Nice to see Joe catching up with reality.
But it was already obvious four years ago that not a single Republican leader cared a whit about the imperative provisions of the Constitution, when not a one of them would raise the question in the Congress when the electoral votes were tallied.
Yes Eternal, and every US Senator signed the non-actionable resolution confirming their belief that -
“My assumption and my understanding is that if you are born of American parents, you are naturally a natural-born American citizen,” Chertoff replied. “That is mine, too,” said Leahy.”
Every member of Congress read Obama’s “Fightthesmears” web site in which Obama honestly told us “I am a native-born citizen of the US.” Congressmen should all know, but most citizens don't, that what Obama told us was that he is a 14th Amendment naturalized citizen. Because of his alien father Barry is not natural born, nor did he ever claim to be. He just knew he would never be asked by the media, and that no legislator would raise the issue because John McCain was not eligible either.
There were two actions, S.2678 in Feb 2008 sponsored by Obama and McCaskill, the the ‘‘Children of Military Families Natural Born Citizen Act’’. which did not pass, and would in any case have failed the judicial review Barack clearly doesn't care for. It was a statute, a law, and could not have changed the Constitution. Every Senator knew that McCain needed an act to become eligible, but S.2678 did not pass. Then, in April 2008, six weeks later, the Senate Judiciary Committee considered the McCaskill/Leahy/Clinton resolution to create the political impression that McCain had been made eligible. Most don't know what a ‘resolution’ is, and neither did this writer, but some reading shows a resolution to be an non-actionable opinion “John McCain served the country so we all agree that this time we will just ignore the Constitution.” Two bills in six weeks as Barack moved behind the curtains to become the candidate. McCain as an opponent was needed to quiet any congressman tempted to honor, protect, and defend the Constitution.
Terms are not defined in the Constitution - by design. Natural born citizenship was common-law, known to everyone at the time of the framing of the Constitution. One source, of dozens, was cited by Chief Justice John Marshall in an 1814 decision, The Venus, 12 US 253. Chief Justice Morrison Waite needed the definition because there was no Constitutional definition other than Article II Section 1 of who were citizens. Most citizens were natural born citizens, but the framers wouldn't leave eligibility requirement for the president to Congress. Defining who were naturalized citizens was left by Article I Section 8, to congress, which didn't get around to defining citizens until 1868, the 14th Amendment. Chief Justice Waite turned common-law, “born on the soil to parents who were its citizens,” into positive law - precedence. That was in Minor v. Happersett, 88 US 162 (1875). No judge, legislator, or pundit who fails to address the crystalline definition of natural born citizen in Minor is worth listening to. They are lying to cover their complicity. The law is there, and clear. That the case is precedent will be clear to anyone who takes the time to read Minor. Remember, Justice Waite said that because Virginia Minor is a natural born citizen, she is also a citizen. It sounds redundant, but remember, before 1868, the Amendment at issue in the case, there was no other constitutional definition of who were citizens. Remember too that 14th Amendment citizens, like Obama, are, by definition, 'naturalized citizens.'
“But it was already obvious four years ago that not a single Republican leader cared a whit about the imperative provisions of the Constitution, when not a one of them would raise the question in the Congress when the electoral votes were tallied.”
We do need another hero. Aren’t there ANY Republics or Democrats that are not up for reelection to take this on.
Or, would they not want to risk themselves and there family’s security by taking this third rail. This hot potato.
Over and above their fear of what getting plastered with the "birther" label might do to their reelection chances, I've become convinced that they've all been convinced (at least in their own self-serving minds) that "pulling down" America's Historic First Black President would have catastrophic consequences for national security.
Just deal with four years of this "green" joker's ineptitude and then let him and the constitutional questions concerning his eligibility or lack thereof quietly fade into the background of history when he's voted out upon completing a single term.
After all, how much damage could the guy and his Marxist fellow travelers do in that short amount of time?
/s