RECENT POSTS
- White House State Dinner Party Crashers
- Obama to Lay Out Emissions Goals in Copenhagen
- Free Bird
- The "Good" War
- The Presidential Planner
- Under the Stars, Obama Toasts India’s Prime Minister
- White House State Dinner – Who Made the Exclusive Guest List?
- Admiral Mike Mullen To Geneva for START Talks
- VP Biden to Indian Prime Minister: “You’re the Hottest Ticket in Town”
- FLOTUS on the State Dinner: Like a Swan, "Calm and Serene Above Water, But We're Paddling Like Mad, Going Crazy Underneath"
MONTHLY ARCHIVES
« Previous | Main | Next »
Stumping for Delegates, Clinton Pledges Voting Rights to Guam
May 02, 2008 11:44 PM
Guam's four Democratic delegates (not to mention its five superdelegates) are up for grabs in Saturday's primary, and Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., has told residents of that Pacific territory that as president she will work to give them the right to vote for president.
Residents of U.S. territories do not have the right to vote in presidential elections, nor do they have full representation in the U.S. Congress.
In an interview with KUAM-TV, Clinton, asked about giving Guam citizens the right to vote for president, said, "I am in favor of full voting rights for every American and that includes the people on Guam."
Watch the video HERE.
"It seems to me that it is long past time that we remedy this inequity," Clinton said. "It doesn't reflect American values; it is out of step with the move toward equality and full citizenship rights, and I will do everything I can to make sure the people of Guam's votes are counted. It seems to me that it is long past time that we remedy this inequity. It doesn't reflect American values; it is out of step with the move towards equality and full citizenship rights, and I will do everything I can to make sure the people of Guam's vote are counted."
Clinton also expressed her support for legislation to offer up to $126 million in reparations to Guam residents for their suffering during World War II at the hands of the Japanese military, which occupied the island.
The U.S. would pay the reparations, since it long ago forgave Japan its war debts.
"I think sometimes it takes unfortunately longer than it should to educate people about the justice of a cause like war reparations, or for the people of Guam that suffered under the Japanese occupation during World War II," Clinton told the Guam TV station. "All these years later we still haven't provided the reparations that the people of Guam were promised. As your president, I will work very hard to remedy this injustice. I am committed to doing so."
Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, has expressed support for the reparations legislation as well.
- jpt
SATURDAY MORNING UPDATE: This morning I e-mailed the Clinton campaign to find out more about this pledge. I wrote: "Am interested in learning more about the senator's plan to give residents of Guam the right to vote in presidential elections. Would that mean making Guam a state? Bestowing citizenship upon these US nationals? Same with Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and American Samoa? Would they get Senators and full voting members of Congress? How about DC? Wouldn't this require major constitutional changes?"
Will let you know what they say.
SATURDAY EVENING UPDATE: They got back to me -- nine hours after I asked. Read their explanation HERE.
May 2, 2008 in Clinton, Hillary | Permalink | Share | User Comments (198)
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
will the media ever talk about the Peter Paul/Clintons scandal ?? ridiculous! google it!
Posted by: Lisa | May 4, 2008 1:26:41 AM
another reason why Hillary should not be trusted. she will say or do any thing to get votes.
Posted by: adam | May 4, 2008 1:24:05 AM
Look like American are opening their eyes and brains (ABC what you going to do)?
Posted by: t.v.eddie | May 4, 2008 12:04:38 AM
I don't care if he crawled across the finish line, he won. She didn't. Don't count him out. She hasn't sung yet!
Posted by: Tia | May 3, 2008 9:21:11 PM
This game is over, the media is now squarely on Clinton's side. Every news outlet acts as if Obama is not even in the race any more. "Clinton attacks .." "Clinton said ...", Clinton rips...", "Clinton dismisses ...." So why don't they just come out and say it.
"Vote Clinton for president we love her diviciveness, makes us relevant."
Posted by: Gillis | May 3, 2008 8:33:21 PM
Attention Delegates/Super-Delegates; Hillary stands for everything thats is Against, what the Democrats stand for!What true Democrat would Elect someone who has lied time and time again.I believe Hillary is a Republican Implant, that will Destroy that Democratic Party
Posted by: Demo Rules | May 3, 2008 8:11:55 PM
Senator Obama will easily beat John McCain in November. His crazy preacher or not, when Americans actually see the two of them side-by-side, and are reminded of the flaming disaster that the last eight years of a Republican president have been, John McCain will be soundly defeated.
There will also be significant Democratic gains in both the House and the Senate. No amount of swift-boating and racists whispers can stop the beating that's coming for the GOP in November.
We'll look back at April and wonder why we wasted all the energy on screaming about the former pastor of Obama's church.
Posted by: PopeRatzo | May 3, 2008 5:58:26 PM
If you're living outside the US, and were previously resident in one of the 50 states or DC, you can can vote from overseas in the presidential elections. Approximately six million Americans living abroad will be entitled to vote in November.
So while I'm not a Clinton supporter, she's right to note the anomaly: a US citizen in Canada or the UK or France who was previously a resident of a state has more voting rights than one who's spent a lifetime in Guam or Puerto Rico. In fact, a US citizen born abroad, who has never lived in the US, is often entitled to vote in the state where his/her parents last lived.
(Of course, most of those expatriate US citizens are white, while most of those living in the non-state parts of the US are black or brown.)
Posted by: pseudonymous in nc | May 3, 2008 5:53:35 PM
I have been waiting for months for Senator Obama's new, different and clean politics to show up in his campaign. And I will still be waiting when Hillary Clinton is sitting in the White House again.
He has practiced the same ole dirty politics that Chicago has had for 50 years. He learned the lessons well.
Posted by: Irish Gram | May 3, 2008 5:13:52 PM
Guess Guam do NOT want voting rights! Beter for US!!
Posted by: DaneNM | May 3, 2008 4:59:50 PM
So Much for that Voting Rights thing that HRC promised.
Hillary just announced that she no longer supports voting rights for Guam residents. She denies that her flip-flop has anything to do with the fact that Obama won Guam.
This round of pandering didn't work. Besides caucuses don't count anyway.
Posted by: TrueDem | May 3, 2008 4:58:46 PM
Clinton has the far better voting record reaching across party lines than Obama does. He was the most Liberal guy in the senate.
In other words, he voted his party more than ANY democrat. At all.
Mc cain reaches across the party lines more than Clinton though.
Posted by: tomdavie | May 3, 2008 4:29:42 PM
Pander, Pander, Pander....Hillary never stops...
Posted by: indy_voter | May 3, 2008 4:00:33 PM
The truth is simple:
If Clinton won Guam, she would be talking non-stop about the victory, and saying that the tide was in her favor.
Now that Obama is likely to win, according to CLinton Guam won't count and isn't important.
Posted by: bob | May 3, 2008 2:49:44 PM
Guam became a state when?
Posted by: rdotx | May 3, 2008 2:49:28 PM
Doesn't look like it worked
Posted by: Thinking | May 3, 2008 2:45:16 PM
Guam will go to Obama as will North Carolina. Indiana will be a split.
Obama wins this round.
Posted by: TIM G.,Polk City, Ia. | May 3, 2008 2:43:23 PM
The government grabs as much as possible from the poor citizen. Now when the election come, the cadidates try to appear generous and concern for the poor such as the taking out of gas tax during the summer. Who know how much they are going to grab you back when they are elected. Any candidate supporting the war outside of US is bound to tighten up our economic hardship more!! Simple as that, elect only candidate who are against agreesive war, disregard of what political party they beong to.
Posted by: mampang | May 3, 2008 2:26:40 PM
As TrueDem notes, Guam residents are U.S. citizens. The reason they can't vote for U.S. president is geographic. They can vote for president if they move to a state. Conversely a U.S. citizen born in a state cannot vote for president if s/he moves to Guam. Guam has no representation in the electoral college, that's why. And yes, it would be interesting to hear how Hillary proposes to solve the dilemma. It's defied resolution for decades.
Posted by: link | May 3, 2008 2:21:08 PM
The gas tax holiday will save $1.84 per 10 GALLONS of gas.
10 gallons = $36.00
- fed gas tax = 1.84
Price paid = 34.16
Well, if the price per gallon doesn't increase during the 14 weeks. Then, add in the increased price and the gas tax. Sounds like people will be worse off in September.
Posted by: kell | May 3, 2008 2:20:08 PM
Post a comment
