You've just crossed over into,... the Twilight Canal Zone

[captainsblog]

I've read a few freaky posts about some right-wing nutjobs' efforts to disqualify Barack Obama's candidacy for the Presidency. Some bizarro going by the name "Atlas Shrugs" (Ayn Rand fanatics always impress me with their credibility) has been posting verrrrry detailed JPEGs of Obama's Hawaiian Certificate of Live Birth in an effort to question his constitutional eligibility for the office of President.

That's right, foreigners, our jingoistic Constitution limits the highest office in the land to "natural born" citizens. Until this shit came up, this seemed like a good thing, since it kept Schwarzenegger ineligible (even though there's a fanciful reference in a 1993 movie to an amendment repealing this provision).

Yet this time around, both of our major candidates have "issues," at least among the fringes.  You can google Obama and "Atlas Shrugs" to find the ones on the Democratic side. Amazingly, though, it's McCain who has even bigger problems getting the job under Article II of the Constitution. And somebody already went to federal court to stop him on those grounds,.... and lost,.... but purely on the issue of standing.

You can read the decision here. (Or here, if that gorram AOL FTP link doesn't work like it never seems to for half of you.)

Mister Straight Talk, you see, is NOT a citizen of these 50 states, or even the 13 48 of them that existed at the time of his birth. He was born in an odd place known, at the time, as the Canal Zone. I remember it growing up from it having its own postage stamps, which I duly collected in my Statesman stamp catalog.

Congress passed a law concerning natural-born citizenship in the 1930s, but Congress, being Congress, fucked it up and did not include the Canal Zone specifically until after McCain's birth. So do not be shocked if someone raises this issue- possibly a Republican who doesn't find McCain to be sufficiently rightward of Attila the Hun. Also be very mindful of who gets picked as the Republican VP nominee, because he (or hey, maybe even she) could well be the name that gets put before the Electoral College if somebody pulls a Root Canal Zone challenge on McCain between now and the real election in this country come December.

If you find that ludicrous, I have two words in reply: David Paterson.

----

The plaintiff in this case has until late next month to appeal. I doubt he will, but even if he doesn't, this decision didn't decide the real issue. That will come after the November "election," from the true electors, or parties on behalf of them, after this coming November, so stay tuned.

Comments

[mayiwrite.livejournal.com]

Is the Philippines in the Canal Zone? May for President!

[captainsblog.livejournal.com]

I'd vote for you. You don't flip-flop; you just wear them to reunions;)