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Dead Constitution See other Dead Constitution Articles Title: Legislation May Pave Way for Leaders With Divided Loyalties By James P. Tucker Jr. Ready for a secretary of state, or even president, who is also a citizen of another country with divided loyalties? “While the idea may seem novel, it is not at all far-fetched,” a study released in Washington on Oct. 24 warns. “As more and more dual citizens find their place in American society, it is increasingly likely that they will find their way into positions of responsibility and power,” the report by the Center for Immigration Studies warns. “This issue has been raised indirectly by attempts to amend the Constitution to allow naturalized citizens [to] run for the presidency,” said the report, titled “Reforming Dual Citizenship in the United States.” Several proposed constitutional amendments are pending in the Senate that would allow foreign-born citizens to be elected president. One by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) is typical: after 20 years as a citizen, an immigrant could be elected. But these proposals are silent on the dual citizenship issue. If a U.S. president is a citizen of a foreign country, how does he divide his loyalties? You cannot be 100 percent loyal to the United States and have any remaining loyalty to another country. If 100 percent loyal to the United States, why not renounce citizenship to the other country and stop being a dual citizen? “As more and more dual citizens and potential dual citizens take their place in political institutions, the questions raised here will be increasingly relevant,” the study says. “It is preferable to give this matter some thought before it becomes a matter of national urgency.” The study quotes Bruce Fein, constitutional lawyer and syndicated columnist: “Approximately 60 countries permit expatriates or migrants to vote by absentee ballots, including Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil and Honduras.” Immigrants from these countries to the United States number in the millions. Mexicans who become U.S. citizens retain their Mexican citizenship and vote in both countries, the study noted. It cited a Mexican government study that envisioned “thousands” fanning out across this country “lambasting” U.S. immigration, illicit drug control, and other policies that are unpopular in Mexico. They vote in Mexican elections by absentee ballot, prompting Mexican candidates to campaign in immigrant areas of the southwestern United States. “These initiatives are not confined to Mexico,” the study says. “In the 1999 Israeli elections, both major [U.S.] parties chartered jets to fly dual citizens to the polls in Tel Aviv.” In at least one case, a member of the Israeli Knesset would return to his native Brooklyn to vote in U.S. elections.
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#2. To: BTP Holdings (#0)
Who paid for these chartered flights, dare I ask? Well, e-voting machines will cut down on the need for them anyway.
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