McCain’s Extra-Territorial Birth Raises Questions About Ability to Become President
The all-but certain nomination of John McCain to be the Republican candidate for president has again raised a question nagging the Arizona senator: does his birth outside the United States prevent him from holding the nation’s highest office?
McCain, part of a storied naval family and a Vietnam War hero in his own right, was born in 1936 on a military installation in the Panama Canal Zone. The issue of his birthplace raises the question of whether it qualifies as a foreign birth and therefore violates the constitutional requirement that a commander in chief be a “natural-born citizen.”
“I have absolutely no concern about that. An American born in a territory of the United States, whose father is serving in the military, (that) could not be eligible for the presidency of the United States is certainly not something our founding fathers envisioned,” McCain said aboard his plane Thursday, noting that 1964 GOP nominee Barry Goldwater was born in Arizona while it was still a territory.
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham told The New York Times that it would be unthinkable for McCain — or anyone born on a military installation — not to be allowed to run for president.
“[McCain's father] was posted there on orders from the United States government,” Graham told the Times. “If that becomes a problem, we need to tell every military family that your kid can’t be president if they take an overseas assignment.
Click here to read more at NYTimes.com.
FOX News’ Mosheh Oinounou contributed to this report.
McCain was born in Panama and Romney was born in Mexico. Although both were born of American parents, the law is clear on this matter.
Excerpt from Wikipidia:
All persons born in the United States, except those not subject to the jurisdiction of the U.S. government (such as children of foreign diplomats) are citizens by birth under the Fourteenth Amendment. There is some debate over whether other persons with citizenship can also be considered citizens by birth, or whether they should all be considered to be “naturalized”. Current US statutes define certain individuals born overseas as “citizens at birth,” as opposed to citizens by birth.[4] One side of the argument interprets the Constitution as meaning that a person either is born in the United States or is a naturalized citizen. According to this view, in order to be a “natural born citizen,” a person must be born in the United States; otherwise, he is a citizen “by law” and is therefore “naturalized.”[5] Current State Department policy reads: “Despite widespread popular belief, U.S. military installations abroad and U.S. diplomatic or consular facilities are not part of the United States within the meaning of the 14th Amendment. A child born on the premises of such a facility is not subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and does not acquire U.S. citizenship by reason of birth.”[6]
Clearly, neither McCain nor Romney are “natural born Americans”. They may AT BEST BECOME “NATURALIZED” CITIZENS. Not eligible for the office of Presidency however. They both ran for president in the past and failed. They both know the law… what gives? When asked, McCain said that he was “Not concerned.”
Why aren’t they plastering this story all over the news everyday. He can not be president according to the constitution.
McCain: “I have absolutely no concern about that. An American born in a territory of the United States, whose father is serving in the military, (that) could not be eligible for the presidency of the United States is certainly not something our founding fathers envisioned,” McCain said aboard his plane Thursday, noting that 1964 GOP nominee Barry Goldwater was born in Arizona while it was still a territory.
Citing Barry Goldwater only confirms that McCain KNOWS HE IS INELIGIBLE! Goldwater did NOT become President and neither will McCain!
I’m more concerned about his ballot applications in Ohio, Deleware and KY. I understand that he did not qualify through a petition drive, but used the fact that he was taking Matching Funds to qualify for the ballot. Now that he’s trying to opt out of the Federal Matching Funds program, has he disqualified himself from the ballot??
Why doesn’t everyone quit reading the NY Times and put them oiut of business. This is stupid, which can only lead to the conclusion that it was written by someone stupid.
Your title is incorrect…
Canal zone was a “territory” in 1936. It just so happened instead of becoming a state like Hawaii, it was ceded.
What you may be trying to point out is that the bith was out of the continental United States, known as out CONUS. John McCain knows that term well.
thanx for reading.
Dan
Mr. McCain may be an idiot, but he is certainly not foreign born! His father and his mother were both American citizens, and his father was serving in the armed forces of the U.S. on, I believe, an American military base. I’m probably going to write in Daffy Duck on all the candidates, but it’s because I really don’t think any of them are presidential material, not because Mr. Mc Cain is “foreign born”, or that Mr. Obama is named Hussien, or that the illustrious Hilarity is a woman.( I think it’s extremely hilarious that she even dares to run, thus the name. Who wants another four years of bedroom drama?) Let’s get down to the real issues for pity sake!
Mr. McCain may be an idiot, but he is certainly not foreign born! His father and his mother were both American citizens, and his father was serving in the armed forces of the U.S. on, I believe, an American military base. I’m probably going to write in Daffy Duck on all the candidates, but it’s because I really don’t think any of them are presidential material, not because Mr. Mc Cain is “foreign born”, or that Mr. Obama is named Hussien, or that the illustrious Hilarity is a woman.( I think it’s extremely hilarious that she even dares to run, thus the name. Who wants another four years of bedroom drama?) Let’s get down to the real issues for pity sake!