Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

August 29, 2008 8:42:18 CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Citizen Glitch Makes Mac Ineligible to Be Prez: Expert

Posted Jul 11, 08 3:21 AM CDT in Politics 

(Newser) – John McCain does not meet the constitutional requirement to be president because he's technically not a natural-born US citizen, a legal professor has concluded. But the expert, who focused on an obscure 1937 law that made McCain a citizen in the months after his birth in the Panama Canal Zone, says it's "preposterous" that the technicality should make a difference, the New York Times reports. “But this is the constitutional text that we have.”

At the time of McCain's birth to a military family, children born to Americans "out of the limits and jurisdiction" of the US were citizens. While the Canal Zone was out of US limits, it was in American jurisdiction. The 1937 law closed that loophole—but too late for McCain to have been born a citizen, the professor argues. Experts concede the professor's hairsplitting analysis has merit but agree that it's extremely unlikely any action will come of it.

Source New York Times

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Citizen McCain Gains Senate Support

    May 2, 08 4:16 CDT
    Citizen McCain Gains Senate Support A New Hampshire man pushing for a federal-court ruling that John McCain isn't eligible to be president will have trouble making his case—but the question of McCain's status as a "natural born citizen" is uncharted legal territory, the Washington Post reports. The Senate voted this week to declare the Panama Canal Zone native eligible, but the measure was a nonbinding resolution. More »

  • McCain, Born in Canal Zone, Dismisses Citizenship Flap

    Feb 29, 08 9:12 AM CST
    McCain, Born in Canal Zone, Dismisses Citizenship Flap A recent media flap about John McCain's citizenship is a non-issue, the candidate says. McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone while his father served there in the Navy, which makes him a natural-born citizen and qualifies him to run for president, the AP reports. His camp recently sought a legal analysis on the matter, and a New York Times article got pundits speculating. More »

  • McCain Switches Gears on Immigration

    Aug 3, 07 5:43 AM CDT
    McCain Switches Gears on Immigration White House hopeful John McCain has pulled a U-turn on immigration reform—backing a new bill which cracks down on illegal immigration and offers no path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already here. McCain had been a champion of a guest worker program and citizenship for many of the 12 million illegal residents, but that position, anathema to the GOP base, alienated campaign donors. More »

John McCain gestures to the audience as he campaigns in Portsmouth, Ohio, at the Portsmouth High School Gym, Wednesday, July 9, 2008.   (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
A non-binding Senate resolution in April declared that John McCain is eligible to become president.   (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
This 1936 file photo, shows John McCain in the arms of his grandfather, John Sidney McCain, right, in the Panama Canal Zone. His father John Sidney McCain Jr. is at left.   (AP Photo/McCain Presidential Campaign)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (1 of 2)

Tags

John McCain  • citizenship  • constitution  • US citizenship  • Panama Canal Zone


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular


Other Politics Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »