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Obama's Eligibility Diversion
American Thinker
Cindy Simpson
2/14/2012
Excerpt:
"Having followed the Obama "natural born" citizenship quandary since its inception, I had always viewed the controversy over Obama's birthplace and other records as a diversion from the real issue: Obama's dual citizenship precluded his constitutional eligibility.
My position was also influenced by my desire to elevate discussion on the inextricably related issue of birthright citizenship as a key component in effective immigration reform. Birthright citizenship is the practice of conferring U.S. citizenship to every baby born on U.S. soil, regardless of the nationality, domicile, or legal status of its parents.
The practice, seen by many as an illegal immigration magnet, also often results in the dilemma of double allegiance, a "supra-citizen" status held by millions of Americans. Although the State Department rarely enforces its policies discouraging dual citizenship, it does recognize its security clearance implications. And the department confirmed that Obama was born a dual citizen.
Citizenship, its rights and responsibilities, and presidential eligibility are more than merely "rinky-dink" technicalities. Polls consistently reflect both the nation's overwhelming desire for immigration reform and the fact that many still have "natural born" eligibility questions.
Following the Georgia eligibility challenges, the mainstream media had been forced to note another symptom of what they pejoratively refer to as "birtherism," since two of the three challenges centered not on Obama's birthplace, but on constitutional law and Supreme Court precedent. Most of the media, however, concluded that "birthers" merely switched their argument, after Obama released his long-form birth certificate last April, to his dual citizenship. I can personally attest that is not true, although I recognize that some so-called "birthers" do focus primarily on either the documents issue or the constitutional debate.
Whatever the opinion, many are beginning to note that the entire spectrum of questions points to the most troubling realization of all: the lack of transparency of Obama, the arrogant attitude of this administration toward the rule of law, and the support and complacency of the mainstream media.
What little mainstream attention was given to the Georgia event still primarily covered the challenge led by California attorney Orly Taitz. The others, represented by attorneys Van Irion and J. Mark Hatfield, which centered on the less sensational issues of statutory construction and the law, were for the most part completely ignored. As was the unseemly fact that Obama and his attorney turned their backs on the judiciary of a state.
Taitz, crowned by the media as the "birther queen," entered her evidence in the Georgia hearing items such as the anomalies of Obama's posted birth certificate and Connecticut Social Security number. The Soviet-born Taitz, however, inexperienced in a courtroom and suffering somewhat from a language barrier, perhaps has not been the most effective representative in presenting what truly are very interesting facts and significant unknowns about this president.
In fact, there are so many curious items in Obama's history and adventures in the "birthers'" quest to obtain more information that anyone attempting to recount it all ends up sounding like a loon. Many have scoffed at the level of conspiracy or collusion required to create such a fascinating and frustrating trail. But does the consistent pattern of unknowns suggest that maybe there really is something there?
Is Obama's dual citizenship perhaps a distraction (even though a valid point of constitutional law) to the issue of his unusual and undocumented past, rather than the other way around?
Our legal system has evaded the question of Obama's constitutional eligibility, and even when legitimate attempts were made to force the issue, as in Georgia, Obama simply turned his back and walked away. And Georgia's judiciary and secretary of state apparently got the message.
Besides, according to the media, popular opinion has ruled that everyone born in the U.S. is a natural born citizen, and to argue otherwise is the stuff of racism or crazy "birtherism."
Academia shrugged. Congress paid no attention. Conservative pundits failed to acknowledge the importance of either the question of Obama's constitutional eligibility or his elusive past.
And in Georgia, the mainstream media orchestrated a blackout."
View the complete article at:
http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/...diversion.html
American Thinker
Cindy Simpson
2/14/2012
Excerpt:
"Having followed the Obama "natural born" citizenship quandary since its inception, I had always viewed the controversy over Obama's birthplace and other records as a diversion from the real issue: Obama's dual citizenship precluded his constitutional eligibility.
My position was also influenced by my desire to elevate discussion on the inextricably related issue of birthright citizenship as a key component in effective immigration reform. Birthright citizenship is the practice of conferring U.S. citizenship to every baby born on U.S. soil, regardless of the nationality, domicile, or legal status of its parents.
The practice, seen by many as an illegal immigration magnet, also often results in the dilemma of double allegiance, a "supra-citizen" status held by millions of Americans. Although the State Department rarely enforces its policies discouraging dual citizenship, it does recognize its security clearance implications. And the department confirmed that Obama was born a dual citizen.
Citizenship, its rights and responsibilities, and presidential eligibility are more than merely "rinky-dink" technicalities. Polls consistently reflect both the nation's overwhelming desire for immigration reform and the fact that many still have "natural born" eligibility questions.
Following the Georgia eligibility challenges, the mainstream media had been forced to note another symptom of what they pejoratively refer to as "birtherism," since two of the three challenges centered not on Obama's birthplace, but on constitutional law and Supreme Court precedent. Most of the media, however, concluded that "birthers" merely switched their argument, after Obama released his long-form birth certificate last April, to his dual citizenship. I can personally attest that is not true, although I recognize that some so-called "birthers" do focus primarily on either the documents issue or the constitutional debate.
Whatever the opinion, many are beginning to note that the entire spectrum of questions points to the most troubling realization of all: the lack of transparency of Obama, the arrogant attitude of this administration toward the rule of law, and the support and complacency of the mainstream media.
What little mainstream attention was given to the Georgia event still primarily covered the challenge led by California attorney Orly Taitz. The others, represented by attorneys Van Irion and J. Mark Hatfield, which centered on the less sensational issues of statutory construction and the law, were for the most part completely ignored. As was the unseemly fact that Obama and his attorney turned their backs on the judiciary of a state.
Taitz, crowned by the media as the "birther queen," entered her evidence in the Georgia hearing items such as the anomalies of Obama's posted birth certificate and Connecticut Social Security number. The Soviet-born Taitz, however, inexperienced in a courtroom and suffering somewhat from a language barrier, perhaps has not been the most effective representative in presenting what truly are very interesting facts and significant unknowns about this president.
In fact, there are so many curious items in Obama's history and adventures in the "birthers'" quest to obtain more information that anyone attempting to recount it all ends up sounding like a loon. Many have scoffed at the level of conspiracy or collusion required to create such a fascinating and frustrating trail. But does the consistent pattern of unknowns suggest that maybe there really is something there?
Is Obama's dual citizenship perhaps a distraction (even though a valid point of constitutional law) to the issue of his unusual and undocumented past, rather than the other way around?
Our legal system has evaded the question of Obama's constitutional eligibility, and even when legitimate attempts were made to force the issue, as in Georgia, Obama simply turned his back and walked away. And Georgia's judiciary and secretary of state apparently got the message.
Besides, according to the media, popular opinion has ruled that everyone born in the U.S. is a natural born citizen, and to argue otherwise is the stuff of racism or crazy "birtherism."
Academia shrugged. Congress paid no attention. Conservative pundits failed to acknowledge the importance of either the question of Obama's constitutional eligibility or his elusive past.
And in Georgia, the mainstream media orchestrated a blackout."
View the complete article at:
http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/...diversion.html