Even as President Obama continues to face accusations that he is not a “natural born” citizen due to his refusal to make public his “vault” birth certificate, a new citizenship controversy is swirling thanks to his intention to appoint a foreigner to the prestigious First Dog position. People Magazine is reporting that First Lady Michelle Obama (who herself has been authenticated as a domestic breed), is in search of a Portuguese Water dog to fill the highly sought role.

Among the various parties to lawsuits challenging the authenticity of Obama’s presidency under citizenship rules set forth in the Constitution, the reaction was immediate.

“We have a Kenyan interloper unlawfully occupying the seat of the U.S. presidency and now he wants to bring on a Portuguese Water dog to fill this critical national security post?” shrilled Alan Keyes, who was responding to the developments from an Ann Coulter charity whale hunt for the visually impaired in Wasilla, Alaska. “What in God’s name has happened to this great Republic?”

1st Lt. Scott R. Easterling, an active-duty Army officer in Iraq who has recently gained fame for openly challenging the validity of the Commander in Chief, said he was “sickened” by the appointment of the Water dog.

And in a prepared statement, Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama, who has also expressed concerns over whether Obama is imported or domestic, said, “At a time when so many perfectly good American dogs are out of work or even homeless, I am saddened by the appointment of a foreign national to the post of First Dog. The president should know that this dog will be facing a very vigorous confirmation hearing in the U.S. Senate.”

Although patently un-American, the Portuguese Water dog currenly enjoys 62nd place on the prestigous popularity list of the American Kennel Club, up from 82nd place a decade ago.

According to People’s groundbreaking investigation, the specific Portuguese Water dog that will fill the post will not be formally named until “after Spring Break.”

But the Senate confirmation process could take as long as several months, Senator Shelby warned. “It all depends on the individual,” the senator said.  “Can he even speak English? Can he hog hunt? Will he at least retrieve a newspaper? These are all very serious questions that must be answered.”

This is not the first time Portuguese Water dogs have caused controversies in political circles. In 2006, Senator Ted Kennedy became embroiled in a scandal involving the employment of two of the Water dogs as undocumented workers in his administration.

Both served as speech writers for the Senator and continue to fill that role today, having since gained permanent residence status, but only after the Senator paid hefty fines and narrowly avoided their deportation in a series of hearings before an Immigration Judge.