Spokesman: ‘Senator Ted Cruz is a U.S. citizen by birth’

Washington Examiner ^ | 03/11/2013 | Byron York

[SeekAndFind]

In the past few days, there has been renewed buzz on the Internet about the presidential eligibility of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Cruz has only been in the Senate for about 60 days and does not appear to be behind any of the talk. But he has certainly been in the news in recent days, and in response to a request for comment, his spokesman, Sean Rushton, sent me this note:

Sen. Cruz is a U.S. citizen by birth, having been born in Calgary to an American-born mother. He is focused entirely on his new role in the Senate, and on working every day to represent Texas and defend conservative principles in the Senate.

Any talk about Cruz follows years of discussion about birthplace and presidential eligibility involving President Obama, Sen. John McCain, and Sen. Marco Rubio. The bottom line in the case of Cruz, who was born in Canada in 1970, is that his father was an immigrant from Cuba and not a U.S. citizen at the time of young Cruz’s birth, but his mother was born and raised in the United States. The law in effect then, and now, made Ted Cruz a U.S. citizen at birth. Although the drafters of the Constitution did not define what they meant when they required an American president to be a “natural born citizen,” it is generally thought that “citizen by birth” is the best modern-day equivalent. On that basis, Cruz appears entirely eligible — if he ever chooses to pursue the White House.

[Vendome]

Yep.

Like Obama supposedly did.

[Vendome]

Because, like Obama, at the very least he has a divided oath of citizenship and cannot be president if he is still Canadian and to my mind since he was.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

John McCain is a natural born Citizen, so are Cruz, Rubio, and Obama

Netanyahu for president!

[noinfringers2]

Or we can have either of the two sons of the president of Egypt both who were born in the USA.

[Vendome]

Funny. I have a good friend who is Bib’s friend.

I believe they went to high school together.

[Vendome]

Your answer brings up a thought I’ll expound upon later...

[ROCKLOBSTER]

My daughter was born in Canada and because I am an American citizen, she automatically is an American citizen, she has dual citizenship.

Not eligible.

[Dartman]

This is starting to sound like the Jewish standard. If your MOTHER is a Jew, you are a Jew and it doesn’t matter who your father is or even where your father is. The Moms have it.

Okay then, Obammy is white !!

[x]

This is starting to sound like the Jewish standard. If your MOTHER is a Jew, you are a Jew and it doesn’t matter who your father is or even where your father is. The Moms have it.

Don't know about that, but it's pretty clear that the idea that citizenship passes down only through the father is probably untenable nowadays.

[MestaMachine]

And THAT is exactly what it would say on an original long form BC if his mama was single when he was born.

[highball]

So Winston Churchill could have been our President?

If he had been born today, and spent the required 14 years as a resident of the United States, and if he could get himself elected, then yes. The Constitution provides no other bar to him.

[dfwgator]

So Winston Churchill could have been our President?

Shame he wasn't.

[Dartman]

You’re right!!

[MestaMachine]

Would I lie to you?

[Jack Black]

The Senate has tried several times to cancel the Constitutionally defined requirement for President, and failed to do it since it violates the Constitutionally defined way to change the Constitution. Ted was not born in the US of A. He is a citizen by his mother’s citizenship (provided she had reached the age of and with so and so many years a citizen herself), but he is not an natural born citizen. McCain was not and of course little barry bastard boy is not either.

What's your theory? "Natural Born" isn't defined in the Constitution where it's used. Seems like it's never really been nailed down in US Law, either.

[Jack Black]

That was a good explanation, thanks!

[Jack Black]

The weight of legal and historical authority indicates that the term “natural born” citizen would mean a person who is entitled to U.S. citizenship “by birth” or “at birth”, either by being born “in” the United States and under its jurisdiction, even those born to alien parents; by being born abroad to U.S. citizen-parents; or by being born in other situations meeting legal requirements for U.S. citizenship “at birth”. Such term, however, would not include a person who was not a U.S. citizen by birth or at birth, and who was thus born an “alien” required to go through the legal process of “naturalization” to become a U.S. citizen. I think that is, at this point, the defacto definition.

[MHGinTN]

It appears that the framers put that wording in despite the wording they used for legislators, so I will assume they were nit infected with redundancitis and that they were establishing a very high citizenship bar for the one who would be the ultimate defender of The Constitution and CIC of our military. With Roberts soiling the bench, it is not a stretch to believe his court will make any ruling necessary to make little barry bastard boy legitimate, regardless of where he was born or whom are his parents. Pirate Roberts ruling on Obamacare proved that. He is owned ...

[Andy from Chapel Hill]

Cruz should set up a POTUS exploratory committee and then petition the SCOTUS to determine his eligibility as a NBC.

That may be the only way to get this issue resolved. Want to watch BHO sweat bullets?

[MHGinTN]

I will donate hundreds to help the effort. Cruz is a good man. I wish our system of government could last long enough for him to have a two decade impact in the Senate. Sadly, I am not optimistic in that regard.