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Birthright Citizenship-NYT and John McCain

By Annie Banerjee

The NY Times seems determined to place a Democratic President in 08 is desperately trying to discredit the Republican front runner Sen. John McCain. Right on the heels of their accusation that Sen. McCain had an improper relationship with a female lobbyist 8 years ago, comes a new assertion that Sen McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone and therefore may not be a "natural born Citizen" of the US. Although Art II Sec I of the US Constitution requires the President to be a "natural born citizen" this issue was never litigated and thus has never been defined by any court of law. John McCain's parents, like him and like his son served in the military, and McCain was born in an US Military base in the Panama Canal Zone. He was a natural born child, born of natural born citizens at the time of his birth. The Panama Canal Zone was a US territory when McCain was born in 1936.
"It's very clear that (the idea that) an American born in a territory of the United States whose father is serving in the military would not be eligible for the presidency of the United States is certainly not something our founding fathers envisioned" McCain said. Historical precedents support him.
Why can we not recognize the children of American army, who is serving our country as natural born citizens of our country. After all, McCain's parents did not go to the Panama Canal on their own volition. They went because the American people sent them there to protect our interests. This distinction is absurd.

What will the NY Times think of next!

Full post as published by US Immigration Matters on February 29, 2008 (boomark / email).