Saturday, July 12, 2008

New York Times Renews Issue Of McCain's Eligibility

The New York Times has been out to destroy Sen. John McCain's candidacy this year from day one. Earlier this year, it ran a totally discredited tabloid story on page one claiming that McCain was having an affair with a lobbyist. Later, it raised questions about whether Sen. McCain met the constitutional requirement of being a "natural born citizen" in order to serve as president because of his birth in the Panama Canal Zone where his naval officer father was serving his country at the time. Despite the consensus among constitutional scholars that McCain satisfies the requirement, a view endorsed by a Senate resolution adopted this year and co-sponsored by Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama, the NY Times returns with yet another story raising the issue. The NY Times writes:

In the most detailed examination yet of Senator John McCain’s eligibility to be president, a law professor at the University of Arizona has concluded that neither Mr. McCain’s birth in 1936 in the Panama Canal Zone nor the fact that his parents were American citizens is enough to satisfy the constitutional requirement that the president must be a “natural-born citizen.”

The analysis, by Prof. Gabriel J. Chin, focused on a 1937 law that has been largely overlooked in the debate over Mr. McCain’s eligibility to be president. The law conferred citizenship on children of American parents born in the Canal Zone after 1904, and it made John McCain a citizen just before his first birthday. But the law came too late, Professor Chin argued, to make Mr. McCain a natural-born citizen.

“It’s preposterous that a technicality like this can make a difference in an advanced democracy,” Professor Chin said. “But this is the constitutional text that we have.”

The Senate resolution approved in April is based on the premise that "the nation’s founders would have never intended to deny the presidency to the offspring of military personnel stationed out of the country." That occurred after a Democratic operative filed a lawsuit in federal court in New Hampshire seeking to have McCain declared ineligible to serve as president. This view is buttressed by a constitutional expert on citizenship.“No court will get close to it, and everyone else is on board, so there’s a constitutional consensus, the merits of arguments such as this one aside,” said Peter J. Spiro, an authority on the law of citizenship at Temple University. Even Professor Laurence Tribe, an Obama advisor, agrees that McCain meets the constitutional requirement.

It is very telling that the mainstream media continues to raise this issue with McCain, but ignores the firestorm brewing in the blogosphere over Obama's citizenship status. A birth certificate produced by the Obama campaign claiming birth in Hawaii has been thoroughly discredited as a fraud. In his book, "Dreams of My Father", Obama describes holding his birth certificate in his hand, but his campaign did not produce an original birth certificate. Instead, it produced what was purported to be a certified copy. The issue is further confused by conflicting claims of the hospital at which Obama was born. Two different hospitals in Honolulu, Hawaii have been identified as his place of birth.

Liberal-leaning blogs supportive of Sen. Clinton and foreign newspapers have concluded the birth certificate is a fraud, but the mainstream media refuses to discuss the issue. It is important because Obama's father is a Kenyan who recorded his son as Kenyan citizen. Obama has never publicly renounced his Kenyan citizenship. Can a President hold dual citizenship? Moreover, Obama's mother moved him to Indonesia when he was only six. If Obama was born outside the U.S., a possibility we cannot dismiss until Obama produces a legitimate birth certificate as proof he is a natural born citizen, Obama would not be considered a natural born citizen because his mother did not maintain her citizenship status for a continuous period of 10 years after his birth, a requirement in the law at the time he was born.

Also noteworthy is the fact that the birth certificate produced by Obama says only that the information concerning his birth had been "filed" with the registrar in Hawaii. It does not say the information had been "accepted" by the registrar as a Hawaiian birth certificate would typically denote a record of live birth in Hawaii. That suggests only a court could deem the record of his birth in Hawaii as official. Liberal blogs have pointed out that friends of Obama's mother claim she was in the State of Washington with her new-born son when he was only three weeks old, further raising questions about his actual place of birth. According to Michelle Obama, his mother wasn't even married to his father at the time of his birth. Obama himself admits there is some doubt about whether they were ever married. His father had at least two other wives back in Kenya. Adding to the suspicion is the removal of the official Obama explanation on his birth certificate from his own counter website, Fight The Smears.

So with all these discussions on the Internet about questions surrounding Obama's qualification as a "natural born citizen," why is the New York Times continuing to hammer away at McCain on this issue? It's very simple. The Obama campaign is fearing the absolute worst in disclosures on this issue in the coming weeks and months, which will eventually make it into the mainstream media. By raising doubts about McCain's citizenship status, the Obama campaign hopes to inoculate itself from the disclosures and the public debate which will undoubtedly ensue. It's hard to imagine that the American people will equate McCain's situation with Obama's. McCain's overseas birth is attributable to his Navy Admiral father's service for his country in the Panama Canal Zone. McCain went on to serve his country with distinction in a long career in the Navy, including five years of hell being tortured as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. Obama never served his country through military service. To my knowledge, Obama has not even produced evidence he ever registered for the Selective Service System as required of all men between the ages of 18 and 26 born after January 1, 1960. One thing is clear. This issue is going to heat up.

28 comments:

artfuggins said...

Here we go again!! The fake Obama birth certificate story. Perhaps the mainstream media have not picked it up because it is so inane. It is too bad that those questioning Obama lack the class that both Clinton and Obama have. In your post, you point out that Clinton and Obama cosponsored a Senate resolution confirming the legality of McCain's citizenship. That is true patriotism and character.

Zappatista said...

Again, a difference, it does not make.....

Gary R. Welsh said...

True patriotism and character. Not hardly. Obama knew damn good and well his own status would become an issue and he was trying to cover his butt.

Ray said...

Obama's parents were married at Maui, Hawaii on 2nd Feb, 1961 in a low profile wedding. His mother filed for divorce in Honolulu in Jan 1964 and his father signed for the divorce papers at Cambridge, Mass. shortly afterwards.

Gary R. Welsh said...

Ray, Can you proof documentary evidence to back up your claim? Even Obama says in Dreams of My Father the issue of his parents' marriage was too murky for him to inquire further into. Remember, he had a wife back in Kenya so he couldn't legally marry Obama's mother.

artfuggins said...

If as a single mother, [since you claim that they weren't married because he had a wife in Kenya] Obama's mother gave birth to him in Hawaii then wouldn't that alone make him a U.S. citizen.

Fred Ramos said...

Look, in order for anyone to file a suit, they have to show the court that they were damaged in some way. You and I can't do that. The only one that has any standing in a court case is Barack Obama. (Lets say, if he loses the election). But Obama is never -- and I mean, never -- going to do that.
So the issues is -- moot!

Gary R. Welsh said...

No reliable evidence has been produced to prove birth in the U.S. If he wasn't born in the US, it's quite possible he isn't a natural born citizen because of the age of his mother at the time of his birth and her failure to live long enough in the US at the time of his birth after she reached the statutory age, which at that time was 16. Also, his mother married an Indonesian and moved there with Barack. It is not known whether she acquired citizenship status there for herself and Barack. If she did, it could have the affect of nullifying his U.S. citizenship.

Vox Populi said...

I wonder if this issue is going to heat up as much as the Larry Sinclair story did.

Ray said...

Advance Indiana wrote:

"Ray, Can you proof documentary evidence to back up your claim?


If people refuse to accept the official record of Obama's birth that has already been issued by the Hawaii Health Department - what DO you consider decent evidence - something signed by NASA or the CEO of Disney productions or what?

There seems to be little point in providing evidence to those who refuse to treat it seriously.

What about images of some of the official divorce records - would they allow you to join the dots and see that Obama's parents were married in Hawaii?

What about images of the documents held by the scholarship providers - Sidney Poitier and Harry Bellafonte etc., who brought Obama senior and others into the U.S. to study in 1959, and who knew if he suddenly ducked back to Kenya (at massive cost) with a passport-less wife to have a baby and got someone to cover for them at University at the same time?

What about statements by Ann Dunham's friends and Obama's grandmother or other official U.S. records about Obama's birth place? Let me know what you consider adequate evidence.

Even Obama says in Dreams of My Father the issue of his parents' marriage was too murky for him to inquire further into. Remember, he had a wife back in Kenya so he couldn't legally marry Obama's mother"

Obama senior may have had a legal wife in Kenya, and he may have committed bigamy under U.S. law, which would explain why Senator Obama doesn't want to look further.

Gary R. Welsh said...

Ray said, "If people refuse to accept the official record of Obama's birth that has already been issued by the Hawaii Health Department - what DO you consider decent evidence - something signed by NASA or the CEO of Disney productions or what?"

You just don't get it, Ray. There is no official document issued by the Hawaii Dept. Of Health as you profess. Even the person who posted the birth certificate on Daily Kos now admits it was a fake. John McCain allowed reporters to look at his original birth certificate. Why won't Obama do the same? Why is half the material in his book, Dreams of My Father, made up? Why does this man have so much trouble telling the truth about his life?

Gary R. Welsh said...

As for grandma, she has not been allowed to speak one word during this campaign. Don't attribute anything to her.

Ray said...

Advance Indiana wrote:

Ray said, "If people refuse to accept the official record of Obama's birth that has already been issued by the Hawaii Health Department - what DO you consider decent evidence - something signed by NASA or the CEO of Disney productions or what?"

You just don't get it, Ray. There is no official document issued by the Hawaii Dept. Of Health as you profess. Even the person who posted the birth certificate on Daily Kos now admits it was a fake.

I'm afraid you are the one who is dead wrong. I know that you keep saying it over and over and over, bur Jay did NOT forge anything. In reality he made a joke document from the REAL one. He took KOS's jpeg of the official document and covered up the text (which any fool can do in a few minutes) and he placed a joke name on the blank document that indicated clearly that HIS document was a joke forgey.
See strata's blog:
http://strata-sphere.com/blog/index.php/archives/5652

Ray said...

Advance Indiana wrote:

As for grandma, she has not been allowed to speak one word during this campaign. Don't attribute anything to her.


Obama's grandmother had a lot to say before the campaign - which is one more reason why the media is not carrying this story about a fake birth record.

They also know how it was impossible for a student who barely had enough to live on, could afford four extremely expensive air fares to and from Kenya to have a baby - like about $20,000 in today's money.

Ray said...

Advance Indiana swrote:

John McCain allowed reporters to look at his original birth certificate.


Do you realise that the image of McCain's birth record on the net is the same type of document as Obama's - but a lower grade black and white version?

Ray said...

artfuggins wrote:

Here we go again!! The fake Obama birth certificate story. Perhaps the mainstream media have not picked it up because it is so inane.


The mainstream media is filled with real graphics experts who (like myself) know that you cannot take a blank birth record from Hawaii and change the details without leaving tell-tale signs of it.

If any alleged forgery existed on the net, someone would have been able to mark many of flawed spots with red arrows where the alterations had been made, and they could do it to the VERY PIXEL

Gary R. Welsh said...

The only birth certificate I've seen anyone post for John McCain on the Internet was the fake one an Obama blogger posted making it appear it was on tattered parchmant. McCain produced the original for reporters to look at. That one has not been posted on the Internet to my knowledge.

Obama's mother had the money to fly to the states when he was 3-weeks old. Airplane travel was quite expensive in those days.

And I challenge you to produce any evidence of what grandma has said on this particular topic. You won't find it.

Ray said...

Advance Indiana wrote:

The only birth certificate I've seen anyone post for John McCain on the Internet was the fake one an Obama blogger posted making it appear it was on tattered parchmant. McCain produced the original for reporters to look at. That one has not been posted on the Internet to my knowledge.


The McCain birth record on the net that I was referring to was a reproduction of a photocopy - not a joke birth record.

Gary R. Welsh said...

Provide a link where this so-called birth certificate exists, Ray.

Ray said...

Advance Indiana wrote:

Provide a link where this so-called birth certificate exists, Ray.


It's not a 'so called birth certificate' -- it's the real thing - just like Obama's certificate is the real thing, i.e. a certified copy.

I'll have to look for it on the web but I have a note here that says it was issued on 26th March 1980 and it's number is 170027. It's also written in 2 languages - English and perhaps Spanish?

Ray said...

Here's a 1963 REAL birth certificate from Hawaii
http://snarkybytes.com/?p=521

Ray said...

Here we go - McCain's certtificate:
Dallas News:
http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/06/mccains-citizen.html

Gary R. Welsh said...

It looks like a xeroxed copy of a certificate of birth issued in 1980as opposed to a scanned version the Obama certificate purports to be. It's difficult to ascertain its authenticity without seeing the original, or at least a good scanned version of it.

Ray said...

Advance Indiana wrote:

It looks like a xeroxed copy of a certificate of birth issued in 1980as opposed to a scanned version the Obama certificate purports to be. It's difficult to ascertain its authenticity without seeing the original, or at least a good scanned version of it.


Yes, that was the typical quality of photocopies in 1980. The much older "photostats" (which were negative images) were actually much clearer but they didn't handle continuous tone images very well at all.

The authenticity of McCain's certificate is not an issue because no one on the planet is contesting the purported facts contained in it.

It's the same with Obama's certificate -- no one has presented the slightest bit of evidence that suggests he was not born in Hawaii in August 1961.

Gary R. Welsh said...

It's not the same as Obama's certificate, which is notably missing a registrar's signature and a raised seal certifying to its authenticity.

Ray said...

Advance Indiana wrote:

It's not the same as Obama's certificate, which is notably missing a registrar's signature and a raised seal certifying to its authenticity.


But it HAS got a seal and certification showing through. The seal is above the reversed date (6th June 2007) and the certification is below and running into the border.

Incidentally, I joined Strata's blog but the password was not emailed. Could you please mention it on his blog in case there's a button he needs to press?

Ray said...

Advance Indiana, I see from your messages on Strata's blog that you are still unsure about the authenticity of the Obama certificate. The easy way to find out is to ask one of the experts to DO themselves what they have imagined some forger did, with DIFFERENT text. They will not be able to without leaving tell-tale marks.

Gary R. Welsh said...

ray, I have made no posts on any blog called Strata. I don't know what you're talking about.