Is the Federal Election Commission about to open a back door to legitimize naturalized citizens to run for President? It sure seems like it.
Naturalized citizens are U.S. citizens born outside the U.S and who have become citizens through the citizenship process. Our constitution states that only those born in the U.S. can serve as President, natural born citizens but never indicates what constitutes a natural born citizen. That definition can be found in the U.S. code and has been the subject, over the years, of several challenges.
Nationals and Citizens of the United States at birth.
“The following shall be nationals and citizens of the United States at birth:
(a) a person born in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof;
(b) a person born in the United States to a member of an Indian, Eskimo, Aleutian, or other aboriginal tribe: Provided, That the granting of citizenship under this subsection shall not in any manner impair or otherwise affect the right of such person to tribal or other property;
(c) a person born outside of the United States and its outlying possessions of parents both of whom are citizens of the United States and one of whom has had a residence in the United States or one of its outlying possessions, prior to the birth of such person;
(d) a person born outside of the United States and its outlying possessions of parents one of whom is a citizen of the United States who has been physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions for a continuous period of one year prior to the birth of such person, and the other of whom is a national, but not a citizen of the United States;
(e) a person born in an outlying possession of the United States of parents one of whom is a citizen of the United States who has been physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions for a continuous period of one year at any time prior to the birth of such person;
(f) a person of unknown parentage found in the United States while under the age of five years, until shown, prior to his attaining the age of twenty-one years, not to have been born in the United States;
(g) a person born outside the geographical limits of the United States and its outlying possessions of parents one of whom is an alien, and the other a citizen of the United States who, prior to the birth of such person, was physically present in the United States or its outlying possessions for a period or periods totaling not less than five years, at least two of which were after attaining the age of fourteen years: Provided, That any periods of honorable service in the Armed Forces of the United States, or periods of employment with the United States Government or with an international organization as that term is defined in section 288 of title 22 by such citizen parent, or any periods during which such citizen parent is physically present abroad as the dependent unmarried son or daughter and a member of the household of a person
(A) honorably serving with the Armed Forces of the United States, or
(B) employed by the United States Government or an international organization as defined in section 288 of title 22, may be included in order to satisfy the physical-presence requirement of this paragraph. This proviso shall be applicable to persons born on or after December 24, 1952, to the same extent as if it had become effective in its present form on that date; and
(h) a person born before noon (Eastern Standard Time) May 24, 1934, outside the limits and jurisdiction of the United States of an alien father and a mother who is a citizen of the United States who, prior to the birth of such person, had resided in the United States.”
This, however, is different.
What we have here is someone, Abdul Hassan, who was born in Guyana, who wants to RUN for President…not SERVE as President.
Well, if this fellow can RUN…he can collect campaign donations and MAY be in line to receive matching federal funds for his…”campaign.”
On the face of it, it seems like someone looking for a way to simply scam the system doesn’t it? In fact, it could well be much, MUCH more than that.
The FEC will meet later this week to take up this matter and 4 of the 6 members OF that commission would have to approve of it for Hassan to to begin his candidacy and or receive those matching funds. It seems unlikely but, stranger things have happened and let’s face it, while the constitution states plainly that only a natural born citizen can SERVE, it mentions noting about…RUNNING…so…what could possibly go wrong?
Should a legal case be filed regarding Hussan’s “candidacy” there is little doubt that it would eventually find its way to the U.S. Supreme court. It certainly would not get to that level before the 2012 election but, that may well not be the point.
For such a challenge to reach the Supreme Court, it would have to work its way through the legal system of trials, challenges and appeals which would not be inexpensive. While little is known at this point regarding this Hussan chap, it’s a fair bet such a protracted court case would be something to which the ACLU would hitch ITS little red wagon…pro bono…of course.
It is pretty difficult to discern who leads who. Is it the ACLU which leads the liberal cause or the liberals who lead the ACLU? Either way, the two go hand in hand and such a challenge would, without doubt, have to include a challenge to the very definition of…”natural born” citizen as accepted to date from the U.S. code.
In this maneuver, liberals, depending on the make-up of the Supreme Court at the time such a case arrives on it’s bench, could well open the door to a change in that definition and a possible back door to a person born elsewhere to not only run, but serve as President.
Realizing there are a whole lot of hypotheticals in this scenario and the fact it appears conspiratorial, one must pause to note that chipping away at the constitution, and for that matter, the codes contained in U.S. law regarding the guidelines of conventional wisdom is exactly what the liberals are about and exactly what the ACLU thrives upon.
Okay, what if the FEC rules against Hussan later this week? Does it end there? Probably not as his legal team could challenge a negative ruling in court thus starting the process of working it through the legal system.
As long as the what if scenario is in play here, we should look at a more plausible outcome of changing the U.S. code definition of “natural born” citizen.
While liberals continue to be dismissive of “birthers” there are still interesting, if not legitimate concerns over the Obama birth certificate. There are some things contained ON the certificate which have raised eyebrows and questions of its authenticity. For instance, Obama’s father’s race is listed as African on the certificate he and liberals tout as authentic.
Was, “African” ever considered a race? The term of the day was Negro but the certificate doesn’t say Negro, it says…African. Here’s another curiosity. Obama’s father’s place of birth is listed on the “authentic” certificate as, Kenya, East Africa. Curious…considering that in 1962, Kenya did not yet exist anymore than did, African was considered a race.
The East Africa Protectorate became Kenya in 1963 but the year that the birth certificate was supposedly issued was 1962. Yes, technically, that region was sometimes referred to as the Kenya Colony but the certificate doesn’t state, Kenya Colony OR East Africa Protectorate, it clearly states…Kenya, East Africa.
So, IF questions persist, and one can believe questions WILL persist over Obama’s place of birth and IF he should, at some point be discovered NOT to have been a “natural born” citizen of the United States at the time of his birth…what of his Presidency?
It could become a situation where any law bearing Obama’s signature would be called into question, a constitutional crisis could result and such laws could be found null and void. IF Obama was NOT by law, eligible to serve as President, any law which was signed by him could be illegitimate as well.
Change the definition of “natural born” and his signature, and the laws bearing it could also stand.
Share these scenarios with a liberal and when they’re done being derisive and after they’ve finished questioning everything from your intelligence to your stand on racial equality, remind them that this fellow, Hassan, HAS taken his quest to claim candidacy for President to the FEC then ask them why, if he’s just trying to scam the system, he would WANT to make a federal case out of it?
Their responses should be pretty entertaining.
Here’s an idea. Why not make so that matching funds can only be received by someone eligible to SERVE as President and if one is silly enough to donate their own money to a candidate INELIGIBLE to serve…lesson learned.