Clinton Pledges Voting Rights to Puerto Rico (and Guam)

[AtomicKitten]

Next she'll be promising them all ponies.

Clinton Pledges Voting Rights to Puerto Rico, Too
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/05/clinton-pledges.html

May 25, 2008

You may recall how Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, stumping for votes in Guam, promised residents of that territory full voting rights. Pressed for details, the Clinton campaign acknowledged this would require amending the Constitution. Saturday in Puerto Rico, Clinton told citizens there, "I believe you should have a vote in picking the president, too," per ABC News' Eloise Harper.

Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, but they do not pay federal income taxes and they do not vote in the presidential election. Their representative to Congress is a Delegate who votes in committee but not on the floor of the House. Giving voting rights to Puerto Ricans to vote in presidential elections would likewise require a Constitutional amendment.

The article goes on: Writing at the History News Network, historian Robert KC Johnson writes:

"Perhaps the Constitution should be amended to allow Puerto Ricans and Guamanians to vote in presidential elections. But Clinton has been in the Senate for eight years, and she doesn’t seem to have raised the issue. There’s something off-putting about a U.S. senator first proposing constitutional amendments a few days before the targets of these amendments go to the polls ...

"It appears as if the Clinton campaign is going to come up short, but perhaps Sen. Clinton can work on these amendments in the next session of Congress. Somehow, however, I doubt that she’ll be as interested in making sure that Guamanians can vote for the presidency if she’s not on the presidential ballot."

[stray cat]

1. So is she promising to fight for their right to pay federal taxes also?

[AtomicKitten]

2. nah, just voting rights but only if she wins the nomination

[stray cat]

3. I guess more taxes isn't a great vote getter.....

[formercia]

5. I think that's what the real plan is.

That won't go over very well. PR is probably the biggest welfare nation on the planet. The GOP would love to get rid of that cash flow problem.

[Submariner]

18. self delete

[whistler162]

24. Shrug....

she could pledge a pot for every chicken and it wouldn't make a difference. She's destroyed herself.

[Diane R]

4. I think she's going to want to amend the constitution ASAP; she wants them to write her in, in Nov.

[me b zola]

6. Beep-beep

More full service pandering!

[ErinBerin84]

7. PR voting rights is the new gas tax holiday

[Swamp Rat]

8. unicorns

that can fly :D

[City Lights]

9. Promises, promises, she knows she'll never keep.

Could she be anymore transparent in her pandering? :eyes:

[slinkerwink]

10. Terry McAuliffe said today that all 50 states count. Uh, Puerto Rico isn't one of the 50 states.

[AllentownJake]

11. Puerto Rico

Has been given the chance to become a state several times in the past 2 decades. They have consistently voted it down over the income tax issue. It's probably more complex but Puerto Rico doesn't want to be a state.

[K Gardner]

12. Here was Obama's response when a reporter asked him about Clinton's Promise..

"That's something that must be solved as part of the general status problem. If we are sending Puerto Ricans to fight in our wars, they must have more representation in Washington. But, of course, I can't be making promises if we haven't even solved the status issue. Senator Clinton will have to explain to you all how she plans to achieve such things while ignoring a whole process in the Congress."

[AtomicKitten]

16. maybe it's magic!

[QueenOfCalifornia]

13. Did she also

promise to have everyones carpets cleaned and a free car wash? :rofl:

[Exilednight]

15. Along with a chicken in every garage and two cars in every pot.

:rofl:

[Exilednight]

14. No Taxation without representation!! When they start paying taxes they get a voice. n/t

[FreakinDJ]

17. Don't let a little thing like Amending the Constitution stop ya HRC

BTW: can you promise me $1,000,000.00 if I vote for you while your at it

[Heather MC]

19. That is such a dumb statement because, PUERTO RICO decides if that want to become a state on not

Most of them don't because they get the benefits of being part of the US without that TAXES

duh!! She is sooooooo stupid

[uberllama42]

20. So what?

She is a shameless panderer. I think we all know that by now.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

21. A non-state holiday?

:think:

[CreekDog]

22. but didn't a charter on statehood just fail in recent years?

perhaps that's not what Puerto Ricans want. :eyes:

[Deja Q]

23. Now, about those ponies you mentioned, do they stay crunchy in milk?

Pony-Os



And with rainbow horseshoes!!

[anonymous171]

25. I won't agree unless Hillary also pledges to strip Florida of its voting rights.

Hell, why not kick it out of the Union? Or just sell it back to Spain?

[IsItJustMe]

26. Hillary also made a pledge regarding FL and MI. We all see how that pledge worked out. We all know

how honest Hillary is. You can trust her about as far as you can spit.

[quakerboy]

27. Im all about that

Making them a state will give them all the voting rights they could want.