“Well the crackpots in the Senate put forward their ridiculous ‘birther’ beliefs by passing a resolution to declare McCain a natural born citizen after much discussion.”
If memory serves, the controversy was that McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone, which didn’t qualify as 14th amendment U.S. territory. Which means it was not over whether or not soil babies can be president, but over whether McCain was a soil baby.
“They held the crazy position that two citizen parents were necessary to qualify as natural born”
McCain’s parents were citizens, which I presume is why the Senate—if memory serves—declared him eligible. If he had been known to have been born in the U.S., they wouldn’t have had to affirm his qualifications through parentage.
No, it was "over" being a smokescreen for Obama, who cosponsored the bill.
the Senate—if memory serves—declared him eligible. If he had been known to have been born in the U.S., they wouldn’t have had to affirm his qualifications through parentage.
Well they didn't have to do anything, but they did, through a resolution which has no real value. They could have resolved that the Sun rises in the West, but that wouldn't make it so.
I don't believe the Senate has the power to declare anyone eligible or ineligible for the presidency. It wasn't real controversial at any time since his parents were serving in the US military at the time of his birth. Otherwise they probably would have been in the US.