McCain's citizenship

[Franzl]

Constitution stipulates that only natural born citizen can become President. Nowhere in the Constitution is this term "natural born citizen" further defined (or mentioned). That opens room for interpretation. My interpretation is that a natural born citizen is citizen of the US at birth.

And that is absolutely correct, but you don't seem to understand the meaning of "citizen at birth"

The U.S. Code gives citizenship at birth to anyone with two American parents.

I believe one parent is sufficient. After all, I only have an American mother, my father is German. I was automatically a dual citizen.

[Ljube]

Citizens at birth are only those who are born in the US, because their birth certificate is issued by a US authority, while other US citizens who can be called citizens at birth according to new laws are in fact naturalized citizens. Again, the term used in a recent law (citizen at birth) obviously intended as a means of circumventing the Constitution can have no legal consequences on the condition for eligibility for Presidency.

Once again, I am not advocating that McCain should be barred from becoming President. I'm advocating a ruling of the Supreme Court that would define the term "natural born citizen".

[Franzl]

Citizens at birth are only those who are born in the US, because their birth certificate is issued by a US authority, while other US citizens who can be called citizens at birth according to new laws are in fact naturalized citizens. Again, the term used in a recent law (citizen at birth) obviously intended as a means of circumventing the Constitution can have no legal consequences on the condition for eligibility of President.

I'm now convinced that you understand absolutely nothing about nationality and citizenship.

[Ljube]

Come on, you cannot honestly say that I understand nothing. Obviously I understand what you are talking about, and I agree that it is more logical than my view, but I claim that it is not constitutional.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

His birth certificate was issued by a foreign country.

Here's the link:

http://www.travel.state.gov/law/info/overseas/overseas_703.html

The term is “expeditious naturalization”.

The term is "totally irrelevant" as  if you bothered to read the link you provided, you'd have seen this note:

Consular Reports of Birth are not available for persons born in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Panama Canal Zone before October 1, 1979, the Philippines before July 4, 1946, American Samoa, Guam, Swains Island, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or the former U.S. Trust Territories of the Pacific Islands.

I.e., the process you claim McCain had to follow to "become" a citizen didn't apply to him because he was born on U.S. territory.

[Hash]

HE WAS NOT BORN IN PANAMA!

[emailking]

I have a different question, inspired by reading the discussion. If some foreign couple (let's say Frenchmen, for the heck of it) come here as tourists and the woman gives birth over here before returning, is the child a US citizen and thus able to run for President? Does it matter if s/he doesn't come back to the US until age 35 or so and only then so s/he can run? Just wondering.

[Хahar 🤔]

I have a different question, inspired by reading the discussion. If some foreign couple (let's say Frenchmen, for the heck of it) come here as tourists and the woman gives birth over here before returning, is the child a US citizen and thus able to run for President? Does it matter if s/he doesn't come back to the US until age 35 or so and only then so s/he can run? Just wondering.

1. Yes, the baby is a US citizen.
2. There are residency requirements.

[Middle-aged Europe]

^^^

You must be logged in to read this quote.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_United_States#Qualification.2C_disqualification_and_common_practice

[emailking]

Ok. Thanks.

[bergie72]

This has been discussed before with Barry goldwater and Mitt Romney's father, George Romney, when they were making their presidential runs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural-born_citizen#US_presidential_candidates_born_outside_the_US

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

There are a gazillion reasons why John McCain shouldn't become President, but the fact that he was born in the Panama Canal zone is not one of them.

[2952-0-0]

Does he have dual US and Panamanian Citizenship, though?

[Хahar 🤔]

Does he have dual US and Panamanian Citizenship, though?

Panama does observe jus soli, but it doesn't matter, since the Canal Zone was not part of Panama.