Senator calls for vetting of candidates' eligibility

By Bob Unruh Posted: June 18, 2009 9:46 pm Eastern © 2009 WorldNetDaily Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., says it's the responsibility of the states to make sure political candidates are eligible for the offices they seek, but he's in favor of both state and federal demands that future presidential candidates have a formal procedure to document their qualifications. The relatively strong statement from Coburn on the issue of the eligibility of a president came in a recent letter to a constituent who contacted WND. WND has reported on a federal plan in the U.S. House by Rep. Bill Posey, R-Fla., that would require documentation of eligibility from presidential candidates, and Coburn confirmed he would view that positively. "The bill requires any federal candidates' campaign committee filing with the Federal Election Commission to produce a copy of the candidate's birth certificate," he wrote. "If the bill makes it to the Senate, I will likely support it." Coburn also noted that within the state of Oklahoma, a bill has been proposed that would require "any candidate filing with the Oklahoma State Election Board to provide proof of citizenship by providing a 'state government-issued birth certificate with a raised seal.'" "I hope the Oklahoma State Legislature will give serious consideration to this bill and I hope more states will reform their ballot access laws to ensure federal candidates must affirmatively prove their eligibility," the senator wrote. He said while he believes President Obama "meets the constitutional requirement to be president," he said, "It is each state's responsibility to determine the eligibility of those running for federal office." But the senator also affirmed there are concerns about any "possible violation" of the U.S. Constitution. "As a U.S. senator, I consult the Constitution regularly and strive to make sure my decisions and positions are in line with that decisive document," he wrote. Coburn, elected to the Senate in 2004, is focused on cutting wasteful spending and improving health care and affordability, including protecting the sanctity of life. WND has reported on Posey's plan, including when the congressman was interviewed on a radio program and explained his goal is to eliminate questions of constitutionality in the future. "The last election is over," Posey said in the interview. "I don't think that outcome is going to change. Personally, I think it's futile to go there, but looking toward the future I think it would be reckless if we do not do everything we could to eliminate problems like that in the future. And that's why I filed the bill." [CONTINUE READING]