by Matthew Hay Brown
This just in: John McCain, born though he was in the Panama Canal Zone, meets the citizenship test to serve in the White House.
So says the Cabinet secretary charged with enforcing federal immigration law.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff was responding today to a question from Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy about McCain’s status, in light of the constitutional stipulation that “No Person except a natural born Citizen … shall be eligible to the Office of President.”
McCain, the son of a Naval officer, was born in 1936 to American parents in the Canal Zone, which was then under U.S. control.
“We've had some question on this committee to have a special law passed, declaring that Senator McCain was born in the Panama Canal, that he meets the constitutional requirement to be president,” Leahy said. “I fully believe he does. I've never had any question in my mind that he meets our constitutional requirement.
“You're a former federal judge,” he told Chertoff. “You're the head of the agency that executes federal immigration law. Do you have any doubt in your mind? I have none in mine. Do you have any doubt in your mind that he's constitutionally eligible to become president?”
Chertoff kept his answer brief: “My assumption and my understanding is that if you were born of American parents, you are a natural-born American citizen.''
Debate about the meaning of the constitutional requirement has arisen from time to time, as when Mitt’s father George Romney (born in Mexico) sought the Republican nomination for president in 1968, and when Barry Goldwater (Arizona Territory, pre-statehood) ran for president in 1964.
The Canadian birth of Franklin Roosevelt Jr. may have limited his chances at following his father to the White House. Lowell Weicker, born in Paris to American parents, sought legal advice before his 1980 bid for the GOP nomination.
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Comments
John McCain/Bush may have passed the citizenship test but he failed the IQ test:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcdLO3jKkPo
Posted by: John E | April 2, 2008 7:27 PM
"COMMISSIONER OF IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SPEAKS"
HUH!
"S BILL 1639"
BY "REMOVING" ATTORNEY GENERAL IN DEALING WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION AND BY INSERTING "SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY"
THIS IS WHAT THAT WAS ALL FOR! THEY KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO BE A PROBLEM AND BY STRIKING "ATTORNEY" GENERAL IF THEY HAVE THE CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY TO DO SO GIVES JOHN MCCAIN AN UNCONSTITUTIONAL "PASS" ILLEGALLY.
SO WHEN DID CONGRESS END IT'S "CONGRESSIONAL CHURN" AND "CONSOLIDATE" THE COMMISSIONER OF IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION UNDER HOMELAND SECURITY?
SO DOES THAT MEAN THAT IF I AM INDIAN THAT MY SOVERIENGTY HAS BEEN STRIPPED AND THE "SECRETARY" MAY DEEM THAT I AM NOT INDIAN BUT MEXICAN, ASIAN, OR ACTUALLY NOT BORN IN THE UNITED STATES ON "AMERICAN SOIL"
SO WHEN DO I GET MY JOHN MCCAIN "SKYWATCH" TATOO.
I WANT IT READ AS FOLLOWS.
BORNINUSABORNONUSASOILBORNBEFORE1965BORNINTHEUSABORNONUSASOIL.
Posted by: Roger Morris | April 2, 2008 7:33 PM
"CHERTOFF SPEAKS"
THE SECURE BORDERS
"ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND IMMIGRATION REFORM ACT OF 2007"
DIDN'T PASS! BUT AMERICA ACTS AS THOUGH IT DID
SO "Z" PEOPLE AND "G" PEOPLE WAITING IN LINE, THE WAIT IS GOING TO END SOON.
SO WHAT GIVES CHERTOFF THE AUTHORITY TO BE THE PERSON THAT DECLARES YOU A "NATURAL BORN CITIZEN"
SO WILL CHERTOFF DECLARE THAT ALL BABIES BORN BY IMMIGRANTS ON U.S. SOIL, IN AN AMERICAN HOSPITAL BE DECLARED NOT A U.S. CITIZEN. UNLESS THEY WERE BORN IN THE PANAMA CANAL BEFORE IT WAS EVEN A CANAL!
IS THERE A LINE WE NEED TO GET IN?
WILL THERE BE A "CHERTOFF CARD" AUTHENTICATING OUR CITIZENSHIP OR NATURALIZATION.
IS THIS WHAT IT WAS ALL ABOUT?
YES, I'M LOSING IT, BECAUSE, THE MEIN KEMPF LAST CHAPTER IS THE MARK OF THE BEAST.
110TH CONGRESS!
IS THIS WHAT CHERTOFF MEANT BY ENDING YOUR" CONGRESSIONAL CHURN"
IS THIS WHAT CHERTOFF MEANT WHEN HE SAID HE WOULD VIOLATE 35 "FEDERAL LAWS" TO BUILD A FENCE?
THIS CAN'T GO UNNOTICED.
THE BILL DIDN'T PASS BUT CHERTOFF ACTS AS THOUGH HE IS "KEEPING AMERICA MOVING" IN THE "JOHN MCCAIN"
SKYWATCH FORENSIC DNA TATOO'S AND A REAL ID FOR EVERYONE BORN AFTER 1964.
NO MORE DNA BEFORE 1964 AND NEW FORENSIC DNA TATOOS FOR AFTER 1964.
REMOVE "Attorney General" in dealing with the Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization and inserting "SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY"
WHO WILL JOHN MCCAIN OR HILLARY CLINTON OR BARRACK OBAMA "SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY CHOICE WILL BE"
KARL ROVE
HARRIET MIERS
DAVID ADDINGTON
GLENN BECK
SHERRIF JOE ARPAIO
NEGROPONTE
BOEHNER
BLUNT
VITTER
CRAIG
Posted by: Roger Morris | April 2, 2008 7:43 PM
There was never any doubt except in the heads of brain dead democrats like Johann E.
Posted by: Jeff | April 2, 2008 8:01 PM
COMMENT: AFTER 8 YRS OF BUSH, CHANGING RULES TO HIS OWN RULE, I DON'T REALLY CARE WHAT CHERTOFF SAYS, AS LONG AS THE FENCE GOES UP.
WHO CARES,NO ONE CARES ABOUT
"SOVEREIGNTY:
Posted by: SUSANM | April 2, 2008 8:53 PM
Give me a break!
But in reality, I hope the media continues its charade and the Democrats and Left continue their games. In the end, it'll only help the Republicans.
Posted by: John D | April 2, 2008 11:37 PM
Look at how angry this guy looks. "I will eat your children, I will shoot your sister, I will, I will.......bomb Iran, I will eat your sister's children while I bomb Iran."
Posted by: Haywood Jablome | April 3, 2008 12:48 AM
Listen retards!
Aside from the fact that John McCain was born in the Coco Solo area Hospital on the Coco Solo Naval Air Station: Title 8, chapter 12, subchapter III, Part I of Section 1401(c) of the U.S. Code states that: “a person born outside of the United States and its outlying possessions of parents both of whom are citizens of the United States and one of whom has had a residence in the United States or one of its outlying possessions, prior to the birth of such person.” Is a natural born citizen.
John McCain was a US citizen at birth and thus can legaly run for President, get over it. He is gonna be the next Commander and Chief, get used to it.
Posted by: Wilkins | April 3, 2008 4:44 AM
And how does this hack appointee of Bush's to a needless new cabinet post get to decide this?
Doesn't the Dept of State have this responsibilty?
Posted by: John Chuckman, Toronto, Canada | April 3, 2008 11:34 AM