Discussion for article #246143
“The law under the Constitution and federal law has been clear from the very first days of the Republic. The child of a U.S. citizen born abroad is a natural born citizen,” Cruz replied
He just made that up. In fact it doesn’t say anything about US citizen being same as a natural born citizen. It very well could be(or not) if SCOTUS weighs in . As of now, its unknown.
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“There will still be some who try to work political mischief on it, but as a legal matter this is clear and straightforward.” (Sen. Ted Cruz)
Yeah, just like you effers did to President Obama for years – and Obama’s birth situation was on far more solid ground that yours, Cruz!
Actually, I’m happy that one of his own supporters asked him this very direct question and his response has been recorded on video.
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Thank you! Cruz’s words are very legalese-speak. He knows the Constitution does not address his own situation that directly.
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If being born abroad to an American citizen is so cut and dried, then why the 8 years of Obama birtherism?
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That struck me, as well. Even some of his own supporters have lingering doubts about this, so there’s no telling what some of the other RWNJ’s think about it.
The really fun part of it is that it can’t be resolved easily. No court is going to issue an opinion about it, absent an actual case or controversy, and pretty much no one has standing to raise the issue, unless some State refuses to put Cruz on the ballot. Legislation wouldn’t do the trick - no statute can just say, “This is what the Constitution really means.” Whether that statute was Constitutional or not would still be an open question.
I’m enjoying this way too much.
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Cruz: All this confusion about my citizenship status will be gone as I will invade Canda and make it part of US. I will let NY state out of union, making Trump a foreigner.
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Even more pertinent is that the Founders clearly felt a need to differentiate between a U.S. Citizen and a Natural Born U.S. Citizen.
If it didn’t matter where the person was born, then they wouldn’t have bothered to create two different terms.
Unlike Cruz’s lie that this is “settled”, this has never been argued nor settled as a matter of law.
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So right on so many levels, MisterNeutron. So right.
Well, not really. If it just said, “US citizen,” then someone who had been naturalized (passed the exam, took the oath) could become President. So if they wanted to preclude that, they needed some verbiage to make the distinction.
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That’s part of my point. Clearly, Natural-Born includes people born on U.S. soil.
Whether a person NOT born on U.S. soil can qualify as a Natural Born vs. Naturalized Citizen is something that has NOT been dealt with in the courts.
And the fact that the Founding Fathers made the distinction makes it important to the Constitution.
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Very valid point.
If you read the recent article in WaPo(also posted at TPM) on this subject, it makes a very logical interpretation that Natural Born is different than an US citizen and Cruz wouldnt be considered a Natural Born based on the culture at the time constitution was written.
Oddly enough Scalia was very strict(only if it advanced conservative causes though) about this kind of thing and he always went with what did the founder mean at the time constitution was written.
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Of course he is not eligible. He’s a Canadian natural citizen. I know he gave up his Canadian citizenship but that doesn’t change anything. Canada is glad to be rid of him. His dominionist racism is an embarrassment.
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Additionally so many other small questions that would be addressed in a court considering his specific question.
- Was his mother still a US citizen in 1970 when Ted was born or did she abandon that citizenship when she became a Canadian citizen? The language of the Canadian oath was very specific at that time about having to relinquish previous citizenships,
- Even if his mother was still a US citizen Teds parents needed to fill out the paperwork to bring him into the US . They just drove across the boarder.
- Being born in another country to one us citizen allows Ted to be a naturalized citizen, not a natural born citizen.???
So many other small oints that need answers before a decision could be reached.
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WAIT just a minute.
YOU were the one saying President Obama (being born in Hawaii to a US citizen parent) wasn’t constitutionally eligible to be Pres. Why now is it okay to be born Canada and be eligible?
You are lying!
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Take it to the Supreme Court!!!
Oh wait…
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To Do List:
Add “Julie Hershey” to the list of people to be audited by the IRS.
Ted
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I am not sure a court has weighed in on it really. Not that it matters too much. I know this has come up for other things though and he is largely right. The Native part is the hard part. That he is a US citizen is not in question. That said, neither for Obama. As he was born in a State to a citizen.
Of course, just to play Devil’s Advocate because I haven’t finished my morning tea yet…
None of our early Presidents were natural born citizens. They were all naturally born British citizens that achieved American citizenship through force of arms.
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He’s self-servingly calling for the senate to refuse to vote on Obama’s nominee to SCOTUS. Curious conflict of interest well beyond the standard must overturn Roe and Obamacare… Would deciding in favor of his own eligibility be a litmus test for Presidente Cruz’s SCOTUS nominations?
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