The fact that it was discussed didn't make it any less idiotic, just as the way the issuance of citizenship or green cards doesn't become any less idiotic to speculate about because people (including you) are discussing it.
It's strains ALL credibility in my mind to believe that someone would make it through all the vetting systems, both internal and by opponents, that a person running for the highest office in the land actually isn't legally qualified for it. It doesn't strain credibility in my mind for this administration to potentially over reach on something, considering there's been instances where it can be argued by pointing at legitimate scholarly legal opinions (the prisoner release) to actual SCOTUS cases (overturning action done by executive branch actors). I get that you may find them on par, but I do see a slight difference...enough to warrant at least a minor discussion, if done with a full acknowledgement that we simply don't know yet and that it's more likely than not to go a different direction.
I looked back at the posts, and you're right. I misunderstood your comments. My bad.
Thanks. And let me be frank...I have
zero issue with you taking a stance that it shouldn't even be discussed. I've said in other threads that I think discussing, and more specifically getting upset about, what to do about his Executive Actions on this matter is kind of irrelevant because we just frankly DON'T KNOW. Until it actually happens, or at least until he publicly announces what he plans, it's all just guesses and rumors right now.
Now, unlike you, I don't see a problem DISCUSSING the rumors...I just don't see a reason to get upset or angry or worried about it because we just don't know. But I fully understand and think it's reasonable for someone to feel like even discussing it isn't even needed.
I've got no issue with you feeling like it's not worthy of discussion....I had more of an issue with you seemingly acting like my discussion of it was a suggestion or implication it was likely, or that it's being done for some reason to push speculation that it will happen. It's not, I'm simply discussing the topic (government shutdown) and relating it to the rumors out there currently (and
everything currently is unsubstantiated rumor).
And it's not "likely something less than that" It's pretty much guaranteed because, as you have pointed out, granting permanent residency or citizenship are powers POTUS does not possess.
Well, see...here you and I disagree. The President has shown a willingness to walk the line of acceptable and not acceptable, generally betting that he'll stay just close enough to "acceptable" that no significant action can be taken against him. My stance...not just on this President but in general...is that anyone that walks the line repeatedly has a legitimate chance of stepping over it at times. While I don't think it's likely he'd do something extremely blatantly unconstituional, I wouldn't be SHOCKED by something that's got some grey in it...such as green cards. While
I personally would very much view that as a step in the naturalization process and outside of the Executives scope, I can absolutely step back and play devil's advocate and see a way of arguing that it isn't *technically* naturalization and thus is within that scope.
So me and you simply disagree on how much of a "guarantee" it is. You seem to be in the camp that would think its like a 1% shot, if not 0%. I'd probably put it closer to a 10% that he does something that a legitimate argument could be made falls in line with the role of naturalization in some fashion. Likely? Absolutely not. Aliens from Mars? Not quite.