Re: SF Gate: Outsiders agog at pick of voters/Utah senator wants amendment to let foreign-born be president

[Eugene Volokh]

Title: Fw: SF Gate: Outsiders agog at pick of voters/Utah senator wants amendment to let foreign-born be president

    Actually, as a non-natural-born-citizen (albeit one who has zero interest in the job!), I'm quite pleased that people are talking about it.  Sen. Hatch apparently introduced his bill in July, before Schwarzenegger announced his candidacy; also, I believe Rep. Barney Frank also supports the bill, and I take it not because of Schwarzenegger.  If the Schwarzenegger governorship is a news hook that would help get this enacted, hey, I'd be all for it.

 

    I agree, though, that it's unlikely that this will get enacted, and I won't lose much sleep over that.  But it seems to me that Sen. Hatch deserves praise for this.

 

    Eugene

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Lynne [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2003 10:59 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Fw: SF Gate: Outsiders agog at pick of voters/Utah senator wants amendment to let foreign-born be president

People laughed at me when I opined that if Scwarzenegger won, there'd be a
movement to amend the Constitution;s requirement that the President be a
"natural born citizen" .  Today's paper reported Sen. Hatch "plans
hearings."
  Shouldn't Sen. Hatch pragmatically wait to see how Ahnold does, first?
("Frist 100 days" is a ridiculous measure, but go with that at least. . .)
Is this just Republican crowing over the results?  Would such an amendment
really have any chance of adoption?
Lynne

Prof. Lynne Henderson
Boyd School of Law--UNLV

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Thursday, October 9, 2003 (SF Chronicle)
Outsiders agog at pick of voters/Utah senator wants amendment to let
foreign-born be president
Carolyn Lochhead, Chronicle Washington Bureau

   Washington -- <snip>   National and international reaction to his
election victory was perhaps
best captured by the governor-elect himself. "Can you believe it?"
Schwarzenegger said. "Only in America."
<snip>
   Only in California, some Washington cynics added, although Republican
Party operatives are already plotting the movie star's potential on the
national political stage.
   Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, plans hearings on a constitutional amendment to
make it possible for a foreigner who has been a citizen at least 20 years
to be elected president. Schwarzenegger became a citizen in 1984.
<snip>
    E-mail Carolyn Lochhead at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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Copyright 2003 SF Chronicle