Thursday, April 28, 2011

Got birther?

John McCain was born at the Coco Solo Naval Air Station in the Panama Canal Zone on Aug. 29, 1936.

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18 comments:

Dan Bushman said...

I knew it!

I knew McCain was a Commie Pinko. No wonder he's so cozy with Herr Castro.

Erin O'Brien said...

***Dear Anonymous Commenters***

There is a problem with the anonymous comment function. Google is supposedly at work on this. In the meantime, you might try the name/URL option. You can cut and paste any URL you'd like and use any name you'd like as well. Try it.

Sorry about that ...

Bill said...

Do you know how many conservatives wish that he had NOT been able to run for president? Count me as one of them.

Joe said...

The Canal Zone was a US Territory at the time. Same as being born in the US.

I am with Bill, too bad McCain WAS eligible.

VideoDude said...

I remember Limpballs saying that if McCain got the nomination, it would be the end of the Republican party. Ann Coulter said she would vote for Hilary in the primary. Of course, both changed their minds and jumped on the McCain/Palin bandwagon.

Erin O'Brien said...

I'm pretty sure Hawaii was part of the US when Obama was born there, Joe. Wonder why that controversy gathered so much steam. Hmmmm ...

As for McCain, there was some discussion over this issue at the time. For the record, McCain has never made his birth certificate public. Of course, no one cared about that. No one asked about what he was trying to hide. Can you imagine the indignant cries from the right we would have heard if a bunch of snotty lefties took McCain to task over this issue? And you go on and read that article. There was some wiggle room there. Someone could have slid a wedge into it if they wanted to.

"Birthers" are simply disgusting.

Oh, and I'm still waiting on the Trumpster's tax returns.

Erin O'Brien said...

Now here is a serious question for you. Joe says, "The Canal Zone was a US Territory at the time. Same as being born in the US."

I know nothing about this and I'm not going to research it now, but I am curious about these items:

-is this true?
-what area did "the zone" encompass?
-during what years was this area US territory?
-were all people born here during that time considered US citizens, regardless of their parentage?

And no, I have absolutely no doubt that John McCain was eligible to sit in the Oval Office.

Vince said...

Technically no. Panama was in control of the Zone. However the reality was quite different, given the isthmus canal was built not for trade but to transfer the fleets between the oceans there was a level of defense establishment not seen anyplace else. And the nearest would have been the Army in Germany. It put the establishment around Manila bay in the shade by a good level.
P.S. my first cousins some of them were born here in Ireland to US citizens. There are no differences between them and you lot.

Erin O'Brien said...

I love being part of Vince's "you lot."

Anonymous said...

There's a typo in your post. It should read: "...in the Panama Canal Zone on Aug. 29, 1836."

Joe said...

Children of American parents born on military bases etc. (such as McCain) are citizens. Children of American diplomats serving overseas are citizens. Children of two Americans born anywhere are citizens.

There were some Congressional Dems who challenged McCain's eligibility early in the race. Hearings were held in the Senate and even newspapers questioned McCains eleigibilty

http://www.clevelandleader.com/node/4553

The flap is that Obama's mother was underage and his father was not a citizen. Couple that with an Indonesian adoption (a President cannot have dual citizenship). Add in a bit of racism and a lot of politics (remember how Dems screamed that Bush was illegitimate even though dozens of recounts showed him winning Florida?) and the birther movement got some traction. The situation snowballed with the President's refusal to open any records -- education, etc. to public scrutiny.

The whole thing was ridiculous. I also think Obama could have saved a lot of grief by just showing the long form some time ago.

Al The Retired Army Guy said...

As I've said elsewhere, who cares? I'd rather see people solving the many problems we have than arguing about whether John McCain was eligible for the Presidency, or that Obama is actually an American citizen (which I believe he is, and also believe McCain was eligible to run for President).

In my experience, every child born to military or State Department parents overseas are natural born citizens. At military installations, most are born in military medical facilities, and often the State Department uses the same ones. I know for a fact that this is the case in Korea.

Al
TRAG

VideoDude said...

Al, we should mark this date in history. I agree with you 100%!

Erin O'Brien said...

"The situation snowballed with the President's refusal to open any records -- education, etc. to public scrutiny."

That is simply ridiculous.

Bill said...

obviously all of the conservatives are birthers because none of us want a half black president. We are pretty much a bunch of racists. We want a white guy or a black Uncle Tom in the white house.

Erin O'Brien said...

A gentlemen with a military background posted this on my Facebook page:

"McCain was a natural born citizen of the United States as is any child born to those employees and service members serving the United States abroad or any child of US Citizens born abroad. No retro - active citizenship is needed or possible. What is issued along with the (for Military) the record of birth in a US Military hospital is a document form teh US Department Of State entitled Record of Birth of US Citizen Abroad. I have two of thes in our files for our twins. Had Mr. Obama's mother given birth to him in Kenya - he would likewise have received throught he embassy the same document recording his birth as a natural born US Citizen from the US embassy or consulate in Kenya. John McCain's citizenship was indeed brought up as an issue by democrats during his runs for President as was Barry Goldwatere's with democrats arguing that he could not be a natural born citizen because he was born in Arizona before statehood was granted. Puerto Ricans continually suffer this indignation because few know that they are natural born citizens of the Untied States Of America born in the Puerto Rican Commonwealth. I have seen some really embarrasingly dumb moments over that by some ill informed and insensitive people."

Anonymous said...

(remember how Dems screamed that Bush was illegitimate even though dozens of recounts showed him winning Florida?)-Joe
The count was suspended. The SCOTUS called time.
Even if they are from World Net Daily I'd ask that you post those dozens of recounts to which you refer.

"obviously all of the conservatives are birthers because none of us want a half black president. We are pretty much a bunch of racists. We want a white guy or a black Uncle Tom in the white house."-Bill

The truth shall set you free.

RJ

Jon Moore said...

Enough already.
Eligible? Most likely.
Qualified? Not so much.
And that applies to both candidates in this last election.