Posted on 04/18/2010 4:22:46 AM PDT by RobinMasters
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas told a House subcommittee that when it comes to determining whether a person born outside the 50 states can serve as U.S. president, the high court is "evading" the issue.
The comments came as part of Thomas' testimony before a House appropriations panel discussing an increase in the Supreme Court's budget earlier this week.
Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Jose Serrano, D-N.Y., actually raised the question first amid a discussion on racial diversity in the judiciary.
"I'm still waiting for the [court decision] on whether or not a Puerto Rican can run for president of the United States," said Serrano, who was born in the island territory. "That's another issue."
Yet after Serrano questioned him on whether or not the land's highest court would be well-served by a justice who had never been a judge, Thomas not only answered in the affirmative, but also hinted that Serrano would be better off seeking a seat in the Supreme Court than a chair in the Oval Office.
"I'm glad to hear that you don't think there has to be a judge on the Court," said Serrano, "because I'm not a judge; I've never been a judge."
"And you don't have to be born in the United States," said Thomas, referring to the Constitution, which requires the president to be a natural-born citizen but has no such clause for a Supreme Court justice, "so you never have to answer that question."
"Oh really?" asked Serrano. "So you haven't answered the one about whether I can serve as president, but you answer this one?"
(Excerpt) Read more at wnd.com ...
Ping
Not exactly news.
Seems to me that evading the question is equal to evading your resposibility to The Constitution No?
They are evading elligibility only because 0bama is “black.” They would rather give him the benefit of the doubt with some affirmative action than step up to the plate and deal with the repercussions of throwing him out on his ass.
Rev Dr Manning is hot on this sh!t!!!!!
The way I read it...Thomas is saying that the Supreme Court....not Thomas, personally...is evading the eligibility issue.
The Court will have to answer the issue eventually....especially if a lower court would rule that Obama is not eligible.
As for Serrano and Puerto Ricans....those born in Puerto Rico are US Citizens....so a Puerto Rican, born on the island, would be eligible to serve as POTUS....for they would be natural-born
Although it isn’t good that they have been evading the issue, it is good that he broke the SCOTUS silence- make this video go viral.
Bingo.
Not evading the issue. There’s a little matter of separation of powers which the Supreme Court continued to honor, although the administration and Congress regularly disregard it. Under this concept (aka Case or Controversy), the Supreme Court does not render advisory opinions because that would make it the superior of the other two branches. Instead, the Supreme Court is limited to rendering decisions in actual lawsuits brought before it, and the cases are limited to challenges of actual application of a law, rather than possible applications, after the case has wended its way through the lower courts. So Justice Thomas is not derelict in his duty.
“Right now, what the heck good are any of the three broken branches? :( “
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Good for commies!
Do you understand what the “trial” Rev Manning is conducting in May is all about? I know he wants to prove that Obama is ineligible and I guess has witnesses to testify. Is it going to be in a mock courtroom or a real one or what? I listened to one of his videos, but still not sure how it’s going to work.
“As for Serrano and Puerto Ricans....those born in Puerto Rico are US Citizens....so a Puerto Rican, born on the island, would be eligible to serve as POTUS....for they would be natural-born”
If it is that clear, why was the question asked by Serrano in the first place?
Yeh, it’s a “mock” trial, I guess—but different from the one hbo did years ago on Sgt Oswald, i.e. this one will not be composed of actors as such but supposedly actual individuals w/knowledge of the thing at hand.
Ref
http://atlah.org/pdf/ciaColumbiaObamaTrial_v2.pdf
As I see it, the big thing is the publicity it will get/already has gotten, etc.
See the many, many videos on The Manning Report/YouTube, etc.
The courtroom will actually be Dr Manning’s church in Harlem—apparently ColU is also located in Harlem...
“If it is that clear, why was the question asked by Serrano in the first place?”
Because it’s not clear: Puerto Ricans are “statutory” citizens, but may not be NBCs.
http://www.puertorico-herald.org/issues/2003/vol7n38/Poll0738-en.html
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