Huckabee vows to defy birthright citizenship
(The Washington Times) - Mike Huckabee wants to amend the Constitution to prevent children born in the U.S. to illegal aliens from automatically becoming American citizens, according to his top immigration surrogate — a radical step no other major presidential candidate has embraced.
posted by BP News Bureau | 11:38 AM
5 Comments:
From National Review Online:
Now, I know most of the Republican candidates have changed certain of their positions. But I have to say, when I read this story this morning, I was floored.
Heading into South Carolina, where illegal immigration appears to be the biggest issue among Republicans, Huckabee is going to support a constitutional amendment prohibiting birthright citizenship? Did I not hear him in several debates, including on Sunday, admonishing those of us who've long opposed birthright citizenship, about God's children coming out of the shadows? Is this not the same man who only a few months ago supported McCain-Kennedy?
Romney has explained his conversion on abortion — the day it occurred, how it occurred, and why it occurred. We have to make judgments about the credibility of a politician making a conversion, based on their records, recent statements, and ultimately, character. You can accept it or not. But for Huckabee to throw on the table such a dramatic shift of position from one day to the next, just before the South Carolina primary, without ever indicating such a view during any of the debates or in any of his many media appearances since the beginning of his run for president, is to me as cynical as it gets in a season of cynical acts.
And if anyone is counting, this makes four constitutional amendments Huckabee claims to be supporting:
1. the Fair Tax requires a constitutional amendment to eliminate the Sixteenth Amendment;
2. a Human Life amendment;
3. an amendment to define marriage;
and now,
4. an amendment to end birthright citizenship.
Now, isn't it time that Huckabee explain how he plans to organize an effort to get two thirds of both Houses of Congress, which might include a whole bunch of Democrats, to achieve any of this?
From National Review Online:
Along with his assurances that he will amend the Constitution to eliminate birthright citizenship, he seems to be promising that he'll force the Supreme Court to decide on the issue:
"Huckabee, who won last week's Republican Iowa caucuses, promised Minuteman Project founder James Gilchrist that he would force a test case to the Supreme Court to challenge birthright citizenship..."
For someone who counts Justice Scalia as his "own personal hero on the Court" and who believes that the purpose of the judiciary is not to "make law but properly apply it," Huckabee is treading into dangerous territory with his apparent understanding of Presidential powers and the role of the judiciary. The Supreme Court will certainly be surprised when they get the memo from President Huckabee ordering them to hear a case on a Constitutional issue.
That would be an interesting explanation, though, as well...
From National Review Online:
Mike Huckabee just released this statement:
"I do not support an amendment to the constitution that would prevent children born in the U.S. to illegal aliens from automatically becoming American citizens. I have no intention of supporting a constitutional amendment to deny birthright citizenship."
The Times story looked a little odd from the start; I've never heard Huckabee talk about that idea. But hooking up with the Minutemen was not a good idea for Huckabee. One can be plenty tough on illegal immigration without doing that, and Huckabee is just not a good fit with the group. In Iowa a few weeks ago, I talked to Jim Gilchrist about the endorsement. Why Huckabee? Wouldn't the Minutemen dislike his position on the children of illegal aliens and college tuition in Arkansas? Gilchrist told me that he had sent out detailed questionnaires to all the candidates, and Huckabee was the only one who bothered to fill it out. So he got the endorsement. At the time, Huckabee was looking for any advantage he could get. Now, he might be rethinking things.
From National Review Online:
I don't think it is at all likely that Huckabee will get the nomination. But just thinking out loud: I wonder if the way to improve his chances is not to make peace with hawks and supply-siders but rather to try to appeal to, say, Catholic Republicans who share his social conservatism and less-than-pure economic conservatism. I think the narrow demographic basis of his appeal is much more limiting than his unorthodoxies.
From American Thinker:
I think Gilchrist should probably go back to playing soldier on the border while the adults handle politics.
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