Listen Up

   Several so-called "experts" have said on TV talk shows that a candidate for president of the U.S. must be "a native born citizen" to qualify for the office.
   Not so.
   The Constitution specifies that a candidate must be a "natural born citizen," which means he or she can be born anywhere in the world but at least one of the parents must be an American citizen.
   "Native born" means that he or she must be born in the United States. Those who are born elsewhere are not citizens, no matter the citizenship of their parents. Unless one of the parents is a citizen, the newborn inherits American citizenship from him or her.
   Thus, a child born to military personnel inherit American citizenship because they are "natural born."
   Those who are born elsewhere and later come to America, where they apply for citizenship, become American citizens under the term "naturalized."
   Thus, Barack Obama is a "natural born" citizen for two reasons: He was born in Hawaii, an American state, to a mother who was a native of Kansas.
   Likewise, his Republican opponent, John McCain, was born in Panama where his father was active with the U.S. Navy. In addition, he was born in the Panama Canal Zone, which is technically part of the nation of Panama for was leased by the U.S. Both his mother and father were U.S. citizens.
   At one time, there was a movement to urge California Governor Arnold Schwarzeneger to run for president. He rejected the bid, knowing that he was ineligible because he was born in Austria and became an American citizen after he came to the U.S. as an adult.
   All of which makes one wonder why current spokesmen are using the term "native born" rather than the correct term of "natural born."
   Is it ignorance, or is there a long term plan to have a naturalized citizen candidate run for the White House?