Eligible to Serve?

Part 2 -- Indonesia

by 'tamerlane'


Largely overshadowed by the fracas over BO's place of birth are the ramifications of his time spent as a child in Indonesia. No one disputes that from ages 4 to 10, BO lived in Indonesia with his mother and her second husband, Lolo Soetoro. Yet this fact may well compromise BO's citizenship status and eligibility to serve as POTUS.


BO's Indonesian Citizenship

*As Indonesian law required, Lolo Soetoro formally adopted his stepson;

*Upon adoption at age 4, BO gained Indonesian citizenship and, by the laws of both nations at the time, relinquished his US citizenship;

*BO's name was officially changed to "Barry Soetoro";

*At age 10, BO traveled with his mother to Hawaii, where she left him in the care of his maternal grandmother.


US Citizenship Questions

* At age 4, BO would have traveled to Indonesia on his mother's US passport. Returning to America at age 10, "Barry Soetoro" would have traveled either on his mother's Indonesian passport, or his own Indonesian passport;

* If BO did lose US citizenship at age 4, and had to reapply sometime after age 10, then his status would be "naturalized" and not "natural-born";

* In 1980, when he was 19, BO took an extended trip to visit friends in Pakistan. In 1980, there was a State Dept. ban on travel by US citizens to Pakistan;

* In a TV interview, BO gave "1982 or '83" as the year he registered for Selective Service. BO was 21 in 1982; all male US citizens are required to register for Selective Service by their 18th birthday. Naturalized citizens over 18, however, must register at the time of their naturalization;

* No record exists of a change-of-name application for Barry Soetoro to resume the name "Barack Obama II";

* On BO's application to the Illinois State Bar, under "former given names or pseudonyms," he wrote, "none."


Lack of Proof
BO refuses to release his passport, college records, or Selective Service registration. He has, however, taken some odd steps:

* In 2007, BO cosponsored a bill to clarify McCain's POTUS eligibility. Notoriously uninterested in crafting or promoting legislation, BO nevertheless worked energetically for passage of this particular bill. He also pushed aggressively but unsuccessfully to add wording that would have allowed any foreign-born, naturalized citizen to be eligible for POTUS;

* On MyBarackObama.com, BO claimed eligibility for POTUS under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. The 14th Amendment confirmed voting rights for freed slaves, and states: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States...are citizens of the United States...."


With Intent?

A person can lose US citizenship if they "perform certain acts voluntarily and with the intention to relinquish U.S. citizenship," including obtaining naturalization from a foreign state, or any act "accompanied by conduct which is so inconsistent with retention of U.S. citizenship that it compels a conclusion that the individual intended to relinquish U.S. citizenship." A four-year old dependent does not meet these criteria. But an adult, who retains his foreign passport to facilitate traveling abroad, dodge the draft, or apply to college, is clearly and intentionally acting "inconsistent with retention of US citizenship."

All questions could be put to rest if BO simply produced the documentation-passport, college applications, Selective Service registration-to show whether he retained, or when he regained, US citizenship. It would also be nice to know what his official name is. Yet BO refuses, instead floating trial balloons on the eligibility of naturalized citizens for POTUS.


(Tomorrow, Part III: Too Close for Comfort?)


(c) 2009 by 'tamerlane.' All rights reserved.