Not a really good way of preventing "bought" politicians, iwas.

Genuine legal prohibitions against torture are contained in the Geneva Convention which the US has signed and agreed to.  Treaties with other nations are also legally binding on our government and on US citizens.  There are more valid sources for Law than just the US Constitution, even as important as it may be.

There is also the specific prohibition contained in the Constitution regarding "cruel and unusual punishments" which relates in clear way as a prohibition on our Government to refrain from torture.

I thought I should also add that our Federal Government's legal authority for regulating both banks and health care stems from the Commerce Clause of the Constituition.  That is, the Constitution conveys to the federal government the power to regulate Interstate Commerce.  If you wish further information on this check your local library Xiandi or try a library or law school web site.  I'm sure there are good sources of information regarding the Commerce Clause that you can find.

If you're that interested Daiwa try your local City Clerk's or County Clerk's office regarding information for filing with your state's local Election Board.  It would probably be a good place to start.  After the elections when they are less busy is when I would try them.  You can also check with your local Republican or Democratic party office.  I'm sure they could tell you more about it.  I don't know the details of it myself.

I'm certainly assuming so, also, but I wonder why his birth certificate is an issue at all - you'd think 1) proof of citizenship would need to be provided and 2) that it would be a public record that anyone (certainly media) could review.  I also wonder why BO wouldn't just put the rumors to rest by unsealing his birth certificate.

I think the answer to that is rather straight forward.  People's capacity to generate rumors, inuendo, allegations and all the rest of it is endless.  The only thing Obama is required to do is comply with election laws just like McCain.  Also, just like the newsmedia, private citizens can request through the freedom of information act copies of all records pertaining to a candidate's filing to run for office.  Just be prepared to contact the right office, fill out the paperwork correctly and pay the fee for the copies.  They are often not all that cheap to obtain.

From what I can determine, there is no law that requires his compliance. There is only the Constitutional requirement, and of course the diligence of his own party chairperson to validate his ability to run. Since there is no law against not meeting the requirement, then he has broken no law in not doing so. Since he has broken no law, there in no government agency empowered to investigate him. Amazing, but apparently true. This appears to be the reason that the federal judge in Philadelphia, reviewing the case that has been brought to the courts in August, has yet to throw it out as being frivolous and having no merit. It seems that the courts in all this time have so far been unable to discover a valid birth certificate to nullify the claim, even though Obama's lawyers have petitioned four times to have the suit thrown out of court, though never brought a valid birth certificate to allow the courts do so.

Its really more fascinating to watch than a good horse race. From what I've been able to glean, the rule is that if BO wins and is then discovered to have been ineligible to have run, the only remedy is for the Democrat congress to impeach him, which is most unlikely. The downside is that, should he be proven ineligible after being sworn in, no laws that he signed would be valid. Same goes for any treaties that he may sign. Never having had this occur in our short history, the outcome should prove fascinating, for sure. Talk about your American Idol suspense!

As it was explained to me, the only other alternative outcome would be that he does get elected but then the case in Philadelphia is decided that he is disqualified after the election, but before January 21 when he is sworn in. Then the other candidate wins by default. And this might be exactly why the federal judge in Philly is taking so incredibly long to rule on a case which should be cut and dried: he either is or is not eligible. It's so easy to say that he is or isn't eligible: a valid birth certificate is all it would take to end it. And yet so far... silence from the judge. Fascinating!

indeed, the New York Times, though not necessarily the most reliable source, has a long history of being incredibly pro-Democrat, left wing and liberal, for sure. So I , too, am amazed that they would see the failure of our present economy as having its roots in Democrat-based economic policy from the Clinton years. Will wonders never cease?

He chose NOT to take tax money out of the national coffers because it turned out, he didn't need it.  Again, as CONSERVATIVES how are you faulting him for changing his mind TO THE COUNTRY'S FINANCIAL BENEFIT?!

He did.  Here is Barack's birth certificate, which has been a matter of public record.

It's just yet another fact.

Yeah, but, you know, McCain was a P.O.W. for YEARS and could have been BRAINWASHED like in that movie, THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE.  How do we know he's not the commie plant ready to take down the country as soon as he sees the Queen of Diamonds (Sarah Palin's Alaskan Independance Party code-name?!).

You see just how RIDICULOUS this can get?? 

You know, I measure character differently than you do, I guess.  While McCain clearly had the balls of steel and chutzpah as a P.O.W. and I commend him for that, he just did a complete 180 on everything he believed in 2000, just to get the nomination and contribution cash from the powers that be this time.  

So selling your soul to the devil to try and win your one last chance at world domination strikes me as a quintessential example of a FALLEN character. 

I guess, so would dumping your crippled wife for the richie rich you'd been cheating on her with...

...but that's just me.

Nothing whatsoever.

Anyone can send a check from anywhere to any campaign.  Eventually all campaigns have to bounce some of them because they are fraudulent or illegal for some reason - like they came from overseas.  Sometimes they catch them immediately, sometimes it takes a while to sort through them all.

It happens to EVERY campaign from either party and it's one of the every four year red herrings the other side pulls out when they want to take the public's eye off of a scandal breaking against them.

Like clockwork.