international

McCain’s roots "unnatural"?

The United States Constitution states that one of the requirements for being president of the country is to be a "natural born citizen."

John McCain, who will most likely be the Republican Party nominee for president, has the distinction of being the first candidate for the office born outside the United States, as he was born in the Panama Canal Zone to American citizens.

But is he a "natural born citizen?"

"There are powerful arguments that Senator McCain or anyone else in this position is constitutionally qualified, but there is certainly no precedent," Sarah H. Duggin, an associate professor of law at Catholic University who has studied the issue extensively, told The New York Times. "It is not a slam-dunk situation."

The newspaper is reporting that the McCain campaign is taking the issue seriously enough to have a constitutional expert look into the matter.

That expert, Theodore B. Olson, told NBC News, "Although I am continuing to research the matter, there is little doubt in my mind that Senator McCain fully meets the Constitution's qualifications to be President of the United States."

There are no precedents to resolve the matter. All the former presidents of the U.S. were born within the country.

The issue, though, has occasionally come up during presidential contests, the newspaper reported. Barry Goldwater, who was a Republican candidate for the presidency in 1964, was born in Arizona when it was territory, before it became a state. The issue became moot, however, when he was defeated by Lyndon Johnson. In several other instances, potential candidates who were born outside the U.S. were advised that they could run for the office, but none ever came close to being elected.

The matter could end up in the U.S. Supreme Court if someone decides to challenge McCain's eligibility.