McCain was a 'Zonie'

[RB]

Here is the WP questioning McCain's status as a US citizen (what a joke):

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv...nkie070998.htm

Question: I would like to see Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) as a presidential candidate, but I heard that he was born in the Panama Canal Zone. The Constitution requires that a president be a "natural born" citizen of the United States. Is Sen. McCain barred from the presidency? – Steven R. Pruett, Falls Church, Va.

Answer: John McCain has more pressing worries than eligibility on the road to the Republican presidential nomination in 2000. After his lead role in pushing campaign-finance and tobacco legislation, both anathema to the Senate GOP leadership, the Arizona senator may have to spend a lot of time trying to prove his party credentials before he ever gets to Iowa or New Hampshire.

But is he constitutionally qualified to become president? McCain was indeed born in the Canal Zone, and Article II of the Constitution plainly states that "no person except a natural born Citizen... shall be eligible to the Office of President."

Article II of the Constitution (FindLaw Internet Legal Resources)

Some might define the term "natural-born citizen" as one who was born on United States soil. But the First Congress, on March 26, 1790, approved an act that declared, "The children of citizens of the United States that may be born beyond sea, or outside the limits of the United States, shall be considered as natural-born citizens of the United States." That would seem to include McCain, whose parents were both citizens and whose father was a Navy officer stationed at the U.S. naval base in Panama at the time of John's birth in 1936.

"He meets the requirement of U.S. citizenship in order to be eligible for president," said McCain spokesperson Nancy Ives. (For the record, McCain says the only thing on his plate is his bid for a third Senate term in November, though he is seen as a shoo-in.)

Here are some pics of the Canal Zone in 1936: (Pretty cool pics of the PCZ being constructed):

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...&ct=image&cd=2

Wide variety of Carnival pics, Canal Zone pics, Gatun Pics:

http://www.chagres.com/

[rubberneck]

Coming shortly on the heels of the NY Times smear attempt it is quite clear that they are terrified of McCain.

[The Reaper]

razor baghdad:

Thanks for the llink.

Lot of memories there.

TR

[Shar]

When I lived in Germany as a kid dependent this was the running joke with all of us. Many of my friends were born out of the US, my uncle and my grandmother were born in the Phillipines all because of their father's duty stations.

Again, I think this is highly indicative of the mood of the country that someone could even make this an issue. I'm not a huge McCain fan, but that this gets national attention kinda pisses me off.