McCain Can Not Be President
By Bd200789
@Bd200789 (2994)
United States
May 21, 2008 5:52pm CST
"In 1952, when McCain was 16, Congress passed the Immigration and Naturalization Act (INA). From this legislation come two relevant sections of U.S. Code: 8 USC 1401(c) and 8 USC 1403(a). The latter grants citizenship specifically to people born after 1904 in the Canal Zone of Panama. McCain was born there in 1936, so he certainly qualifies. But that just means he is a naturalized citizen (a person granted citizenship through legislation), not a natural born citizen" (http://www.dailycolonial.com/go.dc?p=3&s=4925). The Constitution CLEARLY states that you have to be a natural-born citizen to be President. Here's more from the same article: "According to 8 USC 1101(a)(23): “The term ‘naturalization’ means the conferring of nationality of a state upon a person after birth, by any means whatsoever.” Upon first glance, this doesn’t seem to present a problem. If 8 USC 1401 grants McCain his citizenship “at birth,” doesn’t that precede the “after birth” requirement for it to be considered naturalization, thus making him a natural born citizen? Perhaps not.
The INA was passed when McCain was 16 years old, meaning that had this legislation never been passed, he would definitely not have been considered a natural born citizen. In other words, for the first 16 years of his life – a period of time well over “after birth” – McCain was not a natural born citizen."
1 person likes this
4 responses
@blackmantra_x (2732)
• Philippines
22 May 08
Yah. I think they have already covered their grounds. If this would be an issue the democrats would have surely brought it up.
1 person likes this
@bobmnu (8157)
• United States
22 May 08
This issue came up with Senator Goldwater in 1964 and it was determined that the people who were born to US citizens but living in a terrority of the US were considered Native Born US Citizens. This includes people born to US Citizens who were in the Military serving overseas. It also included the diplomatic community.
John McCain will be the next President.
@overhere (515)
• United States
22 May 08
I saw this discussed once it may have been on Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO a cross party group definitely seemed to believe he had no problem. For me it would be incredibly amusing on the eve of the election to have someone raise an objection. But then I was always one with a warped sense of humour.
@jerzgirl (9384)
• United States
26 May 08
It all depends on how they worded it - if it was made to be retroactive, even though WE would say it's naturalized, the law would say it gives him "natural born" status because the law was retroactive to X date. But, even though I don't want him as President, it is kind of acceptable in that children of military parents stationed throughout the world are considered natural born as are children born in Guam, American Samoa and US Virgin Islands. Panama Canal Zone was another territory at that time, so I can see them applying that to the zone as well.
