Milbank: Trump ought to prove his no puppet of Putins
After my aunt died recently, a cousin found in her papers the “Petition for Naturalization” that our great-grandfather signed in 1913, 13 years after emigrating from Russia.
The wording on the yellowed page required my ancestor to affirm that he was neither anarchist nor polygamist. The oath continued: “It is my intention to become a citizen of the United States and to renounce absolutely and forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, and particularly to Nicholas II, Emperor of all the Russias.”
The oath differs from the one President-elect Donald Trump will take at his inauguration. But if it was important enough for our nation to require a Brooklyn tailor a century ago to renounce the czar, is it too much to ask that our new president promise the same?
I’m not questioning Trump’s citizenship or patriotism. But it would be reassuring to see him renounce fidelity to another repressive leader of Russia — to demonstrate that he is “no puppet” of Vladimir Putin.
http://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/milbank-trump-ought-to-prove-his-no-puppet-of-putins/
= new reply since forum marked as read
