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Comments

1. #1
   On April 30th, 2010 at 9:06 am, b-cat said:

   Glenn Beck has been covering this for a couple of days. It is a trap for Puerto Rico.

2. #2
   On April 30th, 2010 at 9:06 am, tomg51 said:

   Wondering what their state motto will be.

3. #3
   On April 30th, 2010 at 9:07 am, letget said:

   I am sad to see this passed. We have enough problems with welfare people here in the U.S. and we don’t need any more. The dc bunch sure need votes I guess!
   L

4. #4
   On April 30th, 2010 at 9:12 am, b-cat said:

   Puerto Rico has always had the right to vote to apply for statehood. In fact, they have voted on the issue many times and have always voted no.

5. #5
   On April 30th, 2010 at 9:12 am, Virginia Patriot said:

   This is another ploy to ensure communist domination along with amnesty.

   DON’T UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION AND YOU FORFEIT IT.

   OBAMA IS INELIGIBLE.

6. #6
   On April 30th, 2010 at 9:12 am, tarpon said:

   Going to get those 60 votes one way or the other …

   Democrats, progressives, liberals — lie cheat and steal, all you need know about them.

7. #7
   On April 30th, 2010 at 9:14 am, b-cat said:

   Right now, PR has the benefit of protection by the big bad US military, but they pay no taxes to support it. They can join our military and immigrate to the USA if they wish. This vote is a trap for PR.

   Always watch the man behind the curtain.

8. #8
   On April 30th, 2010 at 9:16 am, JDinTX said:

   New motto and name change – “Puerto Pobre” – Island of Poor Democrats

9. #9
   On April 30th, 2010 at 9:20 am, b-cat said:

   Statehood application doesn’t start in DC, with the federal government. This whole thing is upside down and backwards. Which is to say it is a leftist coup attempt.

10. #10
    On April 30th, 2010 at 9:22 am, b-cat said:

    Statehood application doesn’t start in DC

    If it did, let’s vote on letting Israel join. Maybe England. China. Why not everybody? Are they racist? You’re not going to let Africans join?

11. #11
    On April 30th, 2010 at 9:23 am, Rogue Cheddar said:

    Oh No! Not WestSide Story again!

12. #12
    On April 30th, 2010 at 9:28 am, b-cat said:

    Come to think of it, why would PR want to join this mean rotten racist country anyway.

    Puerto Rico, believe me. As a Virginian I can tell you that once you join, you can never leave. They will bomb you to smithereens, burn your crops and utterly lay waste to your land if you ever try to leave. RUN NOW!!!!

13. #13
    On April 30th, 2010 at 9:28 am, graysonret said:

    I really don’t think PR would accept statehood. It has already failed before, simply because the benefits of being a commonwealth are much better than being a state. Once a state, taxes will come into play, and I don’t think the people want that.

14. #14
    On April 30th, 2010 at 9:29 am, Hadenough said:

    IMO, the R’s that voted for this should be tared and feathered.

15. #15
    On April 30th, 2010 at 9:34 am, b-cat said:

    They will bomb you to smithereens, burn your crops and utterly lay waste to your land if you ever try to leave.

    PS- We were one of the original 13. This is the land of Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Patrick Henry. The Declaration of Independance was written about 3 miles from where I’m sitting right now.

    What do you think they’ll do to you?

16. #16
    On April 30th, 2010 at 9:38 am, Lindsay said:

    I read that the citizens of Puerto Rico will not have the same options as in previous decisions on statehood. I am opposed to this latest “brilliant” idea by the House, to foster another state onto our already endangered budget, strained economy, and welfare statehood.It is all for the extra votes in the house in November to prevent the GOP from having a majority. If people in Puerot Rico have brains, they will run from this idea and remain a commonwealth.

    The Corner National Review has the best explanation of what is to come, unless stopped by either the Senate. Fat chance of that:

    [Hans A. von Spakovsky]
    I have to profoundly disagree with Alex Castellanos and agree with Ramesh Ponnuru on the Puerto Rico plebiscite bill. I have been working in elections for two decades, and there is no question in my mind that Rigging an Election in Puerto Rico t H.R. 2499, the Puerto Rico Democracy Act scheduled for a vote tomorrow in the House, is rigged to foist an unwanted and unsolicited 51st state on Americans.

    Contrary to Castellanos’ claim, there is nothing “vague” about Puerto Rico’s current political status. And he fails to mention that Puerto Ricans have rejected statehood in three prior referenda. Why is another one needed? Yet this bill would force another vote — and if Puerto Ricans reject statehood again, the Puerto Rican government (which is controlled by the rabidly pro-statehood New Progressive Party) would be authorized to conduct additional plebiscites every eight years, forever — in other words, until they finally get the results they want. There would only be two choices in the first new plebiscite: continuation of the status quo or “a different political status.” If the “different political status” choice wins, then a second plebiscite will be held in which the only choices will be statehood, independence, or “Sovereignty in Association with the United States,” whatever that is supposed to mean.

    As Ramesh notes, no majority is required to win this second vote, just a plurality. So Puerto Ricans could be forced into statehood (or independence) even if only a minority of voters are in favor of it. And the vote is further rigged by specifying that anyone born in Puerto Rico will be able to vote — even if they are not residents. There are more expatriate Puerto Ricans living in the U.S. than there are in Puerto Rico. According to ProEnglish, the cost of additional federal benefits and entitlements to Puerto Ricans if the island becomes a state would be more than $7 billion a year.

    Robert DePosada, a senior adviser to the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders, says that if the NPP gets what it wants in the plebiscites, it will then elect senators and congressmen and send them to Washington to “demand” their seats the same way Tennessee did in 1796 (this is in the party’s platform). The party’s leader and former island governor has said that members of Congress will then be forced to support statehood to “avoid being accused of bigotry against Hispanics.” So the plan is to rig an election and then extort approval from Congress of Puerto Rico as the 51st state.

    Ordinary citizens have already been hit in the past year with an unconstitutional takeover by the federal government of our health-care system. Americans have watched with growing frustration and anger as the president and his party have exponentially grown the government, the federal budget, and the country’s debt in a completely unsustainable manner with seemingly no concern over the future economic wellbeing of the country. Now those same citizens are faced with a manipulative bill that political observers will recognize as designed to create millions of new votes at a time when certain political actors fear their election prospects are diminishing. This is nothing more than a transparent attempt to rig election rules to favor the outcome they want.04/28 05:40 PM Share

17. #17
    On April 30th, 2010 at 9:47 am, Virginia Patriot said:

    AARRRRGGGHHHH!!!

    Eric Cantor, R?-Va 7, voted FOR this.

    November 08 was the last vote he gets from me.

18. #18
    On April 30th, 2010 at 9:53 am, MBuck said:

    tarpon said:
    Going to get those 60 votes one way or the other …

    Democrats, progressives, liberals —

    Dewey, Cheatum, and Howe.

19. #19
    On April 30th, 2010 at 9:58 am, Flyoverman said:

    On April 30th, 2010 at 9:20 am, b-cat said:

    Statehood application doesn’t start in DC, with the federal government. This whole thing is upside down and backwards. Which is to say it is a leftist coup attempt.

    
    BINGO!

20. #20
    On April 30th, 2010 at 10:10 am, ArizonaNeanderthal said:

    That they shall pick up two more Democrat Senators and thus further pack the courts was never a consideration and only racist homophobes would even mention it. But many of us knew this would happen.

    Our 19th and early 20th century voyage into off continent Imperialism (Led by Progressives to the most part) has come back to bite us on the butt. Both they and we would be happier if Puerto Rico and the Philippines were left alone.

    Please America return to our Splendid Isolation and forget this Internationalism, New World Order of cowards and fools. We have beautiful military cemeteries all over the world just full of young men who never had the joy of spoiling their grandchildren. Making the world safe for Joseph Stalin was not worth one young American hero.

    Give Puerto Rico and later DC statehood and the Progressives will be putting Blue Helmets on our young men. That would be an “Intolerable Act”.

    When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

    This is not going to end well, not anytime soon.

21. #21
    On April 30th, 2010 at 10:12 am, Virginia Patriot said:

    I called Cantor’s office and the staff did not have any explanation for his vote.

    This is supposedly one of the LEADERS of the GOP?

    Leading the GOP into oblivion.

22. #22
    On April 30th, 2010 at 10:13 am, thejim said:

    We can’t get these clowns out of office quick enough! It’s one idiotic thing after another, and Yes! Get rid of ther Republicans that voted for it!

23. #23
    On April 30th, 2010 at 10:14 am, graysonret said:

    Once again, the race card will be played and anyone opposed to this will be labeled a “racist”. Isn’t that one of the underlying reasons for this bill?

24. #24
    On April 30th, 2010 at 10:14 am, LaVentanita said:

    Puerto Rico will never become a state out of their own accord, which is the only way this can happen. Residents are evenly divided between Commonwealth and Statehood, and one of the status would need to win with a 3/4 majority for there to be a change. As long as the Commonwealth remains an option in the referendum, it will always win.

    In addition while PR pays no FEDERAL income tax, rest assure the residents pay local income tax that compares to NY state tax. They do pay Medicare, Unemployment and Social Security taxes.

    Thirdly, moneywise, it is in PR best interest to remain a Commonwealth. They would receive less monetary aid if they were to become a state.

    And lastly, the sole reason why PR will never be a state is representation at international events such as the Olympics, PanAm Games, Miss Universe, etc.

25. #25
    On April 30th, 2010 at 10:23 am, Uplander said:

    Trade ya a Puerto Rico for a Kalifornia.

26. #26
    On April 30th, 2010 at 10:27 am, swmntman said:

    …Puerto Rico’s unemployment rate is about 15.9% and 45% of its citizens live below the poverty level …

    Let’s be honest about them paying Federal income tax — only 50% of our citizens pay it now…on which side will most of our Puerto Rican brothers fall?

27. #27
    On April 30th, 2010 at 10:42 am, calgirl said:

    b-cat is right. Glenn Beck gave a thorough explanation for the PR vote. It’s not a question of whether or not PR wants to be the 51st state. Puerto Rico already has voted 3 times on the issue and all 3 times has said, “NO”. This is about the TENNESSEE vote. Our 16th state never went through the constitutional process of becoming a state. The people voted to become a state; wrote their state constitution; skipped applying for statehood; and demanded that their 2 senators and x number of representatives be seated and they were seated…and so will PR become a state the same way Tennessee became a state…But more to the point, this vote by the House isn’t about freedom or self-determination…it’s about VOTES. How better to subvert the upcoming November elections than by having an automatic 4 million votes (supposedly all Puerto Ricans are Democrats)? Oh, and let’s not forget the 4 million convicts to whom the Dems want to give the vote…and also the 12-20 million illegals….talking about becoming a banana republic…and so we will become if the Dems are not stopped…to use a little basketball lingo, the Dems are using a “full-court press”. May God have mercy on us and deliver us from the evil that the people in Washington want to do to us, the American people.

28. #28
    On April 30th, 2010 at 10:43 am, swede said:

    While we’re at it let’s make Mexico a state. This would reduce our southern border problem to the 400 mile border with Guatemala and Belize. Much easier to manage.

29. #29
    On April 30th, 2010 at 10:44 am, NJ-Aviator said:

    Virginia Patriot said:

    I called Cantor’s office and the staff did not have any explanation for his vote.

    Neither Cantor nor Pence know how to fight. The probably thing all they are doing is allow Puerto Rico to decide it’s own fate. What is really going on is the first steps of rigging an election to back them into statehood so the Democrats can have two more Dem Senators and a bunch more Dem Reps.

    Cantor and Pence are playing the “Civil” card or “taking the high road”….whatever you want to call it.

    We don’t have the luxury of taking the high road. Dems play dirty. If we play nice, we’ll get burned. These two clowns just don’t get it.

30. #30
    On April 30th, 2010 at 10:54 am, Hadenough said:

    On April 30th, 2010 at 10:12 am, Virginia Patriot said:

    I called Cantor’s office and the staff did not have any explanation for his vote.

    This is supposedly one of the LEADERS of the GOP?

    Leading the GOP into oblivion.

    Cantor is a metrosexual Nancy Boy and should be completely rejected by conservatives.

31. #31
    On April 30th, 2010 at 10:54 am, Patronedheart said:

    PR’s government is about as corrupt as Mexico’s. I’ve been there, and it’s beautiful, but everything is run down. I asked one of the residents why it was like that and she said the govt. takes the taxes and lines their pockets, so nothing gets fixed. Just what the US needs – more corruption in it’s govt.

32. #32
    On April 30th, 2010 at 10:55 am, scrubjay said:

    We all know where Obama came up with his “57 states” reference:
    Organisation of the Islamic Conference
    The Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is an international organisation with a permanent delegation to the United Nations. It groups 57 member states, from the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia, Caucasus, Balkans, Southeast Asia, South Asia and South America (Guyana and Suriname). These States decided to pool their resources together, combine their efforts and speak with one voice to safeguard the interest and ensure the progress and well-being of their peoples and those of other Muslims in the world over.

33. #33
    On April 30th, 2010 at 10:58 am, Danceswithdachshunds said:

    If Puerto Ricans are too smart to allow statehood from interfering with their cushy protectorate status, there’s always Greece. Think of the olive oil!

34. #34
    On April 30th, 2010 at 11:00 am, Roman Con said:

    PR, listen to Admiral Ackbar: It’s a TRAP!

35. #35
    On April 30th, 2010 at 11:01 am, Roman Con said:

    Oh, and does this mean we have to do another stinkin’ quarter?

36. #36
    On April 30th, 2010 at 11:04 am, southsideironworks said:

    It’s a ploy for the US Government to get its hands on the tourism and rum industries.

37. #37
    On April 30th, 2010 at 11:12 am, Romeo13 said:

    If they vote to change their status, they can then choose to become a state, pursue independence, or seek some other “political association between sovereign nations.”

    So…. will they give the other States the above choices as well?

    And do the Puerto Ricans realize that they will voluntarily take on about 40K worth of National debt per familiy?

38. #38
    On April 30th, 2010 at 11:16 am, TanyaB said:

    When people call you a recist over all of this mess, it’s because they have no legitimate argument. Name calling is all they can do.
    The only reason this government tried to sneak this thing in, is they figure they will have more progressives that will be citizens. That is why there was no warning of any sort that this vote was coming up.
    I heard in time to call my democrat representative. Of course it made no difference.(he used his nay votes all up on the health care bill.)

39. #39
    On April 30th, 2010 at 11:20 am, TanyaB said:

    oops..RACIST not recist!!

40. #40
    On April 30th, 2010 at 1:32 pm, in_awe said:

    Here is Beck’s explanation of the then pending bill:

    http://www.breitbart.tv/house-to-vote-on-bill-that-could-lead-to-statehood-for-puerto-rico/

    It is clear that this is following the script written by the PR New Progressive Party to achieve statehood and “social justice”.

    I wonder if there are any progressives in the White House or Congress that decided that distracting everyone through feints on other legislation would allow this to slip through unnoticed and achieve another step in creating a “bulletproof” Democrat majority while positioning opponents as being racists and anti-Hispanic in time for the November elections.

    Nah, I’m sure it is all coincidental.

41. #41
    On April 30th, 2010 at 2:10 pm, John Deaux said:

    On April 30th, 2010 at 9:22 am, b-cat said:
    Statehood application doesn’t start in DC
    If it did, let’s vote on letting Israel join. Maybe England. China. Why not everybody? Are they racist? You’re not going to let Africans join?

    Ok Sudan, start something in Darfur, it’s our new 59th state.

42. #42
    On April 30th, 2010 at 2:12 pm, cheapseat said:

    The only ricans left on the island are those too poor to get to new york. More welfare queens to keep dems in office as long as the taxpayers money doesn’t run out. Greece it appears has run out of other peoples money to fund it’s socialist eutopia. Can California be far behind?

43. #43
    On April 30th, 2010 at 2:20 pm, WarEagle82 said:

    The GOP “leadership” is simply a bunch of fools and morons trying to figure out how to maintain their status which, ironically, is waning with each day.

    They don’t believe in anything other than preserving their own position.

    They all need to go.

44. #44
    On April 30th, 2010 at 2:36 pm, drfredc said:

    A lot about getting Puerto Rico as a new state is about killing any effort to make English the official language.

    PR has both English and Spanish as it’s official languages — adopting PR as the 58th State means the foot is in the living room about making English AND Spanish the official languages of the US — plus all of the BS that will entail.

45. #45
    On April 30th, 2010 at 3:04 pm, Laree said:

    Puerto Rico is already a protectorate of the US. So this makes it a official now they can vote too Hillary was down in Puerto Rico during the Democrat Primary – remember Hill slamming Boiler Makers?

    http://www.observer.com/2008/puerto-rico-new-american-samoa

    This makes sense if you remember the Obama Administration is full of Clinton retreads.

46. #46
    On May 1st, 2010 at 3:55 pm, Papa Louie said:

    House Votes to Allow Puerto Rico to Become 59th State
    Or would Puerto Rico be the 58th state?

    Neither. If you listen carefully, Obama mentions 60 states: 57 states that he has already visited with one left to go, plus Hawaii and Alaska, which his staff will not let him visit. So Puerto Rico will become the 61st state according to Obama’s reckoning.

47. #47
    On May 2nd, 2010 at 1:34 am, 11B said:

    This is ridiculous that we did not let Puerto Rico have its independence 100 years ago. Why on Earth did we take a Spanish possession and essentially make it ours? The people are culturally Spanish and had nothing in common with the Anglosphere.

    Taking vast, empty land contiguous to the US during the 1800s made sense as the nation grew. Trying to take Spanish possessions like the Philippines and Puerto Rico did not. I hope the people of Puerto Rico choose independence and chart their own course.

48. #48
    On May 4th, 2010 at 6:53 pm, valleygreaser said:

    I have a suggestion that would allow statehood for Puerto Rico without having to go to the trouble of changing the number of stars on the flag: Statehood for Puerto Rico and independence for Virginia!