In his own words: Marco Rubio scans American foreign policy

Marco Rubio has been asked about becoming Mitt Romney's running mate so often he's lost count. Every time the subject comes up, even before Romney was the nominee, Rubio says no, nope, not gonna happen.

In fact, the former state legislator has been asked so often, he says he's no longer even going to discuss it. It's a very clever strategy to stay in the news. The more the media can't have someone, the more they want him/her.

Now, the freshman senator visits the Brookings Institution to give a major speech on foreign policy. Hmm. Who's he trying to impress?

Because he's from a key state, a fresh face and fresh voice in the Republican party, which seems likely to capture the Senate in November, we're publishing the full text of Rubio's Wednesday remarks. Scroll down for a video of the complete speech so you can read along or listen while you do other things.

He's not as polished as some speakers, which new guys can get away with. His main point is a passionate plea for a continued, more muscular American involvement in the world and its attempts to solve the numerous problems, in part because it is this country's historic nature to be compassionate and giving. But also, he says, because it is in Americans' self-interest to be involved in seeking solutions, as we have with the very successful anti-AIDS program in Africa.

In a nutshell, Rubio says America must learn to work better with coalitions and not to shy from taking leadership. That working closely with others is not a sign of American decline but a sign of the growing strength of others. Yet, he states, no one but the United States can assume the same mantle of leadership.

Good for Rubio. Perhaps his ineligibility is a blessing in disguise. Too many citizens have actually begun to read the Constitution and noticed that it contains no definitions of terms. They wonder, “then why does every pundit say we don't understand Article II Section 1 because our framers failed to define it?” That leads to the understanding , explained by many justices and by its framers, Madison especially clearly, that time causes the meanings of words to change. The framers stipulated that for the Constitution's meanings to be eternal it must be understood in the language familiar to its framers, and to citizens at the time it was written. That describes the common language and common-law of the time.

The common language was reiterated by founder, framer, Chief Justice, John Marshall, who rejected the British wigs and accouterments of wealth, and tried to reject his assignments by George Washington, and return to a life representing farmers in Richmond. Marshall was famous, though apparently not to Obama, who seemed not to know about Marbury v. Madison, for his ability and desire to penetrate wordy obfuscation to reach core ideas. In an archetypal inheritance case called The Venus, 12 US 253, Marshall clarified the two classes of citizenship because citizenship is what the case was all about. Inheritance, when families were split between those who risked the revolution to become sovereign individuals, not subjected to the king. The British, in the War of 1812, were boarding US vessels, and conscripting men whom they defined as still “Subjects of the King.” Their laws were obviously no longer ours, and our courts had the challenge of adjudicating rightful beneficiaries, as when a natural born woman from Virginia married a British officer, and was taken to England during the Revolution. To whom did her father's large estate belong? Hint: She was a natural born citizen, even before John Jay and Washington stipulated that our presidents, and only our presidents, needed to be natural born US citizens.

Marshall referred to the most cited exposition of the laws observed by nations, Vattel’s “Law of Nations” in the US between 1789 and 1821, our first law book. It was not a critical issue in 1814 because because there weren't yet many adults born on our soil to citizen parents. Before 1776 we were almost all British Subjects (a few French and Germans, and indigenous Indians who were not either citizens or subjects since they held no allegiance to the crown, the States United, or the United States. Most natural born citizens were still children in 1812.

Marshall said “...those born in the country of parents who are citizens.” His definition has been repeated hundreds of times, including by every US senator in April 2008, in Senate Resolution 511, designed to whitewash John McCain's ineligibility (a resolution has no force of law). When our citizenry has had time to for the clear meaning of natural born citizenship to again become common knowledge, Rubio, if he does not reject the efforts to sacrifice him for political purposes, silencing eligibility questions for another four years and protecting RINOs who proffered McCain, preventing vetting of Obama, will tarnish a probably bright future.

rubio should announce he cannot accept the role as running mate as he could not assume the office... as he would be unable to fulfill one of the main responsibilities of the vice president... that being to assume the office of the president in the worst case scenario

when asked why... he could explain that he is not eligible due to the fact that his parents were not both US citizens at the time of this birth.

this would leave an obvious question hanging in the air that the media has avoided like the plague

additionally, he could announce that he will endeavor to uphold his oath of office by insuring the integrity of the ballot in November... insuring that all names on the ballot for president are eligible to assume the office.

this would leave the press and the dems dumb founded

Waddayamean, Not Eligible?

If Marco can create a Hawaiian Birth Certificate facsimile just as Team Obama did, I do not see why he cannot be eligible to run as Veep.

You are probably concerned that neither of his parents was a citizen at the time of Marco's birth? What's that got to do with anything? One must interpret the Constitution as a living document. You see, if Marco's parents had not been victims of vicious anti-Hispanic discrimination, they would have moved to Hawaii for the blessed event.

If I were on Team Rubio, I would start searching the archives for an Afro-Cuban ancestor. That would allow him to claim that he is a black man and then to show a facsimile of a Hawaiian Birth Certificate.

I would then HAVE TO support him because I am not a racist.

Waddayamean, Not Eligible?

If Marco can create a Hawaiian Birth Certificate facsimile just as Team Obama did, I do not see why he cannot be eligible to run as Veep.

I would then HAVE TO support him because I am not a racist.

This good-looking front man could become one of the iconic Republican heroes and a Senator-for-Life of the confused generation to which he belongs by merely owning up to the Natural Born Citizen issue. He need not even mention The Mombasa MF.

The fact that he says NOTHING about the issue merely demonstrates the fact that the establishment GOP is determined to avoid the issue entirely.

As far as being a "Conservative" goes, fiscally he MAY be OK, on other issues he is definitely a "Wet." As far as the "Latinos" go, he will find scant traction with the Mexicans to whom he is pandering at the moment. The higher strata of the recently European Cuban families of Florida..... a key part of his base .... are hardly typical "Hispanics." In fact, were Rubio a Spaniard, instead of a Cuban with recent Spanish roots, he wouldn't even be a governmentally acceptable "Hispanic" himself!

"This good-looking front man could become one of the iconic Republican heroes and a Senator-for-Life of the confused generation to which he belongs by merely owning up to the Natural Born Citizen issue. He need not even mention The Mombasa MF. The fact that he says NOTHING about the issue merely demonstrates the fact that the establishment GOP is determined to avoid the issue entirely. "

I agree. I think Rubio and the establishment avoid the issue because they are AFRAID of even implying that Obama is ineligible.

One thing is for absolute certain and that is this is a MUCH bigger and far reaching problem than these deniers realize. At some point if this isn't stopped a constitutional crisis of unbelievable proportion will result. My guess is it will start with the military and or military action. Having Obama give orders to the military when he is not the legitimate commander and chief is going to be a major issue at some point.

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