The "Arnold Amendment"?It is an enduring irony of the current political climate that Republicans are inclined nowadays to ignore constitutional limits on power or propose radical changes to the Constitution, and Democrats are outspoken in defending the Constitution as it presently exists. This shift in political polarities is dictated by partisan interests, of course: Either party, once in power, seeks to alter the constitutional system to perpetuate its advantage. Such is the case with the proposed amendment offered by Senator Orrin Hatch Orrin Grant Hatch (born March 22, 1934) is a Republican United States Senator from Utah, serving since 1977. Hatch is a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, where he serves on the subcommittees on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure and Taxation and IRS (R-Utah) dispensing with the constitutional requirement that U.S. presidents be native-born Americans. "The natural born citizen's requirement is something of an artifact A distortion in an image or sound caused by a limitation or malfunction in the hardware or software. Artifacts may or may not be easily detectable. Under intense inspection, one might find artifacts all the time, but a few pixels out of balance or a few milliseconds of abnormal sound from another time," insisted Hatch during a recent hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee The U.S. Senate established the Committee on the Judiciary on December 10, 1816, as one of the original 11 standing committees. It is also one of the most powerful committees in Congress; among its wide range of jurisdictions is investigation of federal judicial nominees and oversight of (which he chairs). "It is time for us, the elected representatives of this nation, of immigrants by the way, to begin the process that can result in removing this artificial, outdated, unnecessary, and unfair barrier." Hatch's proposal would allow anyone who has been a U.S. citizen for 20 years, and a resident for at least 14, to run for president. A similar measure in the House of Representatives would permit those who have been citizens for at least 35 years to run for the White House. Noted an October 6 Voice of America Voice of America, broadcasting service of the United States Information Agency, est. 1942. Originally set up as a means of fighting the cold war, the Voice of America produces and broadcasts radio programs in English and foreign languages to other countries in order report: "A number of prominent Americans are barred from running for president, including California's Governor Arnold Schwartzenegger, and former Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright Madeleine Korbel Albright (born May 15 1937) was the first woman to become United States Secretary of State. She was nominated by President Bill Clinton on December 5 1996 and was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate 99-0. She was sworn in on January 23 1997. and Henry Kissinger, because they were not born in this country." For some people, that list offers a good and sufficient argument against Hatch's proposal, which is a transparent effort to clear the way for a Schwartzenegger presidential bid. (It's worth noting that Hatch's idealistic i·de·al·is·tic adj. Of, relating to, or having the nature of an idealist or idealism. i  de·al·is itch to dispose of To determine the fate of; to exercise the power of control over; to fix the condition, application, employment, etc. of; to direct or assign for a use.See also: Dispose the natural born citizen requirement didn't manifest itself prior to Schwartzenegger's rise to power in California.) Interestingly, among those opposing the proposed amendment is California Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein--who almost certainly has Arnold on her mind, as well. |
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