Free Republic

Puerto Rico Democratic Party Chair Charles Rodríguez on Friday called on congressional Democrats to oppose a bill proposed by New York Democratic Reps. Nydia Velázquez and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to decide the territory's status through a convention. "The proposed legislation allows a group of delegates to decide and impose an option. In a democracy, we should trust the people to make their own decisions rather than rely on a selected few to decide for the people," wrote Rodríguez. The Velázquez/Ocasio-Cortez bill has pulled Congress into the island's core political debate, which defines party affiliation at a local level. In his letter,...

AUSTIN — The state's first Hispanic adjutant general took command Sunday of a Texas National Guard at war and on the cusp of profound changes. Maj. Gen. Charles G. Rodriguez, who was sworn in to the job here by Gov. Rick Perry, will oversee a force that now has thousands of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. They'll continue playing big roles in overseas operations for years to come, but changes loom — some of Rodriguez's making and others from planners in the Pentagon. An Army reorganization under way likely will increase the number of women in the ranks, as units...