Q: Since George Romney (Mitt’s father) was born in Mexico, how was he able to run for U.S. president in 1968?
-- Glenn Bosio, Marietta
A: George Romney's parents -- Gaskell Romney and Anna Amelia Pratt -- were natives of Utah and U.S. citizens, but were living in Mexico at the time of his birth, making him a U.S. citizen and eligible to run for president, Emory law professor Polly J. Price told Q&A on the News. "The fact that your parents are U.S. citizens makes you a U.S. citizen at birth, no matter where you were born," Price said. According to Article II of the U.S. Constitution, "No person except a natural born citizen ... shall be eligible to the Office of President," and most scholars agree that the Founding Fathers would have considered a person born overseas to U.S. parents a U.S. citizen, Price said. "This makes you a citizen just as much as someone born in Texas," she said. Romney ran for the Republican nomination in 1968 but dropped out of the race. Richard Nixon won the nomination and was elected president.
Q: The front of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Metro section on Jan. 20 had a photo of Mayor Kasim Reed. How much did the city pay for the huge city of Atlanta logo for the Georgia World Congress Center?
-- Walt Fairchild, Dawsonville
A: Reed's annual State of the City address at the Georgia World Congress Center was sponsored by Coca-Cola, so the city didn't pay for the sign, spokeswoman Sonji Jacobs told Q&A on the News in an email.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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