Replies

Leahy: "Because he was born to American citizens, there is no doubt in my mind that Senator McCain is a natural born citizen. I recently asked Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, a former Federal judge, if he had any doubts in his mind. He did not. I ask unanimous consent that the relevant excerpt from the Judiciary Committee hearing where Secretary Chertoff testified be made a part of the record.

Hey, LorenC, your "hearing" may be challenged, but how is your "seeing".

You see, it was called a "hearing" and it was real and it took place, and it determined that McCain was a natural born citizen because he had American citizens [plural] for parents -- something that Obama lacks no matter how you Obamanoids want to slice and dice it.

You see, it was called a "hearing" and it was real and it took place, and it determined that McCain was a natural born citizen because he had American citizens [plural] for parents

OK, let's go back and look at what MHGinTN originally wrote, and to which I responded:

"When the Senate held hearings regarding McCain’s natural born citizenship, there was no question that both his parents were American citizens at the time of his birth. For some reason unfathomable to Drew69, the Senate wanted to confirm the other leg of eligibility in the framer’s sense, whether he was born on American land. So, the stupid Senate was following the Vattel definition in their hearings..."

First, there were no "hearings." I've read enough posts about Vattel to know y'all love your plurals, and "hearings" certainly means "more than one hearing."

Second, MHGinTN wrote "the Senate held hearings regarding McCain’s natural born citizenship." No they didn't. McCain's natural born citizenship was mentioned in a single question-and-answer in a wholly unrelated Judiciary Committee hearing.

Here is the transcript of that hearing, from April 2, 2008. The title of the hearing is "Oversight of the Department of Homeland Security." It's 350 pages of oral testimony and attached documentation about the Department of Homeland Security. The only talk of Presidential eligibility comes on numbered page 12, right as Leahy wraps up a round of questioning. "McCain" is mentioned by name precisely once in the entire hearing.

So if you want to look at one question and one one-sentence answer, in a hearing entitled "Oversight of the Department of Homeland Security," where McCain wasn't questioned or even present, where there was no evidence presented, and the only person who gave any testimony was the Secretary of Homeland Security, and declare that it's not misleading or inaccurate to say that that constitutes that "the Senate held hearings regarding McCain’s natural born citizenship," then be my guest.

Third, MHGinTN wrote "For some reason unfathomable to Drew69, the Senate wanted to confirm the other leg of eligibility in the framer’s sense, whether he was born on American land." Check the transcript. That's just false. The Senate didn't "confirm" anything. They didn't question where he was born. It was just accepted as a fact. The reasonable it's unfathomable is because the Senate didn't do it.