The bizarre idea that Barack Obama is not a natural born citizen and therefore not eligible to hold the office of president continues to thrive, with an active duty Army officer now joining the fray. The soldier in question, 40-year-old contractor-turned 2LT Scott Easterling asserts that his oath to defend the Constitution require that, “Until Mr. Obama releases a ‘vault copy’ of his original birth certificate for public review, I will consider him neither my Commander in Chief nor my President, but rather, a usurper to the Office — an impostor.”
Neptunus Lex‘ one-line summary of this captures my thoughts: “A 40-year old second lieutenant stationed in Iraq is apparently getting way out of his swim lane.”
Even if I had doubts about Obama’s citizenship — and I don’t — I’m quite clear that military officers are not called upon to interpret the Constitution; they merely pledge to protect it against all enemies, foreign and domestic, at the risk of lives if necessary. Interpreting it is a job the Supreme Court claimed for itself in 1803 and has subsequently become theirs by tradition.
via memeorandum
