Those dang Birthers are at it again

Originally posted by tuwood

I find this amusing.  

Sen. Ted Cruz's birth certificate shows he was born in Canada in 1970

The other part I find amusing is no mention that Obama was technically a triple citizen at birth.  Even being born in Hawaii, his father was a Kenyan citizen which was a British Colony at the time.  so he was born with both Kenyan, British, and US citizenship on US soil.  Then when his mom remarried and moved to Indonesia he technically became an Indonesian citizen as well if he was adopted.  So he has at least three, if not four citizenship's and is fully eligible.

I doubt the R's will ever let Cruz get a foothold on the nomination so it's likely just a sideshow.

Originally posted by tuwood

I find this amusing.  

Sen. Ted Cruz's birth certificate shows he was born in Canada in 1970

The other part I find amusing is no mention that Obama was technically a triple citizen at birth.  Even being born in Hawaii, his father was a Kenyan citizen which was a British Colony at the time.  so he was born with both Kenyan, British, and US citizenship on US soil.  Then when his mom remarried and moved to Indonesia he technically became an Indonesian citizen as well if he was adopted.  So he has at least three, if not four citizenship's and is fully eligible.

I doubt the R's will ever let Cruz get a foothold on the nomination so it's likely just a sideshow.

Originally posted by jeffnboise

I'm withholding any judgements until I hear from MR Trump.

Originally posted by chirunner134 I am waiting to hear from him for sure.

Originally posted by chirunner134 Tuwood I agree with you on who checks it and decides. Some Board of elections? I think the whole birther movement was just apart of dirty politics. It can be effective I just do not like it.

Originally posted by tuwood

I agree, it was dirty politics.  There was a legitimate legal question in there, but it was drowned out by all the garbage.

Originally posted by tuwood

I agree, it was dirty politics.  There was a legitimate legal question in there, but it was drowned out by all the garbage.

Originally posted by mr2tony What's the legitimate question?

Originally posted by tuwood

What legally constitutes/defines a "natural born citizen" per the constitutional requirements to be President?  The constitution doesn't define it and there hasn't really been a court case, that I'm aware of, that has either.

The court cases that have set precedent are mostly related to citizenship as a whole, such as Lynch v. Clark where the plaintiff was born on US soil to two British parents.  She was deemed a US citizen because she was born on US soil, but the word "natural born" wasn't mentioned.  Same with most of the other cases.

The CRS did put out an opinion on it in 2011, which I agree with.  It's not binding law or anything, but just an interpretation.

The weight of legal and historical authority indicates that the term "natural born" citizen would mean a person who is entitled to U.S. citizenship "by birth" or "at birth", either by being born "in" the United States and under its jurisdiction, even those born to alien parents; by being born abroad to U.S. citizen-parents; or by being born in other situations meeting legal requirements for U.S. citizenship "at birth". Such term, however, would not include a person who was not a U.S. citizen by birth or at birth, and who was thus born an "alien" required to go through the legal process of "naturalization" to become a U.S. citizen.

So based on their interpretation as long as you are a US Citizen at birth (no matter where you're born) you are a natural born citizen.  It's only the naturalized citizens that aren't eligible.  I think it's a reasonable definition.

Originally posted by mr2tony OK. How does that pertain to President Obama? Where is the `legitimate legal question' you say is in there?

Originally posted by Left Brain

Obama was born under a tin foil tent.....TuWood knows this, he was there. 

Originally posted by mr2tony Hmm ... I didn't have Tony pegged as being that old. Something in the Omaha water that makes us look young, I guess.

Originally posted by tuwood

I'm his real father actually

Originally posted by mr2tony OK. How does that pertain to President Obama? Where is the `legitimate legal question' you say is in there?

Originally posted by tuwood

Obama was born in Hawaii to a US citizen mother and a dual citizen father (Kenyan/British).  There's no question that he is an American citizen because of both his birth place and his mother being a US citizen.

The US Constitution says in order to be President you have to be a "natural born citizen" but it doesn't define the term.  Various people, typically with a political axe to grind, have attempted to define it to mean various things such as; born on US soil with both US citizen parents, born on US soil with at least one US parent, born anywhere in the world with two US parents, born anywhere in the world with at least one US parent, etc...

So, if it's a legal requirement to be eligible I'm simply stating there is a legitimate legal interest in clarifying the definition of what constitutes a "natural born citizen".

Obviously there were a lot of whack job lawsuits claiming Obama was born in Kenya and that his birth certificate was forged, so I'm not talking about those.  I'm referring to someone challenging Obama as being qualified based on the "natural born" clause.  There were several cases making that exact claim, but they were all thrown out for lack of standing because they weren't "close enough" to be able to file.

I suspect that the interpretation I quoted above from the CRS would be very similar to what's ultimately adopted by the Supreme Court, but to this point they've never addressed the issue.  Hence, there's a legitimate legal question in there.  

In addition to Obama and Cruz being "challenged" on their eligibility there have been eight other Presidential candidates where the question was raised.  Most recently with Romney (born in Mexico) and McCain (born in Panama).

Originally posted by powerman

I'm no Birther, just interested in the topic. But there were indeed legitimate questions raised about Obama's citizenship at the time of his campaign. He is a natural born citizen, but I have no problem with verification. And I do not think the requirement in the Constitution is outdated. You should be a natural born citizen to run the country. Sorry, Arnold. Can there be some wired thing... well like Arnold for instance, where he lives here and can't be POTUS... sure. But I don't really care. Out of 350 million people, we can't find a natural born citizen qualified to run the country?

Originally posted by kevin_trapp
Judging from the last four presidential elections and the entire 2012 GOP primary field (excluding Dr. Paul who never actually had a chance), I'm starting to think the answer to this is no.

Originally posted by chirunner134



I agree with the GOP primary field No Sarah Palin? what is up with that.

I am glad we still have the natural born citizen clause. Its too important of a position and I would worry about country like China take over the white house if its not. They can already pour as much money as they want into our elections. If they could have there own puppet candidate too? I know they could have that now. Its just not as easy as it would be.

Originally posted by chirunner134 I agree with the GOP primary field No Sarah Palin? what is up with that. I am glad we still have the natural born citizen clause. Its too important of a position and I would worry about country like China take over the white house if its not. They can already pour as much money as they want into our elections. If they could have there own puppet candidate too? I know they could have that now. Its just not as easy as it would be.