Citizen Mccain's Panama Problem

Daily Paul ^ | February 10th, 2008 | Praetorius

[Tai_Chung]

There have been some posts on this topic already, but they are incomplete and the Mccain campaign, Wikipedia, and other sources have weaseled around it with a reference to a 1790 act of Congress defining foreign-born children of US citizens as natural-born, thus meeting to requirements to run for President.

I started digging into the Act of Congress that Mccain's campaign said got him around this (5th Congress, March 26th 1790), but found that this act was repealed by the same Congress, January 29th, 1795, RE-defining such children as just American citizens (not natural-born, as required for Pres. by the Constitution), and that this act was re-repealed April 14th, 1802 by the 6th Congress, keeping the same definition of foreign-born US citizens.

Unless someone can show me something I've missed (and I can find nothing anywhere referring to ANY other defense on this issue as of yet), Mccain is NOT a natural-born citizen of the United States and according to all applicable laws I've found, is NOT eligible to run for President. Links to these Acts of Congress:

[oldbill]

Anyone born in US territories is a US citizen.
The Panama Canal Zone was US territory until 1999.

[Redbob]

This would also have been George Romney’s problem, if he’d every gotten beyond the very first primary state.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

So what please are you hoping to accomplish at this point, by complaining about the Republican nominee? 你說不說?

[oldbill]

Correction - 1979, not 1999

[Emmett McCarthy]

Look, I don’t like McCain, but “dweebing” around with this silly arcane crap is ridiculous. He was born in Panama because that’s where his mother was at the time while his father was serving the U.S. as a naval officer. Trying that crap just makes you look small, even to me, and I don’t even like the guy.

[littlehouse36]

Stop teasing Huckabee.

[mbraynard]

And Arnold.

[Army Air Corps]

Wasn’t he born on a US military base in the Canal Zone?

[I_Like_Spam]

Gov. George Romney was Mitt’s father and born in Mexico of American parents.

Romney Sr. of course ran in the 1960’s, and McCain ran before as well. This wasn’t considered a problem in either case before, although the facts were well known.

I don’t think the argument of McCain’s ineligibility will go anywhere, if it had merit it would have already been hashed out in the 60s or during the 2000 primary campaign.

[B Knotts]

It’s an open question, and we won’t know the answer until one of these candidates wins. Be assured: if McCain wins, the Democrats will go to court on this issue.

[TinaJeannes]

Sheese My nephew was born in germany when his father who was in the army at that time was stationed there *L* he is a us citizen and has made army his career. Mccains Dad was an admiral in us navy *L* his family goes all the way back to revolutionary war, You really think the rights of our military ‘s children should be taken away ?

[devere]

The Panama Canal Zone was unquestionably U.S. territory when John McCain was born there. This dull question will hopefully never come up again.

[K-oneTexas]

I agree with you. That would mean every child not born in the 48 Contiguous States or Alaska or Hawaii, is now not considered a natural born citizen. So, children of military members born overseas are not natural born citizens ... yet Mexican children born in the US would be (having dual citizenship).

I think not. The courts would throw it out, even a Clinton appointee. That would throw into doubt thousands (maybe hundreds of thousands) of children and adults now residing in the states or elsewhere, not just McCain. That would be a political death-keel to the Dems.

[Tai_Chung]

I’m not trying to take away anyone’s right. I have a feeling this issue will resurface if the Democrats lose. The final decision could be in the Supreme Court.

It would make no sense to argue that a person who was born to two American citizens, served in the U.S. Military, fought in a War for America, was a P.O.W. and tortured and has served as a United States Senator has less of a right to run for the Presidency than someone who was born inside the United States to illegal immigrants and never served their country.

[icwhatudo]

Current State Department policy reads: "Despite widespread popular belief, U.S. military installations abroad and U.S. diplomatic or consular facilities are not part of the United States within the meaning of the 14th Amendment. A child born on the premises of such a facility is not subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and does not acquire U.S. citizenship by reason of birth."

interesting

[ReignOfError]

McCain wasn’t foreign-born. He was born in a US territory, same as Goldwater.

[Norman Bates]

Yes, that means a foreigner can’t just show up at a US military hospital overseas and give birth to an “American” but an American family can.

[SoConPubbie]

Not really an issue as McAmnesty is going to lose big in November because he is closer to the Democrats than his base.

Anybody who thinks otherwise is fooling himself/herself.

No amount of cajoling, arguing, fear-mongering, or Name-calling (which seems to be the favorite approach of mcAmnesty supporters) is going to change his record or his approach. He will not convince enough of the base to follow him to make a difference in November.

The GOP and RNC would have had a cake-walk both in 2006 and 2008 if they would have dropped the Illegal Alien Amnesty and shown fiscal restraint.

They shot themselves in the foot and now are yelling and screaming at conservatives because they are too principled and will not follow them over the cliff in political suicide.

[Graybeard58]

This dull question will hopefully never come up again.

Someone will post it again.....you may count on it.