Constitution 101

“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” Job 38:2
“He that gives answer before he hears, It is folly and shame unto him.” Proverbs 18:13

Many commentators today speak errantly and without knowledge. They report the matter as it suits their agenda or goal. Recently, there has been a push on to try the veracity of President Elect Obama’s citizenship requirements. Obama taught Constitutional Law at the University of Chicago Law School. From the University’s own press release the following applies.

“UC Law School statement: The Law School has received many media requests about Barack Obama, especially about his status as “Senior Lecturer.” From 1992 until his election to the U.S. Senate in 2004, Barack Obama served as a professor in the Law School. He was a Lecturer from 1992 to 1996. He was a Senior Lecturer from 1996 to 2004, during which time he taught three courses per year. Senior Lecturers are considered to be members of the Law School faculty and are regarded as professors, although not full-time or tenure-track. The title of Senior Lecturer is distinct from the title of Lecturer, which signifies adjunct status. Like Obama, each of the Law School’s Senior Lecturers have high-demand careers in politics or public service, which prevent full-time teaching. Several times during his 12 years as a professor in the Law School, Obama was invited to join the faculty in a full-time tenure-track position, but he declined.” (http://www.law.uchicago.edu/media/index.html)

What I am saying is simply (and it must be kept simple) this, someone that taught Constitutional Law would most certainly know what the Constitution says, wouldn’t they? And knowing what it says in Article II Section 1 would they believe themselves to be qualified for the office of the President of the United States of America? What does this portion of the Constitution actually say? The part in question is stated simply (and for the people challenging this (Barack’s eligibility) it must be kept simple…real simple).

No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of President;… Article II Section 1.

What does this actually say? “Except a natural born citizen, OR a citizen of the United States.” The part that keeps turning up missing is the “OR a citizen…” The focus and accent is on the “natural born” part by the (quasi) as it were educated challengers to Obama’s citizenship. Let us examine the facts, shall we? From the State Department’s Website on Citizenship the following applies, providing it becomes necessary!

“Acquisition of U.S. Citizenship By a Child Born Abroad:

Birth Abroad to One Citizen and One Alien Parent in Wedlock: A child born abroad to one U.S. citizen parent and one alien parent acquires U.S. citizenship at birth under Section 301(g) INA provided the citizen parent was physically present in the U.S. for the time period required by the law applicable at the time of the child’s birth. (For birth on or after November 14, 1986, a period of five years physical presence, two after the age of fourteen is required. For birth between December 24, 1952 and November 13, 1986, a period of ten years, five after the age of fourteen are required for physical presence in the U.S. to transmit U.S. citizenship to the child.” (http://travel.state.gov/law/info/info_609.html).

Now let’s follow the timeline of Barack’s mother.

Born:
Stanley Ann Dunham
November 29, 1942
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, US

Moved to Hawaii:
1960 (18 years of age)

Married:
February 2, 1961 to Barack Obama Sr.

Gave Birth in Hawaii:
August 4, 1961, (age 18) to Barack Obama II

All of the aforementioned occurred within the United States of America as Hawaii was a state since 1959. We will examine more timeline information for clarity’s sake.

Ann Dunham Timeline:

1942
November 29, 1942: Ann Dunham is born Stanley Dunham in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Her parents are Stanley Armour Dunham and Madelyn Dunham. Her father names his daughter Stanley after himself because he wanted a son. When she’s 18, Stanley, who doesn’t like her boyish name, starts introducing herself as Ann.

1956
Ann Dunham is 13. Her family moves to Mercer Island, Washington, so Ann can attend a new high school that has recently opened. Ann spends 8th grade through high school on Mercer Island. Ann is deeply influenced by two of her teachers: Val Foubert and Jim Wichterman. Foubert, English teacher, and Wichterman, philosophy teacher, encouraged their students to challenge authority and societal norms. The reading list provided by them included: Atlas Shrugged, 1984, and The Communist Manifesto. Parents on Mercer Island were outraged and tried to have Foubert and Wichterman fired. During high school years Ann Dunham states she is an atheist and that she is not interested in getting married or having children.

1960
Ann Dunham is 18. Her family moves to Honolulu, Hawaii. Ann begins classes at the University of Hawaii.

- She meets Barack Obama Sr. in a Russian-language class. Barack Obama Sr. is a foreign student from Kenya, who has a magnetic personality. Barack Obama Sr. is very opinionated, talkative and passionate. The two start dating.

- Ann tells her parents about her African boyfriend and they invite him for dinner.

1961
February 2, 1961: Ann Dunham and Barack Obama Sr. get married in Maui in a discreet ceremony. Nobody is invited. At the time of the wedding Ann is already three months pregnant with Barack Obama Jr.

August 4, 1961: Barack Obama Jr. is born. Ann is eighteen. She drops out of college after one semester in the University of Hawaii.

1962
When Barack Obama Jr. is 1, his father, Barack Obama sr., leaves the family and goes to Harvard to pursue a Ph.D. in economics.

- When Barack Obama Jr. is almost 2, Ann returns to college. Her parents help take care of baby Barack. Money is tight.

- Ann meets Lolo Soetoro at the University of Hawaii. Lolo is a foreign student from Indonesia.

1964
Ann files for divorce from Barack Obama Sr. and he signs the papers.

Again; all of this occurs while Barack Obama’s mother is a United States citizen dwelling within the United Sates for more than twenty (20) years! And, according to the State Department’s website this also satisfies the requirements if the child was born elsewhere, such as outside of the United States. Either way Barack Obama is a citizen of the United States of America by law and by birth. This at the minimum satisfies the OR factor of Article II Section 1 clause on qualifications for candidacy of the office of President.

It remains to be seen what will happen or where it will end, but it seems to be an effort in vain as the challenge to Obama’s citizenship was tossed from several courts already including review by SCOTUS Justice David Souter. However, as sore losers go, they want their pound of flesh. The current charge and whining is led by Alan Keyes, Senate and Presidential contender and loser to both offices, and World Net Daily, another sore loser website. It’s not about Constitution or about Constitutional Law or they would have challenged some serious violations of the Constitution by the Bush Administration et al. It is personal against Obama! They have tried everything they could to discredit the man and his candidacy. They tried to use subversive propaganda by desperately attaching an appellative to him such as “he is a Muslim.” They tried to paint him as a Chicago thug and connected to questionable people and hard dirty politics; Chicago style. However, to date, it has failed to work. And, I do not think the latest attempt will either. So, what’s left? If everything else fails they will either have him assassinated or try to have him assassinated! Remember who these people are, and write their names into an investigative file as suspect in collaboration to murder in cold blood President Barack Obama. And that will make our job much easier because we know who you are, and where you live! It will not go down like the JFK assassination; we won’t stand for it this time! So, keep track of those involved in this (quasi) Constitutional challenge, and then place them on the suspect or person (s) of interest list! Remember, hatred and envy is powerful motivators.

The GOP Failure: Part Two!

“Righteousness exalts a nation; But sin is a reproach to any people.” Proverbs 14:34

So; where did the GOP go wrong? Actually; where did they go right? The GOP takes the moral high ground but yet they have several office holders during the past eight years (and beyond) that proved to be moral reprobates, and the last two candidates, McCain and Palin are no exceptions to the continued immorality that pervades the quasi moralistic GOP! Don’t exposit morals when members of your party are amoral! In review from part 1 we ended on the amorality of the GOP. So, what about the last two candidates fielded by the GOP for the office of President and Vice-President, what are they doing? Well, McCain is in therapy for his loss (the GOP does not handle losses very well either) and Palin is taking Fifth Grade classes to catch up and be better prepared should the GOP be stupid enough to knock on her door again! For crying out loud GOP she’s a (quasi) beauty queen, and comparatively speaking where does that take you intellectually? Duh! Remember Miss Teen USA 2007 – South Carolina Lauren Caitlin Upton? And these two were compared (accurately?) during the election cycle! Need I say more?

Now, to get back to point as to the loss suffered by the GOP in the Presidential race, some Senate seat races et al. The classic example and criminal mentality of Alaska, can be found in defeated (finally!) Ted Stevens. Stevens although convicted of seven felonies was almost re-elected by Alaska voters. The percentages were Begich 47.76 percent and Stevens 46.58 percent. That dear people is only 1.18%! A very narrow margin! So, Alaska voters (46.58% anyway) are willing to overlook the criminality of Ted Stevens, and that says a lot about the mentality of Alaska citizens. This of course was confirmed by the academic exposure of their Governor, you betcha Sarah Palin! I think the constituency in Alaska vote with their other head, not the one that sits on their shoulders either. So, this is a major obstacle for the GOP, crooks and convicted felon (s) in their party. Remember that McCain was/is an adulterer by confession and also a traitor on record. You want this for your party’s representation? This was/is another problem for the GOP.

What about Mark Foley? Foley the U.S. Representative from Florida engaged in sexually-explicit SMS text-messaging with 17-YO males, former pages. Can the GOP justify and sustain such conduct and still be a viable political party? And of recent memory is that old foot tapping/touching Ex-Senator from Idaho, Larry Craig. Is this the kind of conduct that best exemplifies the GOP? Can the GOP regain their lost political ground with this in the party? Personally, I am so disgusted by the behavior of elected officials at every level in the GOP that I could not vote for them in the last election. And, I have been a staunch Republican all of my political life beginning at the age I could first vote, 21! I could not even hold my nose this election cycle and vote for the likes of McCain et al. I most certainly could not vote for the other party either. I do like President-Elect Obama, however, I cannot concur with some of his political policies or ideologies. His selections for Cabinet positions go beyond reason. How can he tout change while bringing back Clinton posers and wannabes? Do we need a second dose of the Clinton travesty? I think not! I will have more to say next time!

The GOP Failure: Part One!

“Righteousness exalts a nation; But sin is a reproach to any people.” Proverbs 14:34

Well, the dust has settled in the Presidential Election 2008? And, not everyone is happy with the results. President Elect Obama could prove to be a surprise in spite of his stereotyping by the also-ran GOP and its’ stagnant candidates. Perhaps Obama will be a cross between President Abraham Lincoln and Dr. Martin Luther King with the best of each one residing within. One can only hope! Some of the early assessments have revealed a pragmatic individual with great discipline. These are not bad qualities, and not usually found in any true liberal. President Elect Obama is also considered to be highly intelligent, as is his wife. Both of these individuals are Law School graduates but neither was born with the proverbial silver spoon in their mouth with everything handed to them. Their lessons in life were hard, but remembered. As aforementioned, he (they) may surprise everyone and actually do a very good job considering the financial mess they inherited from the GOP et al. “First of all, then, I urge you to offer petitions, prayers, intercessions, and expressions of thanks for all people, for kings, and for everyone who has authority, so that we might lead a quiet and peaceful life with all holiness and dignity.” 1 Timothy 2:1-2

Just where did the GOP fail? On several fronts the answers can be found to this question, the first being a broad and blatant deviation from the proven agenda of President Ronald W. Reagan. President Reagan basically reformatted the GOP into proven workable governance. His rule and correct political guidance if followed by succeeding GOP candidates would have insured GOP domination for generations to come. However, it was not too long afterward that President Reagan’s teachings and work was undone by his own chosen successor, George Bush forty-one. Bush forty-one did the unthinkable as per the Reagan formula for continued success; he raised taxes after promising not to do so! And he then lost the next election cycle to a Democrat candidate. However, the GOP continued to make serious mistakes in their politics and ideals for rulership as per the Newt Gingrich Congressional revolution of 1994, the “Contract with America.”

Under the leadership of Gingrich the campaign was run on ideas and values such as tax cuts, a bigger military, tough on crime and welfare. This campaign gained the GOP fifty-four seats to take control of Congress, ending forty years of Democratic rule. However, according to the Cook Political Report, this really wasn’t quite as influential as the Republicans like to say it is. But these noble aspirations only went so far under the leadership of Newt Gingrich, why? It is said great men have feet of clay and Gingrich is no exception. “Gingrich, who ran for Congress in 1978 on the slogan, “Let Our Family Represent Your Family.” (He was reportedly cheating on his first wife at the time). In 1995, an alleged mistress from that period, Anne Manning, told Vanity Fair’s Gail Sheehy: “We had oral sex. He prefers that modus operandi because then he can say, ‘I never slept with her.’” Gingrich obtained his first divorce in 1981, after forcing his wife, who had helped put him through graduate school, to haggle over the terms while in the hospital, as she recovered from uterine cancer surgery” (washingtonmonthly.com, 2006). “He that commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding: He that does it would destroy his own soul. Wounds and dishonor shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.” Proverbs 6:32-33.

Well the media can always be blamed for the GOP’s failure, can’t they? Another reality check on the recent election came from well respected Fox News reporter Shepherd Smith. “Fox News anchor Shepard Smith, host of the highest-rated evening newscast on cable television, calls suggestions of a bias toward Barack Obama by the mainstream media “preposterous.” His sentiment was aired out during a roundtable discussion on his network’s “Strategy Room” program. During the discussion, comedian Nick DiPaolo said, “The mainstream media being so in the tank for Obama ….” “Oh, please. That’s preposterous,” interrupted Smith. “The mainstream media reflected what was happening in this nation. It did not drive it. The blogs didn’t drive this movement. The media did not drive this movement. Barack Obama did not lose this election. It was his to lose. It was not John McCain’s to win.

“The Republicans had no shot unless the Democrats gave it to them, and they didn’t. And to blame the media is a copout and ridiculous. We are always here to be blamed for people like you who enjoy that activity. We always will be. When the Democrats lost last time, it was our fault. When the Republicans lost this time, it’s our fault. It’s not. The nation was changing. Barack Obama did not lose, therefore John McCain did, and that’s it.” DiPaolo responded, “The major media has been liberal since its inception. It’s years and years of pounding.” “How did George Bush win twice?” asked Smith. “I don’t know,” answered DiPaolo. “[Ex-Bush strategist] Karl Rove is a genius, I guess” (wnd.com, 2008). The media cannot be blamed for this election defeat.

So; where did the GOP go wrong? Actually; where did they go right? The GOP takes the moral high ground but yet they have several office holders during the past eight years (and beyond) that proved to be moral reprobates, and the last two candidates, McCain and Palin are no exceptions to the continued immorality that pervades the quasi moralistic GOP! Don’t exposit morals when members of your party are amoral! And incidentally, where were the Evangelicals this election cycle? Usually they support and endorse the GOP candidates (sometimes reluctantly) but, this time they were noticeably quiet. Perhaps they are fatigued by the immorality within the GOP? I’ll have more to say on this next time.