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I hardly think that Hatch is terribly
interested in having a President Schwarzenegger. If there is a hidden
agenda, it's probably just making his wing seem more welcoming to legal
immigrant citizens -- which, as hidden agendas go, is a perfectly fine
one.
It's a good idea to enact this amendment simply because it's a
good idea to get rid of all pointless discriminations, and this is indeed seems
pretty pointless in this day and age. It makes perfect sense in many
situations to distinguish noncitizens from citizens, and illegal immigrants from
legal ones. I didn't vote for Prop. 187, but it surely is a very different
matter from the limitation on citizens (even longstanding citizens) becoming
President. It even makes sense to sometimes consider the place that
someone was born; I would expect that if the Cold War was still on, and I was
applying for some high government job, they'd investigate me a bit more closely
given that I was born in the USSR. But I don't really see any good reason
to distinguish native-born citizens as a class from non-native-born ones; so
rejecting this prohibition, and reaffirming that naturalized citizens are
first-class citizens, would be nice.
But as I said, I'm not going to lose much sleep over it; and, no,
I'm not the least bit demoralized by the presence of this tiny restriction
(though I would be pleased to see it rejected).
Eugene
-----Original Message-----
From: Lynne
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2003 12:25
PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: SF Gate:
Outsiders agog at pick of voters/Utah senator wants amendment to let
foreign-born be president
Surely Sen. Hatch had
someone/something in mind when he introduced the bill--these things do
not spring out of nowhere, any more than the boomlets on the 22d Amendment
do.
But
I am glad Eugene is interested in the topic! what justifications
would there be, and why is it a good idea ? I am speaking from
total ignorance on the arguments for and against in constitutional
thinking. Is it Simply to "fix" presidential succession, or
because we are no longer mistrustful of immigrants (*that* hardly seems to be
true--Immigrants from Muslim contries these days, Schwarzeneggger may revive
Prop 187 ) or what? Is it demoralizing to be an immigrant and grow up
knowing you cannot be president of the US? That sounds like a reason not
to discriminate, but ar ethere other considerations/constitutional arguments
in support of abandoning the requirement?
Sincerely
Lynne
Prof. Lynne Henderson
Boyd School of Law--UNLV
4505 Maryland
Pkwy
Box 451003
Las Vegas, NV 89154
702-895-2625
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2003 8:19
AM
Subject: Re: 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
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This article was sent to you by someone who found it on
SF Gate.
The original article can be found on
SFGate.com here:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/10/09/MN255674.DTL
----------------------------------------------------------------------
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]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2003 SF Chronicle
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