Puerto Rico Narrowly Votes to Become 51st State (And What Has Obama Said About It?)

The Blaze ^ | 11/7/2012 | Erica Ritz

[mojito]

A majority of Puerto Ricans voted to change their ties with the United States and become the 51st U.S. state yesterday in a non-binding referendum that would require final approval from Congress.

The two-part referendum asked whether the island wanted to change its 114-year relationship with the United States and nearly 54 percent sought to change it, while 46 percent favored the status quo with ninety-six percent of precincts reporting.

The second question asked voters to choose from three options, with statehood by far the favorite, garnering 61 percent. Sovereign free association, which would have allowed for more autonomy, received 33 percent, while independence got 5 percent.

President Barack Obama earlier expressed clear support for the referendum and pledged to respect the will of the Puerto Rican people in the event of a clear majority.

[Tublecane]

Actually, it chose between different kinds of dependency. They chose wrong.

[livius]

I don’t think Obama wants PR as a state. For one thing, the myth that Latinos/Hispanics or whatever you want to call people from Spanish-speaking culture are the natural partners of blacks is just that, a myth, and American blacks in reality have very little liking for Hispanics. So while the Dems might corral Hispanics and use them, as they do to any immigrant group, I don’t think Obama is really in any hurry to have a larger Hispanic population in the US or give more weight to one that is already part of the US.

A lot of Puerto Ricans are very entrepreneurial and Governor Fortuno, who unfortunately was defeated, was supporting this. Also, the US already has a very bad history of crushing and “statifying” the Puerto Rican economy during our military occupation of PR in the decades following the Spanish American War, so Obama has his pattern.

[Monorprise]

Think of this is a potential positive, Finally you can say Latinos have a state of their own to look to.

That being said I think it should require much more than slim majority to be accepted into statehood. Such a momentous commitment should not be entered so lightly, less it be exited just as lightly.

[VanDeKoik]

Hawaii has been on a path toward independence from the US

Are you sure you didnt mean to say Califorina?

[Peter ODonnell]

Oh good, another blue state.

[Vendome]

I don’t want to add another star to the flag.

It’s perfect just the way it is.

[Repeal 16-17]

What are the odds this passes the Republican-controlled House?

[rintense]

Funny how they vote to join now that they can get free stuff.

[a real Sheila]

Now they will have to pay federal taxes.

Only if they are WORKING, right?

[Tzimisce]

Cool: more liberal Democrats in Congress.

Just what we need. :)

[Clemenza]

A Third world craphole filled with racially confused miscegenated people, the majority of whom receive the WIC card. The statehood party has both Dem and GOP associates who promise the voters more bennies from the productive White uncle in exchange for statehood.

Ricans, whether in Central Florida or New York, vote for the party that gives them the most bennies. Let the, rot in their miscegenated drain on the US taxpayer of an island.

[sagar]

“... racially confused miscegenated people”

You sound like a southern sheriff from Alec Baldwin’s 60s era TV movie.

[junta]

I’m for Dixie having the same type of relationship that PR currently holds to the USA, without the welfare apparatus.

[Terry Mross]

Why would they want to join this country. They’re dumber than I thought.

[piasa]

NOVEMBER 1, 1950 : (2 PUERTO RICAN “NATIONALISTS” ATTEMPT TO ASSASSINATE TRUMAN; ONE IS KILLED ALONG WITH A SECRET SERVICE AGENT; THE SURVIVING TERRORIST IS LATER PARDONED BY DEMOCRAT PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER)

1954 : (WASHINGTON DC : US CAPITOL : PUERTO RICAN “NATIONALISTS” ATTEMPT TO MURDER US CONGRESSMEN)

NOVEMBER 14, 1968 : (PUERTO RICANS HIJACK PAN AM FLIGHT 281, DIVERT IT TO CUBA-———see APPROACH BY CLINTON ADMIN CONCERNING RELEASE)

1970s : (PUERTO RICO : LOS MACHETEROS FOUNDER OJEDA RIOS BEGINS ARMED CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE USA — See CUBA)

1970s - 1980s : (CUBA BACKS PUERTO RICAN TERROR GROUP LOS MACHETEROS

1974 to 1983 : (FALN AND ITS SPLINTER/SISTER GROUP LOS MCHETEROS WAGE TERROR CAMPAIGN AGAINST US POLICE, POLITICAL & MILITARY TARGETS — See PUERTO RICO, CUBA)

JANUARY 24, 1975 : (FALN TERRORISTS BOMB FRAUNCES TAVERN IN NY CITY’S WALL STREET AREA, KILLING FOUR PEOPLE)

1979 : (LOS MACHETEROS ATTACK ON A US NAVY BUS KILLS TWO— See OJEDA RIOS, CUBA)

1979 : (US PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER PARDONS PUERTO RICAN NATIONALIST WHO HAD ATTEMPTED TO ASSASSINATE US PRESIDENT HARRY TRUMAN IN 1950, EVEN THOUGH A SECRET SERVICE AGENT HAD BEEN KILLED )

1981 : (NYACK, NY?: BRINKS ARMORED CAR HOLDUP BY BLACK MILITANTS [TERRORISTS] MURDERS TWO COPS & A SECURITY GUARD; ITALIAN DIPLOMAT’S DAUGHTER, SILVIA BARALDINI, IS INVOLVED — See PUERTO RICAN TERRORIST GROUP FALN, WEATHER UNDERGROUND[WUO], OBAMA’S FRIENDS WILLIAM AYERS, BERNADINE DOHRN, BLA )

1981 : (LOS MACHETEROS ATTACK ON PUERTO RICAN AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE , BLOWING UP NINE AIRCRAFT— See OJEDA RIOS, CUBA)

1983 : (HARTFORD, CT : PUERTO RICAN LOS MACHETEROS TERROR GROUP ROBS A WELLS FARGO ARMORED CAR DEPOT — See OJEDA RIOS, CUBA)

1983 : (WELLS FARGO ARMORED CAR ROBBERY BY LOS MACHETEROS/FALN-———See CLINTON CLEMENCIES/PARDONS, CUBAN INTELLIGENCE)

1985 : (LOS MACHETEROS LEADER FILIBERTO OJEDA RIOS BECOMES A FUGITIVE)

1999 spring : (ITALIAN ‘GONDOLA WIRE CLIPPING’ INCIDENT : ACQUITAL OF US MARINE PILOT RICHARD ASHBY——See ITALIAN DIPLOMAT’S DAUGHTER SILVIA BARALDINI)..
AUGUST 11, 1999 : (CLINTON PARDONS PUERTO RICAN FALN & LOS MACHETEROS TERRORISTS WHO HAD BEEN CONVICTED OF BUILDING AND PLANTING BOMBS AT 28 LOCATIONS IN ILLINOIS [CLINTON EFFORT TO APPEASE NY ETHNIC VOTERS, UN AND PERHAPS CUBA?]———see ERIC HOLDER) -— “Jesse Helms: ‘The Castro Regime and the United Nations Can Go Jump In a Lake’ ,” Author: Lora Bright, CNSNews, Published: 6/20/00 [prob 7/20.2000]

AUGUST 1999 : (SEC OF STATE ALBRIGHT VOWS TO WAGE AN ALL-OUT WAR AGAINST TERRORISM; BUT CLINTON OFFERS TO COMMUTE THE SENTENCES OF 14 FALN TERRORISTS)

AUGUST 1999 late : (ITALIAN DIPLOMAT’S DAUGHTER, SILVIA BARALDINI, IS SENT TO SERVE HER REMAINING SENTENCE IN ITALY - WAS THE CLINTON ADMIN TRYING TO PLACATE THE ITALIAN LEFTWING GOVERNMENT? - see FALN)

SEPTEMBER 1, 1999 : (HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBPOENAES CLINTON ADMINISTRATION RECORDS IN FALN TERRORIST CLEMENCY CASE)

SEPTEMBER 22?, 1999 Tuesday : (FBI ASST DIRECTOR FOR NATIONAL SECURITY NEIL GALLAGHER TESTIFIES ABOUT CLINTON’S CLEMENCY OF PUERTO RICAN TERRORISTS)

SEPTEMBER 22, 1999 : (FBI DIRECTOR FREEH STATES THE FBI IS OPPOSED TO CLINTON’S GRANT OF CLEMENCY FOR PUERTO RICAN TERRORISTS)

1999 : (VIEQUES, PUERTO RICO : CIVILIAN GUARD IS ACCIDENTALLY KILLED BY AN ERRANT BOMB FROM A US MILITARY EXCERCISE; REAL ESTATE SPECULATORS JUMP AT THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESS FOR CONVERSION OF THE LAND FROM US GOVERNMENT PROPERTY AND STIR UP PROTESTS AMONG PUERTO RICO’S LEFTISTS/NATIONALISTS...)

SEPTEMBER 6, 1999 : (FALN TERRORIST/ CLINTON CLEMENCY OFFER)

SEPTEMBER 7, 1999 : (12 FALN TERRORISTS ACCEPT CLINTON CLEMENCY OFFER)

SEPTEMBER 1999 : (CLINTON FREES 11 FALN -LOS MACHETEROS- MEMBERS - JUST BEFORE NEWS SOMES OUT THAT THEY HAD TIES TO CUBAN INTELLIGENCE AGENTS WITH WHOM THEY MET IN MEXICO CITY)

OCTOBER 1999 : (CLEMENCY OFFER HEIGHTENS TERRORISM THREAT FROM MILITANT GROUPS SEEKING INDEPENDENCE) JULY 12, 2000 : (UN : CUBAN-SPONSORED RESOLUTION CALLING FOR PUERTO RICAN INDEPENDENCE FROM THE USA IS APPROVED BY UN “DECOLONIZATION COMMITTEE” -—see FALN)

OCTOBER 1999 : (WASHINGTON DC: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES : BURTON “SPECIAL ORDERS SPEECH” : CLINTON WANTS TO ISSUE VISA TO HEAD OF CUBAN MILITARY INTELLIGENCE———See FALN)

AUGUST 10, 2001 : (VISQUES, PUERTO RICO : PUERTO RICAN TERRORISTS ATTACK USN CONVOY)

2003 : (US NAVY CEASES BOMBING EXCERCISES AT VIEQUES, PUERTO RICO )

SEPTEMBER 2005 : (LOS MACHETEROS FOUNDER AND LEADER OJEDA RIOS IS KILLED IN A GUNFIGHT WITH US FBI — See OJEDA RIOS, CUBA)

SEPTEMBER 2005 : (AFTER RIOS IS KILLED, HILLARY CLINTON CHICKENS OUT ON PLANNED PUERTO RICO TRIP)

FEBRUARY 2006 a Friday AM : (PUERTO RICO : FBI RAIDS ON LOS MACHETEROS aka BPA SITES; TERRORISTS WERE PLANNING BOMBINGS-— See PROLIBERATED FREEDOM CAMPAIGN)

[piasa]

FALN & MLN terrorists : …..According to a 1997 report entitled "Armed and Dangerous Escape Risk" from the FBI's Chicago office, Congressman Guiterrez is one of several politicians who are former members of the Puerto Rican "independence movement" who "have secured positions within the local, state and federal political arenas and continue to promote the agenda of the FALN/MLN within the confines of their official duties."

[piasa]

This is not the first time state-hood has won in PR. The issue is congress has not voted to admit it into the Union. The reason is the fix apportionment of 435 congressmen. PR would be entitled to 5 congressmen, thus five states would lose a seats. Given that the congress is fixed at 435, states that have disproportional representation would lose a seat. So a state that should technically get 5.6 seat and is rounded to 6, would be a likely choice to lose a seat.

Thanks for that info, it explains a lot. I kew that Cuba always tried to block statehood and encourage revolution for independence but there is the congressional seat issue too, which people tend to forget.

[nutmeg]

Great to see you on FR again, Clemenza! It's been a long time...

Congrats on your marriage, btw! :-)