Texas bill would require birthplace proof for presidential candidates

[TomCADem]

Source: Boston Herald

ORTH WORTH, Texas — A state lawmaker wants to make sure that any candidate on the presidential ticket from now on can show proof they were born in the United States — or not be allowed on the Texas ballot.

State Rep. Leo Berman this week said he’s planning to file several immigration-related bills once Texas lawmakers get back to work in January, including one that requires presidential and vice presidential candidates to prove their citizenship to the Texas secretary of state before their names are added to the ballot.

* * *
"We’ll do it," said Berman, a Republican and a former Arlington, Texas, mayor pro tem. "We’ll do it from now on. If he can’t prove citizenship ... he won’t have a place on the Texas ballot."

* * *
Berman also plans a broad bill similar to the Arizona law, which makes being an undocumented worker a crime. He specifically wants to include the measure to allow law enforcement officials to ask people who they believe may be in the country illegally about their status.

Read more: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/us_politics/view/20100429texas_bill_would_require_birthplace_proof_for_presidential_candidates/srvc=home&position=recent

---

Wow, the neo-Nazi have invaded the State legislatures. "Show me your papers!"

[MadMaddie]

1. They still don't know Hawaii is a U.S. state?

[Cha]

2. Who's he?

"We’ll do it," said Berman, a Republican and a former Arlington, Texas, mayor pro tem. "We’ll do it from now on. If he can’t prove citizenship ... he won’t have a place on the Texas ballot."

Gov Perry of Texas already said the AZ immigration law wasn't for them in Texas..we'll see who wins that one.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4362138

[havocmom]

3. gee, guess they took the maps outta those text books too?

bozos

[Downwinder]

4. So much for McCain's candidacy. The Bush administration

argued that Guantanamo was not US territory, same argument would go for the Canal Zone.

[Yupster]

21. McCain's case was taken up by the Supreme Court back in 1960

Barry Goldwater had been born in Arizona Terrirory.

The Supremes ruled that a US territory qualified as US born under the Constitution, which would qualify McCain too.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

5. He's such a nut even Perry threw up his hands at this and went Whoa! I'm not with him!

Which is really saying something considering Perry runs around with the likes of Palin and Beck without batting and eye. :rofl:

[aquart]

6. Why am I thinking bedbug epidemic?

A microscopic infestation that just keeps biting...

[sharesunited]

7. Does a COLB qualify?

[No Elephants]

9. If issued by a state of the United States at the time of birth, yes. Otherwise, not necessarily.

Did you have anything specific in mind?

(j/k)

[Indydem]

19. Not in AZ

Their law requires a long-form birtch certificate.

[No Elephants]

8. Pres. Obama proved that he is a "natural born citizen".

I think making everyone else prove that he or she, too, meets the Constitutional requirement to be President is a good idea. Maybe the law should be a federal law, though, instead of varying from state to state.

However, Texas seems to be assuming that it has to do only with place of birth, rather than with citizenship of the parents. Since the Supreme Court has not yet fixed the limits of what a "natural born citizen" means, that is a shaky assumption on the part of Texas.

[14thColony]

10. Well if ANYTHING good should come from this

It might force Congress or the USSC to define what a 'naturally born citizen' is. Texas and Arizona are asserting it means born in the United States, but there's no solid legal grounds for that assertion. The Constitution sure never defines the term, and there's just as much legal history to support that it merely means 'someone who did not have to be naturalized in order to gain US citizenship.' I tend to believe the latter is what the founders intended, but at this point it's never been established.

[WCGreen]

12. I thought it just meant that no clones could be president...

Cause I know the same people who traveled back in time to orchestrate the great Obama is really a citizen in name only also went back to seed clones so they could run in the future...

[krabigirl]

13. Well, you can be considered that and born overseas ro

if both parents are US citizen, or even if only one is, but that one parent had to be residing in the US for a specific amount of time prior to the birth.

[14thColony]

15. Exactly

And that's why I think "natural-born" refers to someone who was bestowed citizenship as a birthright, either by being born in US territory or by inheriting it from at least one parent who already had it.

Since US law only refers to natural citizens and naturalized citizens, it also begs the question what's this other third type of citizen who doesn't fall into either of those catagories?

Answer: there isn't one, except in the minds of right-wingers. A natural-born citizen is anyone who did not have to go through the naturalization process.

[pundaint]

11. Is there any humanity in Texas?. Criminalizing a fellow human for taking a job, while ignoring the

low-wage employer root cause of the problem is indefensible. I can not distinguish Texans in the news from tea party maroons. It's just one idiot eruption after another. How is it that they elect so many of these guys?

[struggle4progress]

14. Holy jumpin moly! The Rs is a-skeered Obama'll carry the Lone Star in 2012!

[BootinUp]

16. We must STOP the Socilists!!!! or we are SCREWN!!!!!

they are all now exposing themselves for the nutjobs they are. This is great.

[Beer Snob-50]

17. omg

check out the boston herald story and teh comments at the end. i am embarassed to be called a citizen of this state.

[Roland99]

18. This country has truly devolved.

[Doctor_J]

20. These sorts of things should be considered acts of sedition and war

and dealt with accordingly. Otherwise this will continue right on through 2012.

[Democat]

22. You have to prove that you are WHITE too!

Read the fine print.