Politics Discussion

[juanjo]

My understanding is that Cruz was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and retained his Canadian citizenship until @ 2014, so he probably ran for President illegally as he was not a natural born citizen of the US as the Constitution requires. But Republicans are not bothered by such annoying technicalities, as some of them presume that the law applies to Democrats but not to Republicans. On another more uplifting note, on this sad day where former Republican Senator, Presidential candidate and American war hero Bob Dole, announced that he had stage 4 cancer, President Biden immediately visited him. No word from fake bone spurs draft dodger Trump who considers Americans who served our country stupid for not paying off their doctors to give them phony medical letters in support of their applications for 4-F deferments. Is not it clear now why the widow of John McCain endorsed Biden for President. For some Americans country comes before politics.

Rafa Cruz's mother is a US citizen by birth and married Rafa's father in Alberta. His father was a Cuban refugee. There is some question about his mother's citizenship as it appears that when she married and applied for Canadian citizenship, she signed a document renouncing her US citizenship. However, it is very difficult to renounce US citizenship and the process typically used - going before a US Consular or Dept of State official and signing a document under oath renouncing citizenship was not followed. So it is likely that at the time Rafa was born, his mother was a US citizen and he acquired citizenship through her.

His mother did not follow the procedure for registering an overseas birth of a baby to a US citizen. He was age 4 when they came to the US. Rafa did not renounce his Canadian citizenship until 2014 when it was pointed out that he was a Canadian citizen in the press. When it comes to eligibility for the presidency, it appears that Cruz would not be eligible. He was born to a US citizen mother which makes him a citizen at birth but the eligibility for the presidency, unlike that for other offices, specifies that the person be a natural born citizen - that is someone born in territory under the direct control and jurisdiction of the US government. So, he would have to be born in any of the 50 states, one of the overseas "organic" territories of the United States, a territory occupied and completely controlled by the US, on a US military base overseas, or at a US embassy or consulate. Rafa was born in a civilian Canadian hospital in Calgary Canada to parents who were not military or diplomatic personnel of the US government stationed in Canada.

So as I understand the law, he is not a natural-born US citizen as that term is used. That said, the Congress could change the law and claim it applies retroactively. They did that with McCain who was born in the US Canal Zone but not on any of the military bases in the Canal Zone. They did that for McCain because he was liked and respected on both sides of the aisle. The same is not true of Rafa. He pretty much is despised by Republicans and Democrats alike.

 

[tampa24]

He pretty much is despised by Republicans and Democrats alike.

I wonder why? haha

 

[tampa24]

The full back cover of John Boehner's latest book.

 

[tampa24]

The Week

John Boehner rips Ted Cruz as a 'reckless a--hole' on book's back cover

Brendan Morrow

Tue, March 2, 2021, 3:38 PM·2 min read


Former House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) apparently doesn't hold back against Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in his new book — and one particularly brutal quote made the back cover.

The former Republican leader has a new memoir set to be published in April, and Punchbowl News on Tuesday revealed the back cover, which includes selected quotes about Cruz, former President Donald Trump, and more politicians.

Boehner is particularly unsparing when it comes to Cruz, though, saying in reference to the Texas senator, "There is nothing more dangerous than a reckless a--hole who thinks he is smarter than everyone else."

Another quote is about Trump, who Boehner says called him "fairly often" when he first became president, though not as much later in his term.

"The calls came in less and less as his tenure went on," Boehner writes. "That's probably because he got more comfortable in the job. But I also suspect he just got tired of me advising him to shut up."

Boehner also describes Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) as someone who "holds his feelings, thoughts, and emotions in a lockbox," recalls House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) having "gutted" someone "like a halibut," and describes an unnamed lawmaker who "dropped off the couch and was on his knees" on Boehner's rug with his hands "together in front of him as if he were about to pray" — apparently a story about former Republican lawmaker and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows.

Axios previously reported that Boehner has been "going off script" while recording his audiobook, as when he reportedly at one point ad-libbed, "Oh, and Ted Cruz, go f-- yourself." Cruz hit back against Boehner's reported audiobook insult at CPAC, asking, "Who's John Boehner?" Prior to his audiobook dig, Boehner ripped Cruz in 2016 as "Lucifer in the flesh" and a "miserable son of a bitch."


Source: https://news.yahoo.com/john-boehner-rips-ted-cruz-203845647.html

 

[tampa24]

There are some serious claims of corruption coming to light against Elaine Chao while she was Director of Transportation. Allegations that she had large stock holdings in a company that manufactured and procured materials with which to build roads and infrastructure. Allegations that every time she and Trump publicly talked yet about another "Infrastructure Week" (that went nowhere) or just hyped up the idea of building infrastructure...that shares in that company immediately went up in value. Allegations that she was warned beforehand and promised to divest herself of holdings in that company before she took over at D.O.T., and she never did.

There are other allegations that she tried to use her role as an official U.S. representative to get her own family members invited to high level meetings (along with her) to confer with top Chinese government officials. (Presumably to get more business for her family's multi-national shipping company.)

Who could have possibly foreseen an inherent conflict of interest in putting her in charge of D.O.T.? I'm sure we're all shocked that she turned out to be so corrupt in trying to enrich herself and her family as a trusted public servant of the USA. We sure didn't see that one coming.

 

[Jaybifla]

There are some serious claims of corruption coming to light against Elaine Chao while she was Director of Transportation. Allegations that she had large stock holdings in a company that manufactured and procured materials with which to build roads and infrastructure. Allegations that every time she and Trump publicly talked yet about another "Infrastructure Week" (that went nowhere) or just hyped up the idea of building infrastructure...that shares in that company immediately went up in value. Allegations that she was warned beforehand and promised to divest herself of holdings in that company before she took over at D.O.T., and she never did.

There are other allegations that she tried to use her role as an official U.S. representative to get her own family members invited to high level meetings (along with her) to confer with top Chinese government officials. (Presumably to get more business for her family's multi-national shipping company.)

Who could have possibly foreseen an inherent conflict of interest in putting her in charge of D.O.T.? I'm sure we're all shocked that she turned out to be so corrupt in trying to enrich herself and her family as a trusted public servant of the USA. We sure didn't see that one coming.

No! Not Elaine Chao....Mitch McConnell’s wife. This can’t be true. LOL

 

[kgmets]

Rafa Cruz's mother is a US citizen by birth and married Rafa's father in Alberta. His father was a Cuban refugee. There is some question about his mother's citizenship as it appears that when she married and applied for Canadian citizenship, she signed a document renouncing her US citizenship. However, it is very difficult to renounce US citizenship and the process typically used - going before a US Consular or Dept of State official and signing a document under oath renouncing citizenship was not followed. So it is likely that at the time Rafa was born, his mother was a US citizen and he acquired citizenship through her.

His mother did not follow the procedure for registering an overseas birth of a baby to a US citizen. He was age 4 when they came to the US. Rafa did not renounce his Canadian citizenship until 2014 when it was pointed out that he was a Canadian citizen in the press. When it comes to eligibility for the presidency, it appears that Cruz would not be eligible. He was born to a US citizen mother which makes him a citizen at birth but the eligibility for the presidency, unlike that for other offices, specifies that the person be a natural born citizen - that is someone born in territory under the direct control and jurisdiction of the US government. So, he would have to be born in any of the 50 states, one of the overseas "organic" territories of the United States, a territory occupied and completely controlled by the US, on a US military base overseas, or at a US embassy or consulate. Rafa was born in a civilian Canadian hospital in Calgary Canada to parents who were not military or diplomatic personnel of the US government stationed in Canada.

So as I understand the law, he is not a natural-born US citizen as that term is used. That said, the Congress could change the law and claim it applies retroactively. They did that with McCain who was born in the US Canal Zone but not on any of the military bases in the Canal Zone. They did that for McCain because he was liked and respected on both sides of the aisle. The same is not true of Rafa. He pretty much is despised by Republicans and Democrats alike.

Excellent analysis. Though two quick points: First, I believe that the "natural born" Presidential requirement is in the Constitution, which, if so, would require a Constitutional amendment as opposed to a mere act of Congress. See the holding of Marbury v. Madison on that point (Congress cannot by statute add to or substract from the express wording of the Constitution). Second, at the time of McCain's birth, the Panama Canal Zone was under the direct control and jurisdiction of the US as his birth preceded the Panama Canal Treaty of 1978

 

[juanjo]

Excellent analysis. Though two quick points: First, I believe that the "natural born" Presidential requirement is in the Constitution, which, if so, would require a Constitutional amendment as opposed to a mere act of Congress. See the holding of Marbury v. Madison on that point (Congress cannot by statute add to or substract from the express wording of the Constitution). Second, at the time of McCain's birth, the Panama Canal Zone was under the direct control and jurisdiction of the US as his birth preceded the Panama Canal Treaty of 1978

You are correct on both these points. On the first, there is an important distinction. You are correct on the Marbury v Madison case ruling saying that Congress cannot change the exact wording of the Constitution. However, although the Constitution states one must be a natural-born citizen, it does not define what the term means. Congress could change the definition of a natural-born citizen if it chose to do so.

 

[kgmets]

You are correct on both these points. On the first, there is an important distinction. You are correct on the Marbury v Madison case ruling saying that Congress cannot change the exact wording of the Constitution. However, although the Constitution states one must be a natural-born citizen, it does not define what the term means. Congress could change the definition of a natural-born citizen if it chose to do so.

Since the Supreme Court has never ruled on that, you could be right. But the problem is that the Presidency is the one and only office with the "natural born" requirement, and, if "natural born" is deemed to be clear and unambiguous that one must be born in the US, then under the canon of statutory (in this case constitutional) construction, the Court would have to rule that its hands were tied and no other interpretation could be permitted.

 

[kgmets]

P.S. One other canon of statutory (here constitutional) construction kicks in: In interpreting law courts must avoid interpretations which renders words in a law meaningless and seek out interpretations which give meaning and effect to every word in the law. Applying that canon here, since the Constitution permits persons born abroad to become US citizens and run for Senator or Congressman and only imposes the "natural born" requirement for Presidential eligibility, for Congress or a court to permit persons born outside the US to run for President would render the words "natural born" meaningless and a nullity and render running for President no different than running for Senator and Congressman, when our Constitution expressly states that there is a difference by adding the words "natural born" only to Presidential eligibility. I don't see how any judge, liberal or conservative, can get around that. Although over the years the Supreme Court has issued outrageous decisions like Dred Scott v. Sanford, Plessey v. Ferguson, Koramatsu v. United States and Bush v. Gore, so you are correct in using the words " it's possible".

 

[Jaybifla]

For those who have HBO MAX. Check out the new documentary series that came out tonight. Q: Into the Storm.
It’s all QAnon. Those are some sick, gullible dumbasses.

 

[br6205]

Makes them far more dangerous

 

[tampa24]

I shudder to think of how far the Trump cult would have taken hold if he had gotten another 4 years. He loves all of the dictators of the world probably because he wants to be one like them. I truly belive that if he had gotten a second term that he would have tried to get the Congress and Senate to allow him at least one more term after that. A "President For Life" in the United States as it were. He holds no respect for the idea of democracy. And he would rob us blind lining his pockets at taxpayer expense.

 

[Jaybifla]

What a racist cunt!

 

[tampa24]

It looks like the educational system in Kentucky is pretty pathetic. (She was actually born in Kentucky.) How she ever graduated high school is beyond me. Let alone how she got as far as she did in the Air Force and life. It's scary to think they actually might have let her fly our expensive planes. She's a mental midget.

Sure. Confederate traitors who waged a treasonous war with the goal of overthrowing and destroying the United States of America they hated, are heroes in her book. But she hates traitors who hate America. Alrighty then. I guess her high school diploma and some of her other college level degrees are worth used toilet paper based on what she learned and retained.

The gleeful ignorance of it all.

 

[tampa24]

It seems that a Press conference set up by MTG and Matt Gaetz didn't go according to script. In rebuttal to the Congessional hearings today they and other speakers tried to rally support for the traitors, terrorists and rioters who stormed the Capitol building by making allegations of supposed unfair and inhumane treatment of them behind bars...trying to throw out the red herring of calling them "political prisoners" and so on. It didn't go so well.

This is only a partial video. If you want to see the full 18 minute presser, you can follow the link below to C-Span.


https://www.c-span.org/video/?513731-1/representatives-gaetz-greene-january-6-prosecutions

 

[Jaybifla]

It seems that a Press conference set up by MTG and Matt Gaetz didn't go according to script. In rebuttal to the Congessional hearings today they and other speakers tried to rally support for the traitors, terrorists and rioters who stormed the Capitol building by making allegations of supposed unfair and inhumane treatment of them behind bars...trying to throw out the red herring of calling them "political prisoners" and so on. It didn't go so well.

View attachment 28709

This is only a partial video. If you want to see the full 18 minute presser, you can follow the link below to C-Span.


https://www.c-span.org/video/?513731-1/representatives-gaetz-greene-january-6-prosecutions

LMAO

Have you seen the part right after this where that reporter keeps asking over and over, “Mr. Gaetz? Are you a pedophile?” She asked it at least 5-10 times.

 

[tampa24]

I didn't catch that part until you mentioned it Jay and I re-watched it. haha

The freak show carnival of pedo Matt Gaetz and Q-Lover MTG is comical but also pathetic and extremely sad all at the same time.

 

[br6205]

I heard about it on the news, would not waste time watching it. Frankly I find watching news increasingly painful and dropped time devoted to it greatly.

 

[tampa24]

Frankly I find watching news increasingly painful and dropped time devoted to it greatly.

For good reason Br. haha