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Once upon a time, superheroes were a source of comfort and escape from the difficulties and ugliness of real life. While real-life recession and terrorism aren’t likely to meet any tidy resolutions soon, we can always count on Batman to solve the Riddler’s latest puzzle just in time, or Spider-Man to save the damsel in distress (well, usually). Somewhere along the line, though, it was decided that our heroes had to grapple with real-world issues. When done sparingly and handled well, this can elevate the genre, such as Harry Osborn's battle with drugs or 2008’s brilliant The Dark Knight. But...

Three people convicted of crimes as a result of a terrorism-related investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ) were later naturalized as U.S. citizens by the Obama administration, according to federal auditors. The March 2011 audit (released on April 21, 2011) by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), entitled Criminal Alien Statistics: Information on Incarcerations, Arrests and Costs, shows that three individuals were among “defendants where the investigation involved an identified link to international terrorism but they were charged with violating other statutes [not directly related to terrorism], including fraud, immigration, drugs, false statements, and general conspiracy charges,” referred by DOJ as...

No wonder so many people are confused, or ignorant, about this subject and its Constitutional importance relative to Presidential eligibility. This first link - http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/PlaceR - is a 9 min. interview with Peter Spiro, a Temple University law professor, by the day's cspan moderator. Listen to the questions and his answers. Sheesh. Here's another link to the Washington Journal segment that followed, with call-ins and emails, titled, "Should U.S. presidents be 'natural born' citizens?" http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/OpenPhones7290 Should? Should??? Folks, this is what we're up against - ignorance, misinformation, apathy or a combination thereof.

Holy crap Batman, what’s up with Superman? It sounds like truth, justice, and the American way just don’t get it for your Kryptonian pal anymore. What happened? Yes citizens of Metropolis, it’s a dark day indeed. As unthinkable as it sounds, your super- hero is fed up with America and has renounced his U.S. citizenship. How can this be, you ask? It seems that Superman dropped in on a Tehran demonstration to stand with non-violent protestors against the Iranian regime. This not only ticked off the President’s national security advisor; the mullahs weren’t too happy either. Following a dress-down from...

(CNSNews.com) - Voters in Kansas will need to show a photo ID the next time they go to the polls. In a signing ceremony last week, Republican Gov. Sam Brownback signed a bill to protect the integrity of elections, he said: "We must be able to accurately and fairly discern the will of the people of Kansas." While Gov. Brownback said the new law establishes "reasonable steps" to protect the rights of citizens, the American Civil Liberties Union called it a "giant leap backwards." The new Kansas law requires photo ID from all in-person voters at every election. People submitting...

This US Immigration Agency says this falsehood in their citizenship booklet: ``The Founding Fathers of the United States wrote the Constitution in 1787. The Constitution is the “supreme law of the land.” The U.S. Constitution has lasted longer than any other country’s constitution. It establishes the basic principles of the United States government. The Constitution establishes a system of government called “REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY.” In a representative representative democracy, citizens choose representatives to make the laws. U.S. citizens also choose a president to lead the executive branch of government. The Constitution lists fundamental rights for all citizens and other people living...

PHOENIX | The state of Arizona has moved onto contentious political territory once again with the legislative passage of a bill requiring President Obama and other presidential candidates to prove their U.S. citizenship before their names can appear on the state’s ballot. Opponents say Arizona’s bill, approved late last week, gives the state another black eye after lawmakers approved a controversial immigration enforcement law last year. Gov. Jan Brewer, who has until the end of business Thursday to act on the proposal, declined to say whether she would sign the measure, which would make Arizona the first state to enact...

Why was Obama exempt from even the most rudimentary examination of his credentials for office? And why are these same people denying that the Constitution has been violated? And why are they trying to bury the issue and denouncing anyone who speaks of it? Have they all decided that the term natural born citizen no longer applies as a prerequisite for the Presidency? If so, what are the new criteria for eligibility? The American people are waiting for the truth, not just the usual displays of elitist arrogance or feigned ignorance. There is clearly a conspiracy of silence. Is there...

Many people are hoping that an American citizen will be elected President of the United States in 2012. Some people are claiming that Obama is not a natural-born citizen of the US. In fact, there is no evidence that he is an American citizen of any sort. There is no birth certificate, and there is no certificate of naturalization. It is alleged that he travelled on an Indonesian passport in the early 1980s. He may even be an illegal alien like his aunt Zeituni, subject to deportation to his real home, Indonesia or Kenya. Donald Trump was the first high...

See line 72-75 and scroll over to the box that asks about citizenship. Theodore Agnew, Spiro's father, indicates in the box that he is an "al" (for alien). Young Spiro is shown on line 75. We now have two precedents against the birthers. The other is Chester Arthur. Both had non-citizen fathers and NOBODY in either case cared at the time. The controversy over Arthur was solely related to his alleged foreign birth.

SEATTLE -- Leland Davidson always knew he was an American. Now he has a certificate from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to prove it. Davidson, 95, was the oldest of more than 50 people who had their citizenship confirmed Tuesday in a ceremony in Seattle. Most were children of parents who have become naturalized citizens or were adopted from overseas. Davidson, a resident of Centralia, was born in British Columbia and qualifies as a U.S. citizen because his parents were from the United States. The family moved back to the U.S. when he was 5. Davidson grew up...

Authorities have closed three upscale townhouses that were operating as a maternity center for Chinese mothers paying thousands of dollars to give birth in the United States so the children would automatically gain citizenship. Police and city inspectors found seven newborns and two mothers when they closed the homes for building code violations on March 8 in San Gabriel, a suburb east of Los Angeles that is home to a large Asian population. The women, who were Chinese and Taiwanese nationals and spoke little English, told officials their families had paid to send them to the United States to give...

CENTRALIA, WA - Imagine living in this country for nearly a 100 years only to learn you're not a citizen. It happened to a 95-year-old military veteran in Washington named Leeland Davidson. Davidson knew he was born in Canada in 1916, but figured because his parents were American, he was automatically a U.S. citizen. He was able to join the Navy and served in World War II, but when Davidson recently went to get the driver's license he needed to go to Canada to visit relatives, he learned otherwise.

They’re the sort of scores that drive high-school history teachers to drink. When NEWSWEEK recently asked 1,000 U.S. citizens to take America’s official citizenship test, 29 percent couldn’t name the vice president. Seventy-three percent couldn’t correctly say why we fought the Cold War. Forty-four percent were unable to define the Bill of Rights. And 6 percent couldn’t even circle Independence Day on a calendar. . . . The current conflict over government spending illustrates the new dangers of ignorance. Every economist knows how to deal with the debt: cost-saving reforms to big-ticket entitlement programs; cuts to our bloated defense budget;...

They’re the sort of scores that drive high-school history teachers to drink. When NEWSWEEK recently asked 1,000 U.S. citizens to take America’s official citizenship test, 29 percent couldn’t name the vice president. Seventy-three percent couldn’t correctly say why we fought the Cold War. Forty-four percent were unable to define the Bill of Rights. And 6 percent couldn’t even circle Independence Day on a calendar....It doesn’t help that the United States has one of the highest levels of income inequality in the developed world, with the top 400 households raking in more money than the bottom 60 percent combined. As Dalton...

We moved to Idaho to escape Nevada after years of despairing over too many taxes, too many regulations and a good ole’ boy network that was corrupt as the day is long. I spent some time here as a child and we visited numerous times before deciding to make the move. We believed this would be a freer state and provide a safer, more moral way of life for our family and ourselves. Sometimes, fate gets the last laugh. Since moving to Idaho, I have stayed out of local politics as much as possible. Staying strictly to the shadows and...

PHOENIX (AP) -- The Arizona Senate has defeated bills intended to force a Supreme Court ruling against automatic citizenship for U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants. The bills were defeated on votes of 12-18 and 11-19 as majority Republicans split on the issue.

Donald Trump, in an interview on ABC’s Good Morning America, has expressed some doubt about President Obama’s citizenship, telling ABC’s Ashleigh Banfield that unlike the president, if people tried to learn more about his life, they’d have no problem finding people who remembered him from his childhood. By comparison, Trump suggests Obama is a man of mystery who only emerged later in life. “It’s very strange,” Trump said.

This week, while speaking in Boston, President Obama made another joke about his birthplace. Isn’t that funny? All of America is laughing with a man who refuses to come forward with the same documents you are required to produce whenever you move to a new job, purchase insurance, acquire a new bank account, or a host of other transactions that require you to prove your citizenship.

INDIANAPOLIS | State and local police in Indiana soon may be required to demand proof of citizenship from any person they stop whom they suspect may be an illegal immigrant. The Republican-controlled Indiana Senate voted 31-18 on Tuesday to send Senate Bill 590 containing that requirement to the GOP-led House. The legislation is similar to an Arizona law enacted last year that led to widespread boycotts of that state. The Indiana measure also prohibits illegal immigrants from receiving in-state tuition, scholarships and financial aid for college; requires businesses to verify the immigration status of their employees; and mandates state and...

snip >br> She said it was unwise for Republicans to keep doubts alive about the authenticity of President Obama’s birth certificate and citizenship, saying: “It’s distracting. It gets annoying. Let’s stick with what really matters.” snip

Illegal Immigrants in Kansas should perhaps start singing “California, here we come” as conservative state leaders begin working on legislation

An Arizona rancher who was ordered to pay nearly $90,000 in punitive damages to undocumented immigrants he confronted, with a gun, is going to request a rehearing, his attorney said. “We’ll be filing a motion for a rehearing,” said David T. Hardy, who is representing Roger Barnett. “He feels he got screwed. I have some sympathy for that view.” The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals last week upheld a lower court verdict ordering Barnett to pay the damages for the 2004 incident, in which the plaintiffs claimed that he approached them with his dog and said he’d shoot them...

PHOENIX (AP) -- Arizona lawmakers are holding a hearing on a bill that challenges automatic U.S. citizenship for children of illegal immigrants. The bill to be heard Monday by the Senate judiciary committee provides a definition of a citizen of Arizona as a person who was born or naturalized in the United States and lives legally in Arizona.

Sometimes new members of Congress take some time to get settled in before proposing legislation. Not Rand Paul, the new Republican senator from Kentucky. Paul inherited many traits from his father, Rep. Ron Paul: like his dad, Rand is a doctor who entered politics to advance a fiercely held commitment to the family’s quirky ideology. (The enthusiastic young volunteers for Ron Paul’s 2008 presidential campaign called it “Goldwater conservatism” in reference to Barry Goldwater, the patron saint of small-government conservatives, not in reference to Paul’s desire to return to the gold standard.) And this week it became apparent that—like his...

Arizona Republicans introduced legislation on Thursday seeking to challenge the right to U.S. citizenship for children born in the state whose parents are illegal immigrants or other non-citizens. The move by state legislators came the same day the sheriff for Phoenix and surrounding areas sent a force of 200 deputies and citizen volunteers on an immigration sweep, an action the controversial lawman has undertaken periodically since 2008. Republicans introduced bills in the Arizona legislature that aim to provoke a legal review of the 14th amendment to the Constitution, which anchors citizenship rights for the children of immigrants.

While 2010’s immigration debate centered on the controversial Arizona law, 2011’s promises to be focused on a different — and even more explosive — topic: birthright citizenship. Kris Kobach, the recently elected Kansas secretary of state, is a lawyer and professor of law who specializes in immigration issues. The architect of Arizona’s SB-1070, he is the legal mind behind two new proposals to challenge the automatic granting of citizenship to any child born in the United States, regardless of the legal status of his parents. The first proposal is state-level legislation that would not affect the federal citizenship of an...

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Office of Public Engagement invites you to "Enlace," a free Spanish-language only event where we will share agency updates, a presentation titled "How Do I Help My Relative Become a Permanent Resident in the United States?", and have an open forum segment to respond to questions of a general nature. Our next "Enlace" engagement will be held at the USCIS Washington Field Office in Fairfax, Virginia. You may also participate from anywhere in the United States via telephone and Internet.

In the immediate aftermath of the Arizona shootings, when speculation focused on whether Jared Loughner √was politically motivated, no one said we should cancel his American citizenship. The cries to do so surely would have been angry and loud had he been an immigrant or even the child of one. After the attempted Times Square bombing last May by a Pakistani-born U.S. citizen, a bipartisan group of lawmakers led by Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman introduced a bill to "denationalize" any citizen engaged in terrorism against the United States. I raise this contradiction not to score a point against the Lieberman...

Americans abhor extremism. It is the reason our democracy has lasted for more than 200 years and why we have rejected both socialism and right-wing radicalism. American political parties have generally hewed to the center, unlike their European counterparts, so that even major political shifts moved the country only from center right (as in the Reagan and Bush administrations) to center left (as in the current administration). It is a lesson that both parties should take to heart, but one that poses special problems for the Republicans as one group of extremists attempts to hijack the GOP on a single...

As the new Congress convened, a group called State Legislators for Legal Immigration proposed two laws. One would declare that children of parents who immigrated here illegally are not born "subject to the jurisdiction" of the U.S. and so are not birthright citizens under the 14th Amendment. Under the other, states would issue two types of birth certificates, one for those born "subject to the jurisdiction" of the U.S. and one for everyone else. The states have no power to pass the first proposed law. Congress may be able to, but it is a bad idea that will not halt...

The scheduled reading of the Constitution in the House went off smoothly today, after a few of the usual procedural squabbles and legislative throat-clearing. Most representatives of both parties did a perfectly fine job of reading their assigned bit of the text. Speaker John Boehner got to read the really soaring words at the beginning, and gave an exceptionally powerful performance. At the other extreme, watching disgraced Democrat Charlie Rangel read from the Constitution was like watching atheist comedian Ricky Gervais read the Bible, but not as funny. The only bump in an otherwise smooth process came when the requirements...

Steve King Moves Forward on Bill to End Birthright CitizenshipPosted by Stephanie Condon January 6, 2011 10:13 AM Republican Rep. Steve King of Iowa, marking his first day as head of a House immigration panel, introduced a bill on Wednesday to end the practice of birthright citizenship. The bill would amend section 301 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to clarify those classes of individuals born in the United States who are nationals and citizens of the United States at birth. It's generally thought that the 14th Amendment provides a constitutional guarantee of citizenship for anyone born in the United...

"State Lawmakers Take On Birthright Citizenship WASHINGTON — Conservative lawmakers from five state legislatures launched a joint campaign on Wednesday to try to cancel automatic United States citizenship for the American-born children of illegal immigrants. At a news conference here, Republican legislators unveiled two model measures they said would be introduced in at least 14 states. One was a bill clarifying the terms of citizenship in those states to exclude babies born here of illegal immigrant parents. The second was a compact between states to adopt common positions on the issue. The lawmakers acknowledged that the state bills were not...

There has been almost no coverage of the press conference today on the introduction of the birthright citizenship law five states will be introducing at home. That was to be expected. The abc video is the only thing I could find. You can also watch the protesters disrupt the news conference on the next video which got more air time than the actual conference. Perhaps the National Press Club will have video on their website later or tommorrow. If nothing else, perhaps Rep. Metcalfe will have the video on his website http://statelegislatorsforlegalimmigration.com/ OK, MO, PA and AZ will introduce this...

Youtube video. Russell Pearce, Arizona State Senator is introducing a new immigration bill in Arizona, to stop granting citizenship to those born within the United States, to foreigner parents. Section 1 of the 14th Amendment states, "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process...

Via WorldNetDaily, MSNBC’s Crhis Matthews is now calling for the Obama camp to release his long-form birth certificate to put an end to the Natural Born Citizen controversy that has swirled about for over two years. Here’s the link to the video of Matthews’ show last night: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=244765 It’s not that Matthews is a doubter of the President’s bona-fides. He’s actually a self-described enemy of the so-called “birthers”, who question Obama’s origins and the life narrative he’s presented in his two books. The basis for his topic last night is the April 2010 New York Times poll which revealed that...

With thanks to Gates of Vienna Hawaii’s leftist Governor-elect, Neil Abercrombie, says he is going to “torpedo” the birther conspiracy theories that question the Constitutional eligibility of Barack Hussein Obama to hold office. And by golly, he’s found a couple of willing partners in the major media to help him with the cover-up – The Los Angeles Times’ Michael Mimoli and Ken Dilanian. Their distortion-filled coverage of Abercrombie’s noble quest to keep the Big Question unanswered was published on Christmas Eve: http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-obama-birthers-20101224,0,3744847.story “Reporting from Honolulu — Neil Abercrombie knew Barack Obama’s parents when the future president was born here in...

I was "Born in the USA" over 50 years ago, and have been employed at my current location for over 11 years, but Homeland Security says that I can't keep my job without a Social Security card.I got my SS card in 6th grade back in '66, and in big red letters on it, it said, NOT TO BE USED FOR IDENTIFICATION.  I memorized my number, and never carried it with me, so I have no idea where that card went to in the intervening 44 years.I’ve been employed almost continuously since I was 15 years old, and worked...

Like any responsible pregnant woman, Chen Lei (not her real name) wants the best for her unborn child. She and her husband live in Shanghai; both work for a foreign IT company, and they have more choices than their parents' generation could even dream of. So Chen, 30, is one of an increasing number of mainland Chinese women who are taking advantage of a loophole in American law to travel to the United States to give birth. "Most Chinese women who go to the U.S. to give birth do so for their child's future, for the education, and for the...

The American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Constitutional Rights have brought suit against the Obama administration for ordering the targeted killing of American-born al Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki, who is believed to be holed up in Yemen. These groups argue that the president doesn't have the legal authority to order the assassination of American citizens. That's right, so in order for the kill order to stand, Awlaki should be stripped of his citizenship.President Obama has exceeded his power in ordering Awlaki's assassination. Americans abroad are protected by constitutional guarantees of due process, at least when faced with...

Marco Rubio is the newly elected senator from Florida. He is the son of immigrants, but − in part because of that fact − he is a better American than many whose families have been here for generations. If you want to know what I mean, listen to his acceptance speech. If it doesn’t inspire you, check for a pulse. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1XGXFufq14 Rubio’s parents lost their country of Cuba to Marxist tyranny, so they took every opportunity to teach him how lucky he was to be growing up in America. I never met his parents, but I know this to be...

PHOENIX — An organization that convinced federal judges last month to toss out Arizona’s proof-of—citizenship requirement to register to vote now is seeking a court order that could further delay a final outcome from Tuesday’s election. The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund late Friday asked the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to order officials in the state’s 15 counties to count the votes of those who cast “provisional ballots” because they did not show up on the voter registration rolls. And the reason they didn’t show up on the rolls is because they didn’t get registered because they...

Not a man who believes in beating a dead horse, I am nevertheless returning to an unresolved issue that goes to the eroding of the Constitution, because I believe it is important not to allow this particular horse to die. The President, as the nation’s C.E.O., is charged with enforcing the law. He’s the Top Cop in the U.S.A. Barack Obama continues to keep his documented personal, educational and professional history under lock and key, sealed by Court Orders from public scrutiny and evaluation. World Net Daily, under editor and publisher Joseph Farah, has been at the front of ongoing...

NEW YORK — November 2 is not here yet, but polling problems have begun. From possibly malfunctioning ballot gear to potential fraud, the 2010 mid-term vote is marred even before Election Day has dawned. •Like jurors who deliberate before a trial concludes, some Nevadans who have tried voting early for Republican Senate nominee Sharron Angle instead have seen Democrat Harry Reid’s name appear on their electronic voting machines. Some voters have complained about this apparent glitch, but how many others unwittingly have miscast their ballots? Intriguingly, these machines are maintained in Las Vegas by members of the Service Employees International...

Diversity. What a pleasant sounding word. I see colorful posters bearing the word placed in prominence around the office where I work. I often see the word applied in noble motto: “Strength in Diversity” or “Celebrate Diversity”. What a lovely sentiment. What could be wrong with that? I am a German American, whose original German-born ancestor arrived in the United States of America in 1853 following the death of his first wife. I’m quite sure his life in Germany was shattered. He came to America destitute, with small children in tow. He remarried an Ohio woman and settled in the...

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals voided an Arizona law that required those seeking to register to vote to provide proof of citizenship. The ruling vacates a 2004 voter approved initiative that required such proof. The ruling cited difficulty for many persons in obtaining the required documentation. “People who don’t speak English or who can’t read or write are put at a significant disadvantage by the Arizona law,” the Court wrote in its decision. “This is an excessive burden that will limit the number of people allowed to vote.” The Court confirmed that federal law, which only requires that the...

The San Francisco US court of Appeals did not say it as in the title above, but it comes down to the same thing. The US court of appeals stated that proof of citizenship is not required to vote in Arizona elections. You only need a voter registration card and a utility bill with your name on it. This is the same as saying that “US court of appeals rules anyone may vote as many times in Arizona.”

Illegal Immigration: Lawmakers in 14 states are joining to restore the intended meaning of the 14th Amendment: that being a U.S. citizen requires more than just your mother sneaking past the Border Patrol. The architect of Arizona's immigration law, SB2070, announced Tuesday a new crusade to correct what he perceives as an unfortunate misinterpretation of the 14th Amendment that allows children of illegal immigrant parents to be considered U.S. citizens if they're born on U.S. soil. "This is a battle of epic proportions," Mesa Republican state Sen. Russell Pearce said. "We've allowed the hijacking of the 14th Amendment." He says...

Lawmakers in at least 14 states are collaborating on proposed legislation to deny U.S. citizenship to children of illegal immigrants, according to lawmakers, including the sponsor of Arizona's 2010 law targeting illegal immigration. "We're taking a leadership role on things that need to be fixed in America. We can't get Congress to do it," Republican state Sen. Russell Pearce, of Mesa, said today. "It's a national work group so that we have model legislation that we know will be successful, that meets the constitutional criteria." The efforts by the state legislators come amid calls to change the U.S. Constitution's 14th...