A Constitutional Anachronism: Immigrants should be eligible for the Presidency

nytimes.com ^ | September 6, 2003 | nytimes.com

[Destro]

A Constitutional Anachronism

America is a nation of immigrants. Immigrants have shaped our politics and diplomacy, run our government and defended us in wartime — more than 700 recipients of the Medal of Honor have been immigrants. Yet no matter how great their contributions or sacrifices, immigrants remain ineligible for the nation's highest office because of a provision in the Constitution that bars naturalized American citizens from becoming president. The provision has long since outlived its usefulness, if it had any in the first place.

Orrin Hatch, a Senate Republican, and Vic Snyder, a House Democrat, are pushing amendments to rid the Constitution of the requirement that "No Person except a natural born Citizen . . . shall be eligible to the Office of President." The stipulation does not appear to threaten the eligibility of citizens born abroad of American parents but is aimed at foreign-born people who became Americans after immigrating here. This encompasses an ever-expanding universe of more than 12 million Americans and includes two former secretaries of state, Henry Kissinger and Madeleine Albright; two cabinet members, Elaine Chao and Mel Martinez; and Michigan's governor, Jennifer Granholm. Mr. Hatch's amendment would make anyone who has been a citizen for 20 years, and a resident for 14, eligible for the presidency, while Mr. Snyder's would require a 35-year waiting period.

Some historians are puzzled about what the Founding Fathers had in mind. No similar restrictions were imposed on eligibility for other high offices. The common explanation is that as custodians of a young and fragile nation, the founders were determined to prevent a foreign power from insinuating someone into the country and contriving to have him elected chief executive. As Mr. Hatch observes, that threat has long since evaporated.

Congress often has trouble enough dealing with real threats, let alone remote ones. Thus the Hatch and Snyder amendments face that greatest of legislative enemies: inertia. Amending the Constitution is also a cumbersome process, requiring a two-thirds' vote in the House and Senate and the approval of three-fourths of the states. At issue here, however, is the fact that the Constitution creates, at least in regard to eligibility for the nation's highest office, a level of second-class citizenship wholly inconsistent with American values. This is a lingering wrong that needs to be set right.

[Friend of thunder]

Some historians are puzzled about what the Founding Fathers had in mind.

Gee, maybe they meant exactly said:

“No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that office who shall not have attained to the age of thirty five years, and been fourteen Years a resident within the United States.”

If these historians are also professors please pray they do not have tenure.

[A. Pole]

Is this to say that at any given future time, there might not be one solitary, native-born American in this wide land of ours who is qualifed to become President and as a result we would then have to turn to an immigrant?

There was a key precedent - Poland. Polish kings were elected and many of them were foreigners. It had the disastrous consequences which were very well known to the Founding Fathers. That is why they put it into the Constitution.

It is better to learn on other people errors than to repeat them.

[CaptainK]

Hatch must be the receipient of copious free landscaping and home improvement work.

[Capt. Tom]

Hatch is truly a "useful idiot".

I wish he would put his efforts into getting judges confirmed instead of messing with the Constitution. - Tom

[Oztrich Boy]

Will this include "undocumented immigrants"?

[John Beresford Tipton]

" the mass migration of Mexicans will culminate in a Mexican president"

I think we have one now.

[mtbopfuyn]

Heck, don't stop there. Make any illegal alien eligible. They're eligible for everything else at taxpayers' expense. </sarcasm>

[Ronin]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

This should be a no-brainer. Don't these idiots have anything better to do than tinker around with the guts of the constitution?

[Maccabee]

We may someday have to choose between a patriotic American immigrant or a natural born traitor.

[Destro]

either it's stupid or sinister........

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

What is wrong with Hatch! These political hacks have 'flipped.' They are obsessed with assisting the Third World takeover!

[gedeon3]

I am a proud American; I was born in Nicaragua, and I would go to war against Nicaragua if I had to. I am against electing a foreing born citizen to the presidency.

[John Jorsett]

Orrin Hatch is getting increasingly dotty. He's been hanging with Ted Kennedy so much that he must be getting drunk just by proximity.

[gedeon3]

'What is wrong with Hatch!

What is wrong with Republicans? We know what's wrong with the democrats (socialists and communists) in this country; but the way the Republicans cave, get defeated even when they are the majority, and do nothing about things like illigal inmigration, the NEA, etc, etc; makes me wonder if they are not all in bed with the democrats.

[tkathy]

I think Hatch's hatch has come loose on this one.

[Steve Eisenberg]

We may someday have to choose between a patriotic American immigrant or a natural born traitor.

I wouldn't have put it that way, but I do think that knowing someone was born on our territory tells you zero about whether they would be a good president.

Thinking from a purely partisan and not too subtle standpoint, which party is most likely to benefit? Well, let's say the candidate was a Mexico-born American? I think that being Mexican born would tend to help a GOP presidential candidate and hurt a Democratic candidate.

As for the Constitution, the founders mostly, in my opinion, intended for it to be amended more often than it is. This would be a nice harmless feel-good amendment and I like it.

Better, if it could be passed, would be to make the theme of the amendment that US citizenship is unambiguous. Something like this:

Naturalized citizens have all the rights and obligations of native born citizens so long as they do not take up the passport or citizenship of any other nation. However, an American citizen who fights for, or takes up the citizenship of, any other nation, shall be treated by the government of the United States, and by the governments of its states and localities, as any other non-citizen.

[Carry_Okie]

No, not now, not ever.

[Sabertooth]

Orrin Hatch, a Senate Republican, and Vic Snyder, a House Democrat, are pushing amendments to rid the Constitution of the requirement that "No Person except a natural born Citizen . . . shall be eligible to the Office of President."

The usefulness of Orrin Hatch has passed, forever. What a traitor, and not alone.

Cornyn proposes plan for immigrant 'guest workers' (Amnesty)
			Posted by Sabertooth On 07/11/2003 8:38 AM PDT with 14 comments Dallas Ft. Worth Star-Telegram ^ | July 11th, 2003 | Dave Montgomery Cornyn proposes plan for immigrant 'guest workers' By Dave Montgomery Star-Telegram Washington Bureau John Cornyn WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. John Cornyn launched his first major legislative initiative Thursday, calling for a guest worker program that would enable millions of undocumented immigrants to legally live and work in the United States for up to three years.The bill puts the first-term Texas Republican in the center of politically volatile efforts to overhaul the nation's immigration laws. The issue has strained relations between the Bush administration and Mexican President Vicente Fox, who is pressing the U.S. government to grant legal status to the...
Orrin Hatch addresses immigrants(Illegal aliens)
			Posted by 4.1O dana super trac pak On 09/05/2003 5:51 PM PDT with 47 comments Salt Lake Tribune ^ | 9/52003 | Christopher Smith WASHINGTON--Speaking at a rally of young undocumented immigrants who are urging Congress to allow them to attend public colleges at in-state tuition prices, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said the country will "benefit enormously" by opening college classes to the children of people who entered the U.S. illegaly."We can choose either to keep these talented young people underground or we can choose to give them a chance to contribute to the United States," Hatch said at a Capitol Hill news conference Thursday to urge support of his "DREAM Act," the Development, Relief, and Education For Alien Minors Act.The Bill sponsored by...
Powell meets Mexican envoy, hopeful on immigration reform; "We may get results slowly but surely"
			Posted by Brian S On 09/05/2003 7:09 PM PDT with 57 comments AP ^ | 09-05-03 GEORGE GEDDA, Associated Press Writer Friday, September 5, 2003 ---------------------------------------- (09-05) 18:42 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) -- Secretary of State Colin Powell said Friday after a meeting with Mexico's foreign minister that he believes progress may be possible in resolving long-standing differences with Mexico on immigration issues. Powell said that at November meetings with Mexican officials, the United States plans to offer ideas that "will demonstrate to the Mexican people and to Americans that we are serious about resolving immigration issues." Powell's meeting with Mexican Foreign Secretary Luis Ernesto Derbez also covered the administration proposal for a new U.N. Security Council... There are believed to be almost 4 million undocumented Mexican migrants in the United States. Mexico wants the United States to grant them legal status, but many in Congress believe that would reward people who broke the law. With Powell at his side after a 40-minute meeting, Derbez noted to reporters that migration reform legislation is pending. "We may get results slowly but surely," he said.

There are actually 4 million Illegals in California alone, at a minimum.

[jwalsh07]

Orrin Hatch has lost the remainder of his tiny brain. What a jerk.

[Destro]

Well we might go to war in Nicaragua, but I doubt with mine-almost impossible odds wise. So I can make such a claim easily.