure that the paper trail documenting Castro's birth in Cuba is a whole lot better documented than your claim Obama was born in Kenya.

[Non-Sequitur]

As for “natural born” it is not defined anywhere in statutory law or in the Constitution, although used therein, like many words in the Constitution that are not defined except by the usage at the time. To understand it you need to be familiar with the history of the term. I refer you again to Donofrio and Benjamin.

Yeah I know. I've read them. And you're right, there is nowhere in the Constitution or federal law that makes a difference between natural born and citizen at birth. Donofrio had to make it up as he went along.

I hope this clears things up.

Clear as mud.

Are you an Obama supporter?

No. Just not a big fan of bullshit, regardless of who it's directed at.

[Mogollon]

O’s mother was a citizen...thus where ever O was born, he is a natural born citizen. Right? So this issue is closed, according to that!

Nope. She was only 18 when 0 was born and the Hawaii law required the mother to by 19 in order to transfer citizenship. Besides there are questions about him being born in Kenya and his mother just registered his birth in Hawaii after she got back.

[ridesthemiles]

O’s mother was a citizen...thus where ever O was born, he is a natural born citizen. Right? So this issue is closed, according to that!”

NO-—it is more complicated than that.

[ridesthemiles]

Oh, has someone found proof that the mother and father were actually married? If so, I hadn’t heard about that.

I think his father already had two or three wives back in Kenya

I have read that Barry Sr had a wife and 2 kids back in Kenya when he came to the USA as a “student” under a program JFK was a part of.

I have questioned from the beginning about whether there was even a “marriage” between Stanley Ann and Barry SR.

IMO. She got knocked up, and Barry H is the result.

I don’t think there is any evidence of Stanley Ann getting a DIVORCE, either. Cannot get a divorce when you were never legally married in the first place.

Alot of “common law marriage” in those days- but Barry Sr was already married, so that doesn’t apply, e3ither,
As far as I remember- people had to be together as a household for a great number of years to even get “common law” status.
I am pretty sure that has been eradicated in all 50 states.

[ridesthemiles]

It’s the Democrats fault for not checking this person out thoroughly. Everything he’d do would be unconstitutional.”

He also cannot give orders to the military and have them valid!!!!!

[ridesthemiles]

Mamma got knocked up at 17.
Had Barry when she was 18.
had to be 19 under the “naturalized” rules in place at that time- 1961.

[Captainpaintball]

If he is found to be fraudulently President, he would be impeached, forced to resign and Biden would be President. Which still sucks, but at least it wouldn’t be a Consitutional crisis.

And after Biden is found dead in Ft. Marcy Park, The Secretary of State becomes President. Who did He pick, again?

[ridesthemiles]

Why has Obama spent $800,000.00 in legal fees fighting cases filed requiring proof of natural birth? I have read this but can not confirm.
You think that’s coming out of his pocket? Think again.’

Is it legal under the campaign laws for NObama to be spending campaign donations in this manner????

Another conundrum??

[ncpatriot]

If a child is born in TX and his parents are illegals, would that child be eligible to run for US president as long as he/she meets other requirements?

[LiteKeeper]

read later

[solfour]

I think you’re getting worried, obot.

[PAR]

“Yeah, let's look at that claim for a minute. It comes from one of Berg's documents, an affidavit from a Reverend Shuhubia who claims she told him that. The affidavit is posted here. Reverend Shuhubia claims to be fluent in Swahili and he conducted the interview with this woman in Swahili in her village of Alego-Kogello. And in this interview the woman says she was present at Obama’s birth. Problem is that Obama’s grandmother does not speak Swahili, she speaks Luo. The two are not the same. And she doesn't live in Alego-Kogello, she lives in Nyang’oma Kogelo. And all this documentation he claims to have found in Mombasa? Where is it?”

Can't comment on that. You may be right. However, until the allegation has been proven false, I would not give Obama the benefit of the doubt, PARTICULARLY since he has refused to take the amazingly simple action that could put this all to rest, which is to provide his long form birth certificate that shows definitively where he was born. Why does he refuse to put this to rest? Until he does so, he does NOT deserve the benefit of the doubt.

“And? The state of Hawaii has said they have his original birth certificate on file. “

I will assume that you are not being disingenuous and are not aware that the birth certificate on file could simply be a registration of Obama’s birth. Stating that Obama’s original birth certificate is on file is NOT proof he was born in Hawaii. I will also assume that you were not aware that at the time of Obama’s birth, a so-called registration of birth certificate could be obtained for births that occured out of Hawaii if the parents claimed that they had been residents of Hawaii at least one year prior to the birth. Note that to date no one has seen Obama’s long form birth certificate that shows where in fact he was born and that Obama has refused to perform the simple act of providing it so that everyone can see that he was born in the U.S. Why not?

“I'm sure that the paper trail documenting Castro's birth in Cuba is a whole lot better documented than your claim Obama was born in Kenya.”

Can you prove that? Of course not. Actually I never claimed that Obama was born in Kenya. I don't know and am willing to admit as much. My comment was a bit of exaggeration to make the point that we are talking about a very slippery slope. One thing I do know is that Obama must be made to demonstrate that he is constitutionally eligible to hold the office of the Presidency. If not, the integrity of the U.S. Constitution (that document he would be sworn to uphold) would be compromised. This is true regardless of whether there are formal rules/regulations/laws that candidates must comply with in order to demonstrate eligibility.

[RGPII]

Didn’t Oprah’s Choice once blurt out that he is indeed “illegitiamte” at birth?

This is why the Court should look at this, if this is the issue then I don't care. I only care about the legal requirement to hold the office. A lot of smoke going around though, Senate Resolution 511 and all this other.

[autumnraine]

Sec of State doesn’t become President, Nancy Pelosi does until new election.

[autumnraine]

After I got all snitty with you, I realized you might have felt flamed and thought I was one of the mockers.

Believe me, I get mocked on here too, but I can’t let it go. I heard for months and months, don’t worry about where he was born, beat him on the issues. Over and over I heard that. Well guess what, we DIDN’T beat him on the issues and now something that should have been settled long before now isn’t.

They said, “You can’t force him to prove anything unless he wins”. Now that he’s won, I hear “He won, get over it”.

I don’t know, it just bugs me that more people aren’t upset at something this monumental.

[autumnraine]

So they have one “on file”, why doesn’t he SHOW IT TO THE COURT instead of sending lawyers out the yin yang to dismiss it. It wouldn’t even need dimissing if he would send a certified document into the court. It would have been long long ago. The fact that he hasn’t, and has blocked suits instead of just ending it speaks volumes to me.

I’ve gone over this with you before, and I’m not again. When I go in to get my drivers license at 16, I must show a certified copy. I can’t say “I was born on this date. Prove otherwise”. So to be able to DRIVE A CAR takes more than my word, why shouldn’t the POTUS have to do more?

And just because they have a birth certificate doesn’t mean he was born there. Hawaii when it was a new state had a statute (until 1972) that allowed you to register a birth outside of the state IN Hawaii.

[FrankR]

"If a child is born in TX and his parents are illegals, would that child be eligible to run for US president as long as he/she meets other requirements?"

I would think "yes", but I say that only because many illegals come across the boarder just so their child will be "born American", thereby entitling him/her to rights as an American citizen. By the baby being born on American soil that makes it a citizen.

Now, whether this entitles the kid to be President, is something that I don't know.

If it does, I'll probably disagree because they could come over, have the baby, have it documented as a "natural born" citizen, then go back to Mexico and raise it. I think the founders had in mind that to be President you need to be born and raised here so as to know our culture, customs and beliefs in liberty.

But I really don't know the answer...sorry.