October 3, 2003

arnold's Amendment

Thank goodness these constitutional amendments have a high approval bar and usually take a while to get the necessary state ratifications:

Now, as Austrian-born Arnold Schwarzenegger chases the governorship of the most populous state, the House and Senate are weighing proposals for a constitutional amendment that would allow a naturalized citizen to become president. But Schwarzenegger's candidacy is only a side issue in the debate.

The question turns on whether a decision by the framers of the Constitution more than 200 years ago remains relevant in today's more inclusive America, one in which the foreign-born population is at an all-time high.

Arnold should be old, frail and limp by the time this gets its final vote.

The proposed amendment does have bipartisan support:

Conservatives such as Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) and liberals such as Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) favor opening the presidency to immigrants. Hatch's bill would allow people who have been citizens at least 20 years to hold the office, while Frank is supporting a House bill with a 35-year citizenship requirement.

"I think it's a mistake to have that in the Constitution," Frank said of the current limitation. "It's reflective of a double standard that somehow immigrants aren't fully equal with people born here."

It is reflective of a standard and I don't thank it is any more problematic a standard then the age limitations. The debate should be interesting and I think I will start out with the conservative position that this isn't broken so we don't need to fix it.

On the other hand what a delicious thought: watching how his rightside supporters respond to arnold's behaviour as president. I suspect he'd make clinton look like an innocent.

Via Body and Soul.

Oh, and go over to Skippy's to see 'a movie poster for ah'nold's latest flick.'

Posted by Steve on October 3, 2003
Comments

And this is exactly why I don't support him. The conversation on my blog got a little interesting--but I thought (and think) it's pretty hypocritical of some of my right-leaning brethren to give Arnold a pass for his actions while having taken Clinton to task for what I consider to be pretty similar allegations.

Personally, I don't like and wouldn't vote for either of them, even though Clinton's policies were probably more conservative than Arnold's would manage to be.

Posted by zombyboy at October 4, 2003 2:02 PM

"Personally, I don't like and wouldn't vote for either of them, even though Clinton's policies were probably more conservative than Arnold's would manage to be."

I certainly agree that neither are worthy of a vote.

Posted by Steve at October 6, 2003 2:14 PM

There's a really obvious difference between the natural-born citizen requirement and age requirements. Age requirements are passed by most people eventually, but the requirement that the president be a natural-born citizen is just another form of discrimination against people for how they were born. (Not the worst form of such discrimination of course, but discrimination nevertheless.)

Posted by Adam at October 13, 2003 4:14 AM

89% of all business owners say that the ability to do the job effectivly is what they look for mostly when hiring. WHy then is the same not true in the US, where we're taught to activly pursue our dreams. I think that if a person is qualified to be POTUS, they should be eligible to run, regardless of race,ethnic background, or sex. Otherwise, we're going against what our Constitution is based upon...freedoms!

Posted by ADAM at November 21, 2004 8:33 AM

Ok there are many things that I would say about this but to make a long story short this is insane. I hear that Arnold is racist toward Mexicans. Now how is he going to try and alow this bill to continue when he don't like Mexican immigrants in the state of California? He is one himself. What is he doing to help them now? Now another issue is legalization of Mexican immigrants. They want jobs too. And in order to keep his he wants what? A proposal that would allow a naturalized citizen to become president. So what about the other millions of Mexicans who need and want jobs? What about the other half of America? What is being done to help them?!

Posted by C. Martinez at December 7, 2004 8:53 AM

who wrote Arnold's Amendment?
when was it writen?
is the amendment pass?
what is the bill number?

Posted by gavin maloney at December 8, 2004 7:47 AM

It's BS to exclude anyone from anything here in the US. We're supposed to be the bastion of liberty and a color, race, gender, and religion blind meritocracy, right?

NOW... That said, I'd like to see Arnold Schwarzenneger dead from old age before we make any changes. The current push to change the constitution is nakedly political. When the amendment is of no value to either political party or any individual is when this fundamental issue of fairness should be addressed.

Posted by IdahoSpud at December 23, 2004 1:49 PM

is it really un american to be of a diffrent country and want to be the president of this one?

i think anrold should run for president. im not saying i want him to win but i think people from other country's and races should be eliglble to run for office.

so go ahead arnold kick some liberal ass

Posted by ryan at February 28, 2005 1:24 PM
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