Were you reading the same resolution? Are you playing cute semantic games, like asking what "is is?"
Here is the scrubbed Pat Leahy press release. Remember, the intention was deception, since a "resolution" is "let's all say we agree that this would be a good idea." It carries no legal imperative, and couldn't because laws cannot modify the Constitution. This resolution provided cover for McCain, which in turn silenced any Republican objections to the patently ineligible Obama, about whose eligibility there were never Congressional hearings, though they were requested of many Representatives and Senators by Cmdr. Kerchner the Summer before the election.
U.S. SENATOR PATRICK LEAHY
CONTACT: Office of Senator Leahy, 202-224-4242 VERMONT
Senators: McCain Is A ‘Natural Born Citizen’
Senators Introduce Resolution To Make Clear Senate’s Position On Candidate’s Status
WASHINGTON (Thursday, April 10, 2008) – Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) today introduced a resolution expressing the sense of the U.S. Senate that presidential candidate and current Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) is a ‘natural born Citizen,’ as specified in the Constitution and eligible to run for President.
In February, The New York Times published a report calling into question the legality of McCain’s presidential run. McCain was born to American citizens stationed on an American Naval base in the Panama Canal Zone. He has since served in the U.S. Navy, and, since 1983, has served in the U.S. Congress.
“Because he was born to American citizens, there is no doubt in my mind that Senator McCain is a natural born citizen,” said Leahy. “I expect that this will be a unanimous resolution of the Senate.”
“It is silly for anyone to argue that Senator McCain is not eligible to become president,” said McCaskill. “I would hope that this is something we can all agree on, for goodness sakes.”
At a Judiciary Committee hearing on April 3, Leahy asked Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, himself a former Federal judge, if he had doubts that McCain was eligible to serve as President.
“My assumption and my understanding is that if you are born of American parents, you are naturally a natural-born American citizen,” Chertoff replied.
“That is mine, too,” said Leahy.
The text of the resolution and Leahy’s remarks follow. # # # # # 110TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION
The pretext for this resolution, and for McCaskill's prior attempt to get a law on the books, Senate Bill 2678, Feb 28 2008, "To clarify the law and ensure that children born to United States citizens while serving overseas in the military are eligible to become President," is McCain's having satisfied the "citizen parents" provision. The reason for the concern has always been that he does not satisfy jus soli - he was not born on sovereign U.S. soil. We may all wish this were not the law, but everyone in the Senate certainly did, as did the New York Times, Obama, his law school professor Larry Tribe and Solicitor General Ted Olsen, and thousands of others. Either we have a constitution,or we had one, and now pay lip service when it suits the ruling class.
Whereas John Sidney McCain, III, was born to American citizens (plural!) on an American military base in the Panama Canal Zone in 1936: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That John Sidney McCain, III, is a `natural born Citizen' under Article II, Section 1, of the Constitution of the United States.
Whereas John Sidney McCain, III, was born to American citizens (plural!) on an American military base in the Panama Canal Zone in 1936: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That John Sidney McCain, III, is a `natural born Citizen' under Article II, Section 1, of the Constitution of the United States.