Editorial: Ted Cruz and the ‘birther’ issue

Dallas News ^ | Aug 19, 2013 | Edtitorial

[Jim Robinson]

Is he a natural-born citizen or isn’t he? The question has been a nagging part of Barack Obama’s life ever since his first presidential campaign. No amount of birth certificates and sworn statements from state officials in Hawaii, his birthplace, seemed capable of putting the issue to rest. The “birther” movement continues pressing the question even today, five years after Obama’s election to the presidency.

The question nags anew, but this time Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz is the focus because he was born in Canada to an American mother and Cuban father. By law, his mother’s U.S. citizenship automatically confers natural citizenship to Cruz, just as — for those who continue to doubt the location of Obama’s birth — the citizenship of Obama’s American mother conferred it to him.

When it became a hot-button issue in 2008, Democrats countered that Obama’s GOP opponent, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, was born to American parents at a U.S. military installation in the Panama Canal Zone. The implication being that if Republicans wanted to play the birther game, Democrats could, too.

This is such a nonissue, regardless of whether the candidate is Republican or Democrat. Nevertheless, narrow-minded individuals, including some prominent personalities such as billionaire former presidential contender Donald Trump, are doggedly trying to concoct controversy and introduce doubt where there should be none.

These men have been natural U.S. citizens from birth and have every right to seek the nation’s highest office. Article II of the Constitution sets out three eligibility requirements to be president: that the person be at least 35 years old, a resident within the United States for 14 years and a “natural-born citizen.”

[trisham]

How I envy you!

[trisham]

We’ve had our Christmas lights up for years. :)

[BuckeyeTexan]

Ever stood barefooted in your front yard with a baby on your hip? Heh. (I have.)

[trisham]

I’ve been everywhere with and without shoes with a baby on my hip. I’ve changed hundreds of diapers, going back to when cloth diapers and those awful “safety” pins were in use, and I have a scar to prove it. :)

[Jim Robinson]

Hell yeah! Right on!

[gura]

Cruz moved to the US when he was 4 years of age.

Just before Obama entered his madrassa.

[DoughtyOne]

That’s okay. I don’t have cable television right now. Perhaps I’ll get it back early next year.

No problem...

Still, looked pretty close to the edge... :^)

[lonestar]

No problem here. I don’t even get a little upset over disagreements on the internet. Pointless.

Have a good one!

[DoughtyOne]

You’re so funny...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3061738/posts?page=134#134

[lonestar]

You’re so funny...

People who know me think so.

[lonestar]

You’re so funny...

People who know me think so.

[DoughtyOne]

Great. Then it’s unanimous. You lie, get caught at it, and shirk it off as if character didn’t matter.

[lonestar]

Are you bi-polar?...or just play one on the internet.

[DoughtyOne]

I’m not the idiot who fired off a hostile post to another FReeper and then stated I don’t let things on a forum bother me.

And so far, you’ve been trying unsuccessfully to flip this around on me.

Own up to what you did. I don’t really care all that much, but it is what you did.

Bipolar... that word seems to come quite naturally to you.

[DoughtyOne]

You know, I deal with a lot of characters here.  Generally things go okay, but there are times when they spiral out of control.

I find that when some folks write some things, they often don't realize how they will come off to the person they're posting them to.

Let me explain my take on what took place between you and I.

You stated that Cruz had renounced his Canadian citizenship.  I hadn't seen it.  I had also just read an article that included this sentence.

The rising Republican star also denied he had renounced his Canadian citizenship in a move to prepare for a bid for the presidency.

Quite naturally, I wanted to see where you got your information.  It was reasonable to ask.  You provided it.  I was fine with it.

What Cruz intended by this response, was to clarify that he hadn't declared as a candidate yet.  Not having seen a number of reports about him renouncing his citizenship, I read it to mean he had not renounced his citizenship.

That is why I linked you to it HERE.  Your report was dated the 19th.  The article I linked you to was the 25th.  It appeared to me that six days after the report you linked, he was still saying he hadn't renounced his citizenship yet.

That's why I said it was just strange.  You didn't catch that.  You just fired off the response you did HERE.

I thought that was hostile, and I called you on it.  And then you denied you get even a little upset HERE.

You were upset.  So what.  I don't really care, but don't start exhonerating yourself for what you have done, and then trot out the Bi-Polar label on me.

Actually, you do get more than a little upset.  Who doesn't.  Later...

.

[lonestar]

I’m not the idiot who fired off a hostile post to another FReeper ...

Huh?

[DoughtyOne]

I know, this is way over your head.

I should have realized it from the get go.

Lonestar, you’ve done yourself no favors here.

It’s all right there for everyone to see, and you’re still playing the village idiot.

[lonestar]

I'm upset? Glad you told me because I had missed it!

As a matter of fact, I was on a day trip yesterday with real, live friends and I promise you, I didn't think about you.

I'm up early because I'm off today with other friends on another day trip and won't be thinking about you.

You should get out more.

Bless your heart...have a good day.

[DoughtyOne]

I'm upset? Glad you told me because I had missed it!

Okay, then according to you, this is how you normally operate. You don't have to be upset to act this way. LINK

As a matter of fact, I was on a day trip yesterday with real, live friends and I promise you, I didn't think about you.

You should know that I don't really care about these things.  If you don't know it, you might want to call a family member to come over and help you out.

I'm up early because I'm off today with other friends on another day trip and won't be thinking about you.
 
This is so bazaar...  Either you actually think I care, or you actually think this is going to offend me.  Strike one.  Strike two.

You should get out more.

You should worry less about what I am going to be doing, and more about your inability to recognize, be honest about, and own up to your own actions.

Bless your heart...have a good day.

You conduct yourself as you have here, and then you make a comment like this.

Based on your behavior, it's not sincere.  It's an attempt at a dismissive put-down.  It's transparent, and actually causes me to smile.  Stike three.

It's just one more way for you to display your detatched anti-social behavior.

[Sun]

Re: your post No. 5 - WOW, does Sen Cruz ever have impressive credentials, and that’s an understatement.