Amendment XXVIII

The drive to amend the Constitution to allow foreign-born citizens to run for President is picking up steam, and drawing the attention of press outside of California.

I learned a lot from this article from the Baltimore Sun, which addresses the influence of Schwarzenegger on both the proponents and opponents of the amendment.

Today, a national -- if fledgling -- campaign is under way to allow foreign-born citizens to hold the United States' highest office. Supporters expect congressional hearings on the proposal this year.
Long considered quixotic, the effort is taking on interest-group support, money and organization. And although Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has publicly asked to be left out of the debate, it is the political ascent of the governor, who holds both Austrian and American citizenship, that is attracting attention to the issue.

I was surprised to learn that a majority of Americans oppose the Amendment. Even if Schwarzenegger were to be the first beneficiary of the change (which he won't be, because we're going to hand him his ass in the 2006 gubernatorial election), I wouldn't oppose it. It's the right thing to do: why shouldn't a naturalized citizen be able to hold the highest office, if that's who people wish to serve? Given the scrutiny to which a Presidential candidate is subjected, what's the possible down side? After all, naturalized citizens can be in the succession (we have had more than one Secretary of State born outside the US), so why can't they be elected?

As this issue heats up, I'll be interested to see whether Democrats rally against it. We're not people who oppose what's right in order to secure short-term political gain, so my guess is that we won't.

It's worth keeping in mind that there are more than a few prominent Democrats who would eventually benefit — including the Canadian-born Governor of Michigan, Jennifer Granholm, on whom I will admit to having a small intergenerational crush.

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Amendment XXVIII

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