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« Still No Clinton Campaign Answer on Guam | Main | Hillary's Horse »
Clinton's Guam Stance Explained: Amend the Constitution
May 03, 2008 6:00 PM
The ever-helpful Mo Elleithee of the Clinton campaign explains his boss's pledge to the citizens of Guam (pre-caucus) to bestow upon them full voting rights.
(One of my questions below, I should point out, was in error -- residents of Guam are already U.S. citizens. It's Samoans who are U.S. nationals eligible for citizenship -- not citizens of Guam. My bad.)
In any case, Elleithee explains that Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., "believes that every American citizen should be able to vote for the president and have their vote count. Citizens should have representation in the executive branch of their national government. Territories send young men and women to serve in the U.S. military, and they should have a say in who is their commander in chief."
That said, Elleithee writes, Clinton "has not advocated a particular method for getting this done, but it would likely mean an amendment to the Constitution. (Recall that D.C. citizens got the right to vote for president without statehood through the 23rd amendment.) In the case of Puerto Rico, in particular, it could also mean statehood if a majority of Puerto Ricans choose that option among Puerto Rico's various status options. (Please see her policy statement on Puerto Rico, which is on her Web site.)"
Clinton has co-sponsored the D.C. House Voting Rights Act of 2007, which would bestow upon the citizens of D.C. a full voting member of the House (Eleanor Holmes Norton is a delegate and can vote in committee but not on the floor of the House, as with the delegates from Guam, etc.)
Clinton "believes in a similar principle for the territories -- they should have a voting voice in the House of Representatives -- and will work with Congress to figure out the best way to make that happen so that the people of the territories are properly represented."
Of course, that does not necessarily mean a "voting voice" in the House, since these are small territories, much smaller than even the smallest state -- Guam's population is just over 150,000. So, a full voting representative for each territory would be out of proportion to the population.
- jpt
May 3, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (20)
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This problem needs to be fixed.
If you are an American born in Ohio, for instance, and you move to Puerto Rico, which is part of the US, **YOU** lose your right to vote for President.
But, if you move to France, you can still vote for President.
This is wrong and it's a mess.
Posted by: Fix it Now | May 5, 2008 1:35:01 PM
"We'll work with the Congress to figure out a way to make this happen."
What a frightening comment.
When will D.C. politicians remember that without the consent of the governed (which is expressed by amending the Constitution) they have no power to do anything of the sort.
For someone running for an office which would require her to swear to "Protect and Defend the Constitution of the United States" Senator Clinton would do well to read it before she does her pandering.
I have no problem with Guam having a vote, but unless the majority of citizens in 75% of the states are okay with it as well after 2/3 of Congress proposes it, I have a major problem with it.
Posted by: John Armstrong | May 4, 2008 9:03:34 PM
"How will this work?" some commenters ask.
Well, there are all sorts of ways. You could have an appropriate number of electoral votes for all US citizens resident in non-state territories. You could have a similar set of electoral votes for American expatriates.
There's an unmistakable anomaly when someone born abroad to American parents and has never set foot in the US can vote in a presidential election, while someone who has spent his/her life in Guam cannot.
Posted by: pseudonymous in nc | May 4, 2008 3:34:05 PM
There's no need to amend the constitution to give Guam and Puerto Rico the right to vote in the Presidential election. They just need to become incorporated rather than unincorporated territories.
Posted by: Jamie | May 4, 2008 2:01:11 PM
HILLARY AND BARRY ARE FIGHTING OVER A DELEGATE OR TWO FROM GUAM??? WHAT A RIOT!! OPERATION CHAOS WAS THE BEST IDEA RUSH EVER HAD!! I HAVE HAD A BLAST WATCHING CONSERVATIVES KEEP HRC IN THIS RACE. WHEN I FINISHED VOTING IN THE DEM PRIMARY IN TEXAS I WENT HOME AND FRAMED MY VOTER REGISTRATION CARD BECAUSE IT WAS STAMPED "DEMOCRAT". IT'S A PROUD SOUVENIR FROM ME "DOING MY PART" TRYING TO SAVE THE COUNTRY!!!
Posted by: Marty E | May 4, 2008 12:32:32 PM
YET ANOTHER CAUCUS IN GUAM THAT OBAMA WINS BY FRAUD AND INTIMIDATION.
THERE IS SUPPOSEDLY ONLY A 7 VOTE DIFFERENCE...BUT NOW THEY ARE GOING TO A RE-COUNT BECAUSE 500 VOTES WERE NOT COUNTED IN AN AREA WHERE HILLARY WON 63% OF THE VOTES.
OBAMA AND HIS THUGS HAVE TRIED TO FIX THIS CAUCUS LIKE THEY FIXED THE OTHER CAUCUSES WITH INTIMIDATION AND FRAUD.
HILLARY WILL BE PRESIDENT!
Posted by: John Pen | May 4, 2008 11:48:12 AM
To quote Bill Clinton.....a fight
over ballots never fed a hungry
child....or sumpin' like that. Lots
of things don't feed hungry children
......but it don't mean a true
shyster can't make political hay out
of it....to a stupid electorate. You
loyal Clinton 2-timers are being told
to make it a third....
Posted by: hombre | May 4, 2008 1:25:18 AM
Missing Ballots? There is a real conspiracy out there and it smells like Hillarys camp iwll do anything to get elected! I am diappointed in the lack of support and coverage for the Obama Camp.
Posted by: kayj | May 3, 2008 11:21:12 PM
What's wrong with our territories having a voice in our elections?
Posted by: A reader in Georgia | May 3, 2008 10:40:50 PM
hillary lies!
Posted by: william | May 3, 2008 7:57:06 PM
To those who are asking me what the "strange relationship" is on this thread:
I did not post to this thread; I am just reading the posts now and see nothing posted by countallthevotes.
What did I supposedly post??
Posted by: countallthevotes | May 3, 2008 7:29:32 PM
In 1996 First Lady Hillary R Clinton went to Guam and made all the same promises she is making today
Then - she supposedly had the power to make good on some of these (empty) promises --
To win I think Hillary would annex Mexico and offer to make them citizens
She is pitiful
Posted by: alison | May 3, 2008 7:06:53 PM
now owen,
dr has given you another site to go and read and you can start asking people to explain it to you.
the fact is I have and i suppose many others have seen this. and every right thinking person can see what is going on I did not know the guy is being supported by a conservative group.
but ok.
none of the stuff you are peddling is going to help save a home being lost,
or help educate a child.
so why don't you just keep it to yourself.
Posted by: justsaying | May 3, 2008 7:02:28 PM
owen,
you can read, why don't you go to all of the sites you have listed and explain it for yourself.
why do you need anyone else to do it for you?
Posted by: justsaying | May 3, 2008 6:50:54 PM
Amend the Constitution, 2/3 of the states approving, by the time it could be done maybe Guam would have the population.
Tell me this isn't panderinmg.
Posted by: Thinking | May 3, 2008 6:46:33 PM
count all the votes---
whats this strange arrangement--let Guam vote in general
hillary is right-
Posted by: TJ | May 3, 2008 6:43:34 PM
Don't you know that we're going to change every rule just to make Hillary win? This is a say anything do anything to win campaign.
Posted by: Sue | May 3, 2008 6:42:57 PM
Funny how Clinton didn't tell the U.S Virgin Islands and American Somoa that they would be able have full voting rights.
When she was the inevitable nominee those islands didn't get a press release calling for full voting rights.
Yes DC voters can vote for president in the general election. DC has 3 electoral college votes that always go to the democrat.
DC voters have no real representation in congress though. No congress members or senators. That is why the license plates taxation without representation.
Posted by: Steve | May 3, 2008 6:20:54 PM
What's the status on D.C voters?
Can they vote?
Do they get any electoral votes?
Posted by: Mr. Unite Us | May 3, 2008 6:16:03 PM
So according to Clinton we will give every small island an electoral vote.
How is this going to work. The U.S virgin islands will get an electoral vote. American Somoa will get an electoral vote.
How will this work.
Another briliant idea by the most experienced candidate.
Posted by: Steve | May 3, 2008 6:10:18 PM
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