The issue of Mr. Obama's citizenship: Questions, observations and a modest proposal Much ado has been made as of late about Mr. Obama's citizenship and his eligibility to be president with some people acting as though the Constitution of the United States actually still mattered and generally bothering those people that don't give the law much thought unless it suits them; I speak of legislators, lawyers, lobbyists and the like.
I don't see what the ruckus is about. On April 30 2008, Hillary and Obama (amongst others) backed a Senate resolution declaring that Mr. McCain is a natural-born citizen. The entire resolution as agreed to by the Senate is reproduced at the end of this document.
So if the Senate can resolve that Mr. McCain is a citizen when there was almost no public debate about the topic, why can't or won't they do the same for Mr. Obama in the midst of all the hullaballoo and put it to rest?
My modest proposal: I challenge the United States Senate, that august body of law, wisdom and resolve, to resolve Mr. Obama's citizenship question in the same manner that Mr McCain's citizenship was resolved. This will cause great celebration amongst Mr. Obama's supporters, thus improving the mood of the body politic, and it will dissipate the resolve of those racist naysayers that appear to hold the words of an unfair 220 year-old document over the wishes of the electorate.
Resolution is a good thing, yes?
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Recognizing that John Sidney McCain, III, is a natural born citizen. (Agreed to by Senate)
SRES 511 ATS
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 511
Recognizing that John Sidney McCain, III, is a natural born citizen.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 10, 2008
Mrs. MCCASKILL (for herself, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. OBAMA, Mr. COBURN, Mrs. CLINTON, and Mr. WEBB) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
April 24, 2008
Reported by Mr. LEAHY, without amendment
April 30, 2008
Considered and agreed to
RESOLUTION
Recognizing that John Sidney McCain, III, is a natural born citizen.
Whereas the Constitution of the United States requires that, to be eligible for the Office of the President, a person must be a `natural born Citizen' of the United States;
Whereas the term `natural born Citizen', as that term appears in Article II, Section 1, is not defined in the Constitution of the United States;
Whereas there is no evidence of the intention of the Framers or any Congress to limit the constitutional rights of children born to Americans serving in the military nor to prevent those children from serving as their country's President;
Whereas such limitations would be inconsistent with the purpose and intent of the `natural born Citizen' clause of the Constitution of the United States, as evidenced by the First Congress's own statute defining the term `natural born Citizen';
Whereas the well-being of all citizens of the United States is preserved and enhanced by the men and women who are assigned to serve our country outside of our national borders;
Whereas previous presidential candidates were born outside of the United States of America and were understood to be eligible to be President; and
Whereas John Sidney McCain, III, was born to American citizens on an American military base in the Panama Canal Zone in 1936: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That John Sidney McCain, III, is a `natural born Citizen' under Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution of the United States.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:S.RES.511:
Back to a modest proposal
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