Well, here's an excerpt!
Lakin's lawyer argued during a pretrial hearing Tuesday at Fort Meade that if Obama isn't a natural-born citizen, any military order given under his administration is unlawful.The hearing was scheduled for this morning. Today is Thursday.
ML/NJ
Very confusing (purposefully?) AP coverage. I have a friend who was going to try to be present at the trial scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Haven’t heard from her yet.
Army Colonel’s Challenge to Obama’s Constitutional Legitimacy Receives a Boost
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In March of this year, Army Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Terrence Lakin announced his refusal to obey an order to serve in Afghanistan.
With 17 years of service under his belt, and a spotless record that saw him receive numerous awards from the military including a Bronze Star earned for service during a previous tour of duty in Afghanistan, he decided to challenge Barack Obama’s qualifications to hold the high office of President of the United States.
A medical doctor, LTC Lakin points to the constitutional requirement that a president has to be “a natural born citizen,” something the colonel does not believe Mr. Obama has demonstrated.
Actually inviting a court martial, Lieutenant Colonel Lakin deliberately failed to appear as ordered to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where his unit was readying to deploy to Afghanistan.
Reassigned by the Army to the Pentagon while his court martial has been proceeding, he awaits a trial that will begin on October 13 at Fort Meade in northern Virginia. He has been serving at Walter Reed Army Medical Center
On August 31, Retired Air Force Lieutenant General Thomas McInerney sent a sworn affidavit to the Court Martial supporting Lakin’s motions that seek the president’s birth and school records.
Not alone in backing Lakin, he is the highest ranking military officer to render his support for the recalcitrant lieutenant colonel.
In his affidavit, General McInerney dwelled on the importance of an unquestionably legitimate chain of command in the military, from the commander in chief of all in the nation’s armed forces all the way down to anyone who issues orders.
He stated: “In refusing to obey orders because of his doubts as to their legality, LTC Lakin has acted as proper training dictates.” Calling the medical doctor’s challenge “absolutely essential” to determining whether Barack Obama’s “service as Commander in Chief is Constitutionally proper,” he praised Lakin for “the courage of his convictions and his bravery.”
Certainly aware of the momentous consequences suggested by LTC Lakin’s challenge, General McInerney asserted that removal of doubt about Mr. Obama’s legitimacy to serve “is fundamental to our Republic, where civilian control over the military is the rule.”
He stated that President Obama “must either voluntarily establish his eligibility by authorizing release of his birth records or this court must authorize their discovery.”
LTC Lakin will be defended by both military and civilian attorneys and is being supported by the DC-based American Patriot Foundation.
Of course, any military order given under his administration includes the order convening LTC Lakin's Court Martial. And an unlawfully convened Court Martial has what jurisdiction? Anyone? Bueller? That's right, NONE. So, if the theory LTC has bet his career on is correct, he is SOL, as the Court Martial he wants to have order discovery, has no power to do so.
There is a reason why folks seldom go to Doctors for litigation advice. The same reason they even more seldom go to lawyers have their appendix removed.