And we're back
Okay, so the Citizenship thing with Obama. Here are my thoughts and the legal side of it. And this is primarily for US citizens, since most people outside of the US seem to have a better idea about what is going on here than the people living here.
First there is the fact that he and his grandmother's stories vary on where and when he was born, which though interesting doesn't really say too much. It could easily be that she was confused. You know how easy it is to forget the birth of your grand-child.
What makes this case interesting are the following facts (and you can look these up for yourself, I really don't feel like linking all of the facts here, but I have checked them out):
1) In Hawaii, it is state law that if you are adopted by a Hawaiian resident, you can receive a certificate of live birth from the government. Therefore, any certificate from Hawaii is kind of suspect anyway, without the testimony and sworn statement of the attending Doctor/midwife. Of course, no one has come forward, but it was long ago enough that they might be dead.
2) Obama attended school in Indonesia. Now Indonesian law states that in order to attend the school he was at, he would have to be an Indonesian citizen. Since at the time, Indonesia, like the United States, didn't recognize dual-citizenship, this would mean that he would have to renounce his US citizenship. Here is where it gets fishy. There are no records of him ever trying to reestablish his US citizenship, and even if he did, there is this funny little loophole.
You see, once you renounce your citizenship, even if you get it back, legally you are no longer considered a natural-born citizen by the United States. Ergo, no matter what here, if it is true that he became an Indonesian citizen, then he is no longer qualified to be President under the requirements outlined in the Constitution.
So now this is going before the Supreme Court of the US, which should take this case up since that is kind of their job. If the court finds that he is not a natural-born citizen according to the laws that have been laid out and the evidence put before them, Biden will become President-Elect (which by the way, there is no Office of the President Elect) and I believe that he will get to appoint his own VP or it will be Pelosi. Fun times.
Frankly, although at this point I don't really give a shit about who is in the office, I am curious as to why Obama hasn't produced some of these records, and indeed has had most of them sealed (while he was in Hawaii to visit his dying grandmother). First there is the fact that two different birth certificates have been posted on his website (again, there is a source for this, find it yourself for once). Second is the fact that he has not shown that he is a US citizen anymore, either by denying that he was in the Indonesian school or by showing that he was and had to reapply for US citizenship.
People had question McCain, however, McCain produced all the records asked of him. Though it is true that he was not born in the US, he was born on US soil (a military base) and therefore was qualified. When Obama was asked, he by contrast said that it was not fair that he was being asked and sealed his records.
I hope that the court takes this case and actually examines the evidence. The fact is, though I don't like Obama, if he is qualified, I will support him as far as my logic and sensibility will allow. I will support him when he supports the issues that I support, disagree with him in an adult manner otherwise (ie no name calling or other childish mud-slinging crap), and utilize my free-speech to voice my opinions whether I agree with him or not. If I don't agree with him, it is not because he is the anti-Christ, it is because he has a varying opinion with me, one to which he is entitled.
If he isn't qualified, well that could cause a lot of problems in this nation, which may or may not be worse than some of the consequences imagined by his opponents. Still, we must uphold the law. We cannot ex-post-facto change it for one man or else we have just changed the legal system quite radically and in a manner that I cannot condone. So, though I hope that the case is taken to court, I hope that the court rules fairly and that it follows the word of the law along with its intent, rather than folding over to allow for popular opinion to reign. If you want to change the law, there are channels to do so. Otherwise, you must abide by it.
But, I am just an ignorant hick from the south, so what do I know?
First there is the fact that he and his grandmother's stories vary on where and when he was born, which though interesting doesn't really say too much. It could easily be that she was confused. You know how easy it is to forget the birth of your grand-child.
What makes this case interesting are the following facts (and you can look these up for yourself, I really don't feel like linking all of the facts here, but I have checked them out):
1) In Hawaii, it is state law that if you are adopted by a Hawaiian resident, you can receive a certificate of live birth from the government. Therefore, any certificate from Hawaii is kind of suspect anyway, without the testimony and sworn statement of the attending Doctor/midwife. Of course, no one has come forward, but it was long ago enough that they might be dead.
2) Obama attended school in Indonesia. Now Indonesian law states that in order to attend the school he was at, he would have to be an Indonesian citizen. Since at the time, Indonesia, like the United States, didn't recognize dual-citizenship, this would mean that he would have to renounce his US citizenship. Here is where it gets fishy. There are no records of him ever trying to reestablish his US citizenship, and even if he did, there is this funny little loophole.
You see, once you renounce your citizenship, even if you get it back, legally you are no longer considered a natural-born citizen by the United States. Ergo, no matter what here, if it is true that he became an Indonesian citizen, then he is no longer qualified to be President under the requirements outlined in the Constitution.
So now this is going before the Supreme Court of the US, which should take this case up since that is kind of their job. If the court finds that he is not a natural-born citizen according to the laws that have been laid out and the evidence put before them, Biden will become President-Elect (which by the way, there is no Office of the President Elect) and I believe that he will get to appoint his own VP or it will be Pelosi. Fun times.
Frankly, although at this point I don't really give a shit about who is in the office, I am curious as to why Obama hasn't produced some of these records, and indeed has had most of them sealed (while he was in Hawaii to visit his dying grandmother). First there is the fact that two different birth certificates have been posted on his website (again, there is a source for this, find it yourself for once). Second is the fact that he has not shown that he is a US citizen anymore, either by denying that he was in the Indonesian school or by showing that he was and had to reapply for US citizenship.
People had question McCain, however, McCain produced all the records asked of him. Though it is true that he was not born in the US, he was born on US soil (a military base) and therefore was qualified. When Obama was asked, he by contrast said that it was not fair that he was being asked and sealed his records.
I hope that the court takes this case and actually examines the evidence. The fact is, though I don't like Obama, if he is qualified, I will support him as far as my logic and sensibility will allow. I will support him when he supports the issues that I support, disagree with him in an adult manner otherwise (ie no name calling or other childish mud-slinging crap), and utilize my free-speech to voice my opinions whether I agree with him or not. If I don't agree with him, it is not because he is the anti-Christ, it is because he has a varying opinion with me, one to which he is entitled.
If he isn't qualified, well that could cause a lot of problems in this nation, which may or may not be worse than some of the consequences imagined by his opponents. Still, we must uphold the law. We cannot ex-post-facto change it for one man or else we have just changed the legal system quite radically and in a manner that I cannot condone. So, though I hope that the case is taken to court, I hope that the court rules fairly and that it follows the word of the law along with its intent, rather than folding over to allow for popular opinion to reign. If you want to change the law, there are channels to do so. Otherwise, you must abide by it.
But, I am just an ignorant hick from the south, so what do I know?