McConnell Echoes Kyl's Call for Hearings on Birthright Citizenship

[Gman]

"I think we ought to take a look at it -- hold hearings, listen to the experts on it," McConnell said to the Hill on Monday. "I haven't made a final decision about it, but that's something that we clearly need to look at. Regardless of how you feel about the various aspects of immigration reform, I don't think anybody thinks that's something they're comfortable with."

McConnell's remarks echo those of Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), who said Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation" that he would like to see congressional hearings on the issue.

"The 14th Amendment interpreted to provide that if you are born in the United States, you are a citizen no matter what," Kyl said. "So the question is, if both parents are here illegally, should there be a reward for their illegal behavior?"

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20012467-503544.html

The citizenship clause of the 14th amendment to the US constitution was put there to overturn the Dred Scott decision:

The Fourteenth Amendment (Amendment XIV) to the United States Constitution was adopted on July 9, 1868 as one of the Reconstruction Amendments.

Its Citizenship Clause provides a broad definition of citizenship that overruled the decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857), which held that blacks could not be citizens of the United States.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution

Dred Scott v. Sandford,<1> 60 U.S. (19 How.) 393 (1857), commonly referred to as The Dred Scott Decision, was a decision by the United States Supreme Court that ruled that people of African descent imported into the United States and held as slaves, or their descendants<2>—whether or not they were slaves—were not protected by the Constitution and could never be citizens of the United States.<3> It also held that the United States Congress had no authority to prohibit slavery in federal territories. The Court also ruled that because slaves were not citizens, they could not sue in court. Lastly, the Court ruled that slaves—as chattel or private property—could not be taken away from their owners without due process. The Supreme Court's decision was written by Chief Justice Roger B. Taney.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dred_Scott_v._Sandford

Ergo, the GOP wants to reinstate the Dred Scott decision??????????????? Do McConnel and Kyle feel the GOP had it wrong in 1857 and should never have been anti-slavery and that they need to fix it?

I think the knee-jerk response to any GOP issue about the citizenship clause of the 14th amendment should be, "Do you have a problem with the descendants of imported African slaves being legal citizens of this country?"

[Arkana]

1. This will go over well with the teabaggers and absolutely no one else.

[Gman]

2. I just think it's something that we should talk up in order to

show just how far out there the GOP has gone. To the point of being ludicrous.

[gratuitous]

3. Translation: Red meat for the knuckle draggers

One wonders why the Republicans didn't scurry into action between 2001 and 2006 when they had the nearly unfettered ability to pass anything they wanted (remember Terri Schiavo?). But, now that they're in the minority, there are all kinds of things the Republicans would like to do, to the grunting enthusiasm of the lizard brain right. It wouldn't be outlandish to think that McConnell and Kyl are just mouthing off about things they have no intention of every following through on. While the knuckle draggers can't discern this as rank pandering, you have to question the intelligence of other Republicans who should know they're being lied to.

[Gman]

4. Nothing but unabashed GOTV

nothing else.