Lawmaker questions Obama's citizenship (OH)

[struggle4progress]

Her days as a state legislator are over in one week, but before departing, Rep. Diana Fessler decided to drop one more piece of legislation: a resolution encouraging members of the Electoral College to make sure President-elect Barack Obama is really a natural-born U.S. citizen.

The measure continues on largely web-based conspiracies that Obama, who was born in Hawaii and whose father is Kenyan, is not a natural born citizen as required under the Constitution ...

It would be moot anyway, because no voting sessions are scheduled before Monday.

Fessler is term-limited at the end of the year.

http://blog.dispatch.com/dailybriefing/2008/12/lawmaker_questions_obamas_citi.shtml

:crazy:

[hobbit709]

1. Every day some idiot manages to enlarge my view of the possible.

Just when you think no one could come up with anything that stupid, a new level is set.

[mwb970]

2. Blago aside, it's almost always Republicans who stretch the envelope. /nt

[Lint Head]

3. How many idiots are there per square mile in this country?

:dem:

[struggle4progress]

4. Average density is probably lower than corporate media coverage suggests

[Land Shark]

5. Constition provides a maximum of TWO classes for pres purposes, RWers want to create 3rd class

The natural born citizen clause sets for "born" citizens and "naturalized" citizens (read: adopted or adoptive citizens). Since it is undisputed that Obama did not take citizenship classes and an oath later in later in life, he can only be a natural born citizen REGARDLESS of whether born in Hawaii or Kenya.

The whole issue is a red herring, an attempt to create third class citizens for presidential purposes.

Ever heard of the discredited term "second class citizen"? Naturalized clitizens, it is clear, are aboslutely equal in every respect except maybe presidential qualifications (but since this clause only only applies to presidents there's only been 44 chances to test it, so not much of a chance to catch that part of the Constitution (a pre-slavery abolition provision) up with the rest of the constitution. It's truly questionable whether there are even 2 classes, since the naturalized must be equal in every respect as citizens. in fact, all indications are that those who CHOOSE america have higher patriotism on average than those born into it by default.

The whole debate is a constitutional red herring that allows extremely archaic and xenophobic interpretations simply because it is so old and has therefore never been adjusted in light of equal protetion of the laws, and the innapropriateness of any discrimination based on race, sex or national origin.

Citizens are either citizens by birth (obama, no matter where born) or citizens by adoption/naturalization. As Obama didn't arrive by his citizenship voluntarily via adoption/naturalization, he is a citizen by birth. Case closed.

Arguing place of birth is a red herring, because America is not a race, a creed, or a "soil" it is a country based on IDEAS that know no borders.