Remove John McCain from Presidental Ballot

To:  US Congress, US Senate

* US presidential candidates born outside the US *

"The constitutional wording has left doubts about whether those born on foreign soil are on an equal footing with those whose birth occurred inside the country's borders, and whether they have the same rights."[2] Though every president and vice president to date (as of 2008) has either been a citizen at the adoption of the Constitution, or else born in a U.S. state or Washington D.C.,[3] a number of presidential candidates have been born elsewhere.[4]

Barry Goldwater, who ran as the Republican party nominee in 1964, was born in Arizona while it was still a U.S. territory. Although Arizona was not a state, it was a fully organized and incorporated territory of the United States.[5]

George Romney, who ran for the Republican party nomination in 1968, was born in Mexico to U.S. parents. Romney’s grandfather emigrated to Mexico in 1886 with his three wives and children after Utah outlawed polygamy. Romney's parents retained their U.S. citizenship and returned to the United States in 1912. Romney was 32 years old when he arrived in Michigan.

John McCain, who ran for the Republican party nomination in 2000 and is the Republican nominee in 2008, was born at the Coco Solo U.S. military base in the Panama Canal Zone to U.S. parents. Although the Panama Canal Zone was not considered to be part of the United States,[6] federal law states: "Any person born in the Canal Zone on or after February 26, 1904, and whether before or after the effective date of this chapter, whose father or mother or both at the time of the birth of such person was or is a citizen of the United States, is declared to be a citizen of the United States."[7] The law that conferred this status took effect on August 4, 1937, one year after John McCain was born — albeit with retroactive effect, resulting in McCain being declared a U.S. citizen. However, the question as to whether or not he is a citizen from birth cannot be answered by this law because (1) it took effect after his birth and (2) it does not state that the person's citizenship was acquired at birth, only that they are a citizen by means of the law's establishment (and, hence, at the time the law takes effect). The status of Mr. McCain's citizenship at birth nonetheless remains questiond by some.

WE, THE CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, HEREBY DEMAND THE REMOVAL OF ARIZONA SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN FROM THE PRESIDENTIAL BALLOT BASED ON THE POTENTIAL INELIGIBILITY OF HIS NON-NATURAL-BORN U.S. CITIZENSHIP -- SENATOR MCCAIN WAS ACTUALLY BORN IN THE PANAMA CANAL ZONE, ONE YEAR BEFORE THE LAW WAS CHANGED TO INCLUDE AS U.S. CITIZENS ANY PERSON BORN OUTSIDE THE U.S.A. TO AMERICAN-BORN PARENTS.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Remove John McCain from Presidental Ballot Petition to US Congress, US Senate was created by and written by Eric Matthews (massapequamatt2@yahoo.com).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.