[fieldmarshaldj]

I thought McCain was officially born in American territory, what was then the Canal Zone territory, as opposed to being born in non-American-held Panama ? Were he born in Panama proper, that would’ve been noted in all his biographical data.

[dalight]

I thought McCain was officially born in American territory, what was then the Canal Zone territory, as opposed to being born in non-American-held Panama ? Were he born in Panama proper, that would’ve been noted in all his biographical data.

Yea, but this was wrong. The hospital was not in the Canal Zone.. The Press was willing to do its job when it came to John McCain:

The Fact Checker: Candidate Watch - Citizen McCain
Michael Dobbs
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, May 2, 2008

This is what made it into print..

McCain's Birth Abroad Stirs Legal Debate
His Eligibility for Presidency Is Questioned
By Michael Dobbs
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, May 2, 2008; Page A06

Now if Dobbs had used his considerable talent to look at one Barack Obama with the same skill and diligence, there would be no such thing as a birther.

[SuziQ]

Actually, John McCain was born in a Panamanian hospital, outside the Canal Zone, while his father was serving in the Navy, in the Zone.

During the campaign, someone brought up McCain's eligibility, because of that fact, and IIRC, someone on FR posted the text of some legislation, passed in the 1930's or so, that declared that children born to US citizens serving in the military, outside the US, WOULD be considered 'natural born citizens' for constitutional purposes.