14-Year-Old Romanian Gymnast for Veep?

"You're a lawyer," my dinner companion declared, "I have a constitutional question for you."

Oh yuk, I never did understand con law.

"The president," he said, "has to be native-born and 35, but what about the vice-president?"

I had a vague sense I'd heard the question before, but I didn't have any nifty law response.

"Interesting question," I sidestepped, "and perhaps important. Chances are pretty good that we will all fall in love with some 14-year-old Romanian gymnast at the Beijing Olympics, and John McCain will want to put her on the ticket for age balance. And geographic."

"Nothing," my companion continued, answering his own question "requires that the vice-president by 35 and native born!"

Beep, wrong. My friend Carlton points out that the Twelfth amendment (we've got twelve?) specifically provides that nobody can be vice-president who doesn't meet the requirements for the presidency. So, the 14-year-old Romanian will have to find other work. Been the law since 1804.

The only residual question would be: where would a seemingly intelligent grownup grab on to such a goofy idea? I really don't know, but here's a guess: there's a paranoid theory floating around the internet that President Hillary will find a way to appoint Vice-President Bill as her vice-president, preserving the dynasty. Setting aside practical good sense, I should think that the Twelfth Amendment pretty much puts paid to that one too (Snopes does the usual efficient murdalizing--link). No telling what you might be able to believe if you don't consult the text.

Justice Black used to carry a Constitution in his hip pocket for handy consultation. Maybe I should, too. Who knows, I might find that the (alleged) "Right to Bear Arms" isn't really in there at all.