PBS Host Advocates Repeal of the 'Natural Born' Clause ( Nervous much ?)

http://www.americanthinker.com ^ | April 16 2011 | James Baker

[Para-Ord.45]

While channel-surfing Friday evening, I happened upon the end of this week's installment of PBS's Need To Know program. Pulitzer Prize-winning former Newsweek editor Jon Meacham began his piece as follows:

Donald Trump made me do it. Those are not words I ever expected to say, but, as Margaret Thatcher once observed, it's a funny old world. For several years, I -- like, I suspect, many of you -- have watched the nativist and irrational obsession with Barack Obama's birth certificate with disdain, horror, bemusement -- and then back to horror.

Apparently, in Meacham's world, it is irrational (and horrifying) to expect transparency from this particular president. As expected, he refers to the matter as the "birther issue" instead of an issue of transparency, and insults those who consider the matter important by equating them to "crying children."

Next, Meacham shared his "long-delayed" homework with us. In consultation with one Akhil Reed Amar of Yale, Meacham discovered that the clause is founded on fears of European noblemen being president. To show need for the clause, Meacham cites a letter to a Prussian prince from an American in 1787 expressing interest to have the prince be a constitutional monarch.

Meacham informs that he is willing today to "roll the dice on a Prussian takeover", and concludes by advocating for repeal of the "natural born" clause for the office of president.

If we were to repeal the clause, we would open the doors to the children of the new America, a nation that began to take shape when President Lyndon Johnson signed the Immigration Act of 1965. Orrin Hatch suggested this almost seven years ago -- he was thinking then of a possible Schwarzenegger bid -- and you can imagine how far the initiative got. Amendments take time, but this one is worth the effort.

So, according to Meacham, since there are no longer any Prussian noblemen, there must not be any more risk to having an immigrant with loyalties to a foreign power in charge of our military. Now that is some deep critical thinking worthy of a failing grade on that homework assignment.

It is curious that Meacham admits that this transparency issue is horrifying to him, and by extension to his leftist audience. It is as if he can see the writing on the wall. Oh, and in the etymology of that idiom (Daniel 5) it is not "crying children" doing the writing.

[avacado]

Amazing! The guy basically admits that he thinks Obama is not a natural born citizen.

[null and void]

And to quote Reily:

The way GOP’ers should answer criticism from the MSM & Rats
is the following:

Rat(or MSM): Bring up Zero and claim GOP’er is aiming this at Zero

GOP’er: Know it is not, some states have required it in the past (Cite Eisenhower) I think its a good idea (Cite the Central American Socialist candidate) why do you keep bringing up Zero, do you think he has a problem?

Rat: Continues to claim its aimed at Zero

GOP’er: You must really be worried about Zero, I am sure he will be fine.

Rat: Sputters more about Zero, claims racism.

GOP’er: Do you really think Zero has a problem in making this requirement?

The GOP’er must stay on that message and NOT be lured off it.

He must throw it right back at those who object and ask why the objections if Zero is eligible.

This really isn't hard to figure out or do, but apparently beyond the intellectual capacity and self discipline of the average GOP state legislator. Why do we elect such fools at the city, county, state & federal level?

[traditional1]

What we actually have today, is a half-breed, not born of two American Citizens at the time of his birth. Whether he was born on American soil is not the issue. The issue is the proving he's the offspring of two U.S. Citizens ON AMERICAN SOIL, at the time of his birth.

Even though it appears that his "parents" were not married at the time, either, and his Mother was just bedding down with a black dude, he would still be "Natural Born" IF they were both U.S. Citizens.

[Bon mots]

I wonder if this is what this lunatic would have said if it were Arnold Schwarzenegger who were going to run?

[caveat emptor]

The guy basically admits that he thinks Obama is not a natural born citizen.

Well, he's a member of the evil party.

[Para-Ord.45]

Check it out :

“The truth is, Barack Obama was born in the state of Hawaii in 1961, a NATIVE citizen of the United States of America.”

http://www.fightthesmears.com/articles/5/birthcertificate

Now this:

Article 2 Section 1 Clause 5 of the United States Constitution.

” NO person except a NATURAL born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty-five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States. “

The article says “...Natural born...” and then “... ,or a citizen of the United States, ...”

Commas separate ideas and the USSC and never ruled on the issue.

[ne1410s]

He would be “bemused” again if the Natural Born Citizen requirement was overturned.

Then he would again be “horrified” with Arnold’s running...

[Mach9]

I’m thinking Meacham’s not only missed the forest, but even a single tree. Before one can determine “citizen” in the broadest sense of the word, one must determine place of birth; before one can determine “natural born,” one must determine who both parents are. And those facts are not only difficult to prove, they’re just the first couple of twigs in a rather large forest.

[Fido969]

From the guy who, when he was done with Newsweek, it was worth $1.

That’s not just for one copy of Newsweak, that’s for the entire company.

[seowulf]

...since there are no longer any Prussian noblemen, there must not be any more risk to having an immigrant with loyalties to a foreign power in charge of our military.

No, there aren't many Prussian noblemen goosestepping around these days, but there seems to be several hundred Saudi princes milling about.

[Fester Chugabrew]

. . . at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution . .

Reckon that effectively rules out anyone and everyone from holding the office. Who among us is over 200 years old?

[null and void]

Your phrasing sounds a bit racist, but your underlying point is valid.

This would be a non-issue if he really was the love child of Stanley Ann and Malcolm X.

That his reputed father was not (and indeed never even became) a US citizen should by itself disqualify him.

The other really big story trying to escape from under this is Hawaii’s institutional fraud in granting factually false birth documents to pad their welfare rolls and suck down mainland tax dollars.

The other big endgame is “bulletproof” federal ID tracking...

[frankenMonkey]

I wonder is Mr. Meacham is open to "adjusting" the following:

"Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of ... the press"

After all, what's good for the goose is good for the gander!

[newzjunkey]

Hillsdale college had a townhall webcast on economic liberty this morning which was advertised on Rush, Hannity and other talk shows. At the very end a question was asked on eligibility. This happened hardly 10 minutes ago.

The president of Hillsdale opposed judicial oversight of eligibility suggesting it amounts to tyranny! Poppycock!

He suggested while impeachment could be a better remedy for such a situation it SHOULD NOT BE USED in such case because ineligibility would not be an impeachable offense!

When Hillsdale College claims to teach the constitution and its own president, Larry P. Arnn, says, essentially, there's no controlling legal authority on something as fundamental as a candidate's qualification for elective office who do we look to for enforcement of our foundational document and excellence in education on the same?

[Lazamataz]

Wow. Why not advocate the repeal of the need for elections, too?

[newzjunkey]

The birther/eligibility questioner identified himself "Shack Hill" from Centerville, Virginia and someone the Hillsdale president recognized.

Here's a quick transcript of the question as asked:

"We've talked kind of globally on the constitution and we've talked about some very important principles but I'd like to narrow one in particular and that is the constitutional right to become president. I didn't know if you would want to talk about that in particular with um proving that a citizen has...or an individual is a citizen and also talk about if you would the Arizona initiative about maybe not allowing somebody on the ballot that doesn't prove that."

[clintonh8r]

Meacham went insane at Newsweak......He’s the perfect PBS/NPR/CPB drone.

[Oratam]

Meacham discovered that the clause is founded on fears of European noblemen being president.

I heard or read many, many years ago the clause was added by Hamilton's foes to prevent him from ever being president. I think he would qualify according under "or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution" clause.

[eastforker]

NO person except a NATURAL born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution...............................................................It is quite evident the statement above refers to a citizen of the US at the time of adoption of the constitution. Back in that time period there were many citizens that were not natural born.That would have allowed maybe only one or two generations to be eligible for president without being natural bornm. It is quite clear to me, why is it confusing to you?