McCain's Canal Zone Birth Prompts Queries About Whether That Rules Him Out

New York Slimes ^ | February 28, 2008 | Carl Hulse

[Kaslin]

WASHINGTON — The question has nagged at the parents of Americans born outside the continental United States for generations: Dare their children aspire to grow up and become president? In the case of Senator John McCain of Arizona, the issue is becoming more than a matter of parental daydreaming.

Mr. McCain’s likely nomination as the Republican candidate for president and the happenstance of his birth in the Panama Canal Zone in 1936 are reviving a musty debate that has surfaced periodically since the founders first set quill to parchment and declared that only a “natural-born citizen” can hold the nation’s highest office.

Almost since those words were written in 1787 with scant explanation, their precise meaning has been the stuff of confusion, law school review articles, whisper campaigns and civics class debates over whether only those delivered on American soil can be truly natural born. To date, no American to take the presidential oath has had an official birthplace outside the 50 states.

“There are powerful arguments that Senator McCain or anyone else in this position is constitutionally qualified, but there is certainly no precedent,” said Sarah H. Duggin, an associate professor of law at Catholic University who has studied the issue extensively. “It is not a slam-dunk situation.”

Mr. McCain was born on a military installation in the Canal Zone, where his mother and father, a Navy officer, were stationed. His campaign advisers say they are comfortable that Mr. McCain meets the requirement and note that the question was researched for his first presidential bid in 1999 and reviewed again this time around.

[Kaslin]

The New York Slimes is getting desperate

[Balding_Eagle]

Installment #2 of 50.

[Jeff Head]

This is easy stuff, and the NYT knows it. McCain was born at a US military base of two American citizen parents...that makes him a natural born American citizen.

Then, in addition, there is this:

8 U.S.C. § 1403. Persons born in the Canal Zone or Republic of Panama on or after February 26, 1904

(a) Any person born in the Canal Zone on or after February 26, 1904, and whether before or after the effective date of this chapter, whose father or mother or both at the time of the birth of such person was or is a citizen of the United States, is declared to be a citizen of the United States.

(b) Any person born in the Republic of Panama on or after February 26, 1904, and whether before or after the effective date of this chapter, whose father or mother or both at the time of the birth of such person was or is a citizen of the United States employed by the Government of the United States or by the Panama Railroad Company, or its successor in title, is declared to be a citizen of the United States.

End of story.

OBTW, where was Obama born?

[2ndDivisionVet]

Hey! Senator Barack Hussein Obama is a constitutional scholar, let’s ask him!

[Vigilanteman]

Where’s the “Aw, Jeeze! Not this s*** again!” Guy graphic when you really need him?

[Balding_Eagle]

I maybe should have added that last weeks attack about the lobbyist was installment #1 of 50

[Ron in Acreage]

The effin’ Times endorsed him not knowing if he was eligible.

[cubreporter]

Idiots...true idiots.

[Balding_Eagle]

This is easy stuff, and the NYT knows it.

It is easy stuff. They are just getting the range.

Wait until installments # 20 and up. They will have it all zeroed in by then, and they are going to be getting chunks out of him.

[K-oneTexas]

Wonder who’s so worried? Obama? Hillary? Disgruntled conservatives?

[mortal19440]

Military base and an Embassy are both considered US Soil, what’s the problem?

[jws3sticks]

Barack Obama

Barack Obama AKA Barack Hussein Obama, Jr.

Born: 4-Aug-1961

Birthplace: Honolulu, HI

Gender: Male

Religion: Protestant

Race or Ethnicity: Multiracial

Sexual orientation: Straight

Occupation: Politician

Party Affiliation: Democrat

Nationality: United States

[M203M4]

Complete BS, John McCain is American. This is crystal clear, there is no room for doubt, no need for analysis, no interpretation necessary. It is spelled out explicitly.

But what IS funny about this is that one could very accurately describe John McCain as an hispanic American. See http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg/1997standards.html.

So we have, each respectively with significantly probability, the first potential female (well, sorta female) president, the first potential black (well, half-black) president, and the first potential hispanic president (well, sorta hispanic). LOL

[DB]

Obama was apparently born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1961. It became a state in 1959.

[LdSentinal]

Religion: Muslim

[Kaslin]

Obama was born in Hawaii

[oldleft]

Austria. Whoops, shouldn’t have said that.

[Doneit]

Really desperate and petty. They sat on this for what, 8 years and now that he's a presumptive nominee it becomes the subject of hit piece # 2. Jeeesh.

BTW, where was Obama born? Wasn't it Indonesia or was it in the U.S.?

[Kryptonite]

reminds me of Algore’s line about there being no controlling precedent; the difference here is the plain language of the Constitution and Federal Code clearly and unquestionably make McCain a qualified citizen for candidacy. that’s why the slimes acknowledges the very strong argument in his favor; if anybody ever actually files a legal challenge it will be deemed frivolous and sanctionable.

[Jewels1091]

was ombama born on US soil? And having a father NOT a US citizen how does that affect him????????????????????