Conway and Paul differ on citizenship amendment
By Jack Brammer – jbrammer@herald-leader.com
FRANKFORT — Democrat Jack Conway drew another dividing line in Kentucky’s race for U.S. Senate Wednesday, saying he disagrees with Republican opponent Rand Paul’s stance against citizenship for babies of illegal immigrants.
Conway said he supports the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which says “all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
Paul, who has said all laws approved by Congress should point to the portion of the Constitution that allows them, told an English-language Russian television channel shortly after this May 18 primary election victory that children born in the U.S. to illegal immigrants should not get citizenship.
Conway said Paul’s comments about citizenship were a way to “demagogue the issue and kick the can down the road without doing anything.”
Paul knows that pressing for a constitutional amendment, which requires ratification by the states, would be a lengthy process, he said.
“That’s not going to happen,” Conway said. “The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is well settled.”
Paul said in an interview with WTVQ-TV on Sunday that not everyone agrees that the 14th Amendment, which was passed after the Civil War, applies to the children of illegal immigrants.
“Some people argue that the 14th Amendment doesn’t apply to people who break the law to come in here because you have to be under the jurisdiction of this country,” Paul told WTVQ. “And some say, if you have broken the law to come in here, you’re still under the jurisdiction of the Mexican government. And so, there is a question.”
Paul told the television station that those who wrote the amendment could not have envisioned “that there would be a mass wave of folks coming across breaking the law from Mexico and they would immediately be citizens.”
Conway’s comments about the citizenship issue and other topics in his race against Paul came Wednesday after a news conference in the Capitol concerning utility rate hike requests. Conway stepped outside of his office into a Capitol hallway to talk to reporters about politics.
Conway said he “found it fascinating” that Paul gave an interview to a Russian TV station.
“I thought the leader of the Republican Party, (U.S. Sen.) Mitch McConnell, had told him he needed to be doing more local media,” he said.
Conway also was pressed by reporters Wednesday to say if he plans to ask President Barack Obama, who polls show is unpopular in Kentucky, to campaign for him.
Conway said he would welcome Obama to the state if he wants to visit but the president has “a lot on his plate right now.”
“I plan to go out and win this election on my own,” he said.
Paul’s campaign chairman, David Adams, issued a statement later saying that “Conway and Obama are joined at the hip on ObamaCare, deficit spending, gigantic ’stimulus’ bills and lacking respect for Second Amendment rights.”
“Only Rand Paul will work to repeal the health care takeover, balance the budget, end wasteful spending and protect our Second Amendment rights,” Adams said.
Filed Under: Elections • Jack Conway • Rand Paul • US Senate Race
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I think the 14th Amendment, or legislation stemming from it, is what made it legal for John McCain (who was born in the Panama Canal zone) to run for President.
Ironic that people are all crazy about Obama’s citizenship and birthplace (definitely verified as Hawaii, a State in the Union), but not about McCain’s. Sure they were both US citizens, but McCain only technically.
Yes, there is Jack Conway standing shoulder to shoulder with Barack Obama on another issue.
I’m glad that the media is delving into Rand Paul’s views on the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but I’d like them to look into some more relevant views of his.
For example, I would like to know Paul’s views on the 1866 “Judicial Circuits Act.” Also, where does Paul stand on the “Flag Act of 1818″? I want to know how Paul would have voted had he been there (leaving aside the fact that he would have been -96 years in the case of one, -144 in the other). These are important issues.
is this even worth commenting. i guess when you are rich like conway and you dont need a job its ok for illegals to come and take them. And who would clean his house if the illegals were sent home. just another rich blow hard.
Paul, the Canal Zone was considered US territory. My dad’s family was from US and he was born there too as a US citizen. So you think any baby born on an overseas US military base shouldn’t have US citizenship?
Jack Conway hopes you can’t read and apparently the writers at the Lexington Herald Leader can’t. The 14th amendment doesn’t say anyone born here is a citizen. This is the 14th amendment:
“All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
The child of foreigners in America is subject to the jurisdiction of wherever the parents are from. It doesn’t matter if Conway has Obama in or not. He is going to get Obama numbers here either way — about 40%.
William, the only person talking about the Civil Rights act is you. This is about Paul’s view on the Constitution
Wow. So Jack doesn’t realize the Russia interview was done the day after the primary.
Also, McCain’s parents were US citizens. The lady who just ran across the border, she’s not. Also, amazing no one brought up Conway’s acceptance of money from BP, Goldman Sachs, LG&E and Charlie Rangel during the PC.
Jack Tough, you need to read your own post. You just contradicted yourself. You said the 14th amendment does not say that a person born in the US is a US citizen, but it clearly states they are “a citizen of the United States and of the state whereof they reside”
BG, with friends like Charlie Rangel, who needs enemies!??
. Or with friends like him, who needs tax advice!
Another corrupto-crat fat n’ happy on our dime…
So wait, is the gist of Conway’s argument that a constitutional amendment is unconstitutional? Because that is Paul’s position.
The media now needs to ask if Conway thinks it was constitutional for the 21st amendment to repeal the 18th amendment. Since apparently a constitutional amendment to end birth-right citizenship is not allowed by the 14th amendment and all…
The Kentucky GOP pushed Jim Bunning out because they considered him too “out of touch” with Ky. voters. And now they have nominated Rand Paul? Do they consider Dr. Paul “in touch”? Christmas came early for the Democrats!!!!!
Just because someone came to the US and procreated does not give one the right to stay. If that was the case there were be a whole lot of people claiming they could live in the Marriott for free! Seriously, all the bleeding heart liberals claim that you can not deport the parents as it would orphan the child who is a legal citizen and you should not deport a legal US citizen. That is like saying you have to have mercy on a child that murdered his/her parents since he is an orphan. But that is the kind of logic they use.
This article would be more aptly titled, “Conway and Paul differ on Constitution.”
The Fourteenth Amendment was an amendment in the 1800s; the title, as stated, appears to refer to a proposed amendment to the Constitution.
Should Conservatives be up and arms about Paul being a wild activist with regard to the Constitution? Can you imagine Paul sitting on the judiciary committee with these kind of views?
[...] Brammer reports: FRANKFORT — U.S. Senate Democratic nominee Jack Conway said Wednesday he supports the 14th [...]
Good thing we have Rand Paul to stand up for our 2nd Amendment rights just in case they actually get threatened one day. I own guns and I don’t worry for one minute that someone’s going to show up to disarm me. These paranoid gun nuts and those who are out to protect them need to get a life.
All Paul has to do is make conway stand with Obama on all his policies and he is a dead man walking
Conway definitely just lost one more vote.
Conway is all wrong on this. He should keep quiet on immigration issues if he wants to win in Nov.
Will somebody pleast tell Conway to be quiet on real issues. He needs to talk about fighting for you and nothing more. He is hurting himself in an election that he can’t lose , unless he keeps talking .
Seems Rand is more interested in talking about the non-issues than Conway. To date, I’ve not heard anyone at the federal or state level talk about changing the 2nd amendment. Makes good fodder for all the gun nuts out there that contend Obama is going to stomp in and confiscate all your weapons at a moment’s notice. If you really listen to Rand’s rheortic, you’ll soon realize what a loose cannon he is. We’ve had 12 years of no representation in Washington with Bunning; we sure don’t need to repeat it with Rand.
Rand Paul has clearly stated and later affirmed that he doen’t support section 1 of the 14th amendment of the US Constitution. How can he be sworn in as a senator?
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.”
Jack will not win this race because Obama’s numbers are falling everyday and should be quite a bit lower by November with his do nothing approach with the oil spill and putting Conway in the same sack as Obama will be quite easy,especially with the pro abortion stance of these two.
thomas- Rand is standing shoulder to shoulder with BP.
Train05, Jack is in a different position with BP.
http://www.opensecrets.org/races/summary.php?id=KYS2&cycle=2010
Notice he has BP as a top 10 donor.
George, George, George, either re-read or have read to you the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Sit down. You aren’t going to like this. Just because you don’t agree with the Constitution doesn’t mean it isn’t the law of the land. Sorry. Life is hard.
I think Anne Paul, I mean Rand Paul, is on the right track. But I think we need to go further. If you cant prove your family has been here for 200 years legally then you are a illegal alien and should be deported.
Obama is toxic in Kentucky and Conway knows it. I bet he really, really, really does not want Obama here stumping for him. Yet Conway agrees with the Obama agenda. That will come to be known by many people in Kentucky and Conway will lose the election in November.
You do not get to pick and choose what part of the Constitution of The United States that you agree with. The 14th amendment is the 14th amendment to the Constitution. That said illegal immigration is another issue.
But if all you strict Constitutionalist out there are true to your beliefs, you take the entire document, not what you like and pick and choose from that.
Jack Conway is right in supporting the Constitution of the United States.
It would be really nice to read about some relevant issues here. Although I have to admit that the comments make for some great humor.
The 14th Amendment is just vague enough to be open for interpretation. Thats why there have been decisions by the Supreme Court to clarify what the amendment “really means”, as in U.S. v. Wong Kim Ark. More, the framers of the amendment have been quoted as saying they didn’t mean for children born to illegals in this country should be birthright citizens. The thrust was to provide citizenship for the slaves that had just been freed. How the 14th was created and made into an amendment is a story in itself…
kendor ,kendor now now now.. like another fellow said earlier, all Rand has to do is keep talking, and Conway just walks away with the election with no work at all on his part. No need to call in Obama, or Clinton or whatever other big guns (that either blow away someone or their own buddies … won’t argue about that). Rand is just making this too easy. Wouldn’t surprise me if McConnell and his henchmen figure out someway to replace Rand in the election… just look at what the Republican establishment in South Carolina are doing to themselves … they’ve got folks claiming one of the contestants is dropping her panties at the slightest chance of some whoopie.
Actually the Supreme Court has held that children born to illegal immigrants are citizens of the United States, the have debated this in several case such as United States v. Wong Kim Ark (1898), which held children born in the US to non citizen Chinese immigrants, were US citizens, and again in 1982 with the case Plyler v. Doe, and in 1985 with the case of INS v. Rios-Pineda, which the court held each time children of illegal immigrants are US Citizens, thus making it obiter dictum as far as the rule of law.
[...] reform, some advocate wholesale deportation of illegal immigrants and their citizen children and changing the U.S. Constitution so that babies born here are not automatically citizens, and oppose anything they think smacks of [...]
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