Alan Grayson to Sue if Ted Cruz is the Nominee

[emailking]

I don't see what the controversy is. Obama's birth certificate proves that he was born in the United States. Cruz's birth certificate proves that he was born in Canada, which is a foreign country.

And federal law says Cruz was still born a U.S. Citizen as long as long as both parents were citizens when he was born.

Correct. In Cruz's case, however, his father was not a U.S. citizen; he was a Cuban citizen.

Ok, fine. I wasn't sure what his father's citizenship status was at the time, but as long as his mom was a U.S. citizen and met age and residency requirements when Cruz was born, then Cruz was still born a U.S. citizen.

Federal law cannot define the meaning of the "natural born citizen" clause in the Constitution. Only the Supreme Court can do that.

What do you think "natural born citizen" means?

A person born in the USA. This excludes McCain and Cruz.

That's a native born citizen. A natural born citizen is a citizen by virtue of their birth. Yes the Supreme Court could interpret this and hypothetically come up with something different that we would have to accept, but in lieu of that having happened we can use applicable US Law and common sense.

[emailking]

It is clear that the intent of this natural born citizen clause was to prevent someone who was born and raised abroad and who has another country, so to say, from ever becoming President. It is obvious from the other requirement, which is to be 14 years a resident within the US.

So you say. To me it seems clearer that the intent of the residency clause is to ensure a citizen must have ties and stakes to the country beyond the technicalities of citizenship. And the purpose of the natural born citizen clause is to prevent a foreign carpetbagger from being eligible to be President.

[emailking]

It is clear that the intent of this natural born citizen clause was to prevent someone who was born and raised abroad and who has another country, so to say, from ever becoming President. It is obvious from the other requirement, which is to be 14 years a resident within the US.

So you say. To me it seems clearer that the intent of the residency clause is to ensure a citizen must have ties and stakes to the country beyond the technicalities of citizenship. And the purpose of the natural born citizen clause is to prevent a foreign carpetbagger from being eligible to be President.

If that were true, anchor babies wouldn't be considered natural born citizens.

Well that was added well after the clauses you're talking about. You can call anchor babies a loophole, but it doesn't obviate the intent behind the citizenship and residency clauses you've cited, whatever it was.