- Daily Photo: Obama Jokes Around at G-20
- Blackwater gets replaced in Iraq
- Daily Photo: U.S. Marines Look Out for Taliban in Afghanistan
- Hillary Clinton the Tomboy and Her "Ah-Ha" Moment
- Obama Administration Sudan Envoy Headed to Region
- Daily Photo: Potential Flashpoint in Iraq
- Clinton Says New Afghanistan-Pakistan Plan Depends on Diplomacy
- Exclusive: Three Israeli Airstrikes Against Sudan
- Additional 4,000 Troops to Be Ordered to Afghanistan
- Daily Photo: Navy Submarine Trains in the Arctic
- Alarm Over North Korea Missile Prep
- Anti-Terror Stimulus? US Offers Rewards for Top Terrorists
- Daily Photo: Pakistani Women in Refugee Camp
- Condoleezza Rice Appears on "The Tonight Show"
- Diplomat and Aid Group Sound the Alarm on Darfur Camp Situation
- auto industry rescue
- Ballotwatch
- Biden, Joe
- Bush, George W.
- Clinton, Bill
- Clinton, Hillary
- Dodd, Chris
- Edwards, John
- Giuliani, Rudy
- Gravel, Mike
- Huckabee, Mike
- Hunter, Duncan
- Inauguration
- Iraq
- Kucinich, Dennis
- McCain, John
- Obama, Barack
- Palin, Sarah
- Paul, Ron
- Romney, Mitt
- Tancredo, Tom
- Thompson, Fred
- Veepstakes
- Vote 2008: Democrats
- Vote 2008: Republicans
- Washington
- White House
« Previous | Main | Next »
Clinton's Memorial Day Message Focused on Voting Rights for Puerto Ricans
Email
ShareMay 26, 2008 8:11 PM
ABC News' Eloise Harper reports: Sen. Hillary Clinton’s Memorial Day service came at the end of the day today. Clinton stood at an official ceremony outside the capitol building in San Juan, Puerto Rico. By her side stood her daughter Chelsea and her husband the former president. Clinton’s entire message was focused on the need to give Puerto Ricans the right to vote, especially in light of the service they provide and have provided to our country.
"It is a day to cherish freedoms and opportunities that so many have sacrificed fought for and died to defend," she said. "As we are gathered here in front of this magnificent capitol building, we look at this memorial monument, every single name reminds us of the sacrifices that have been made by the brave men and women of Puerto Rico."
Clinton defended the people of this island and their justification of having a right to vote.
"To anyone who would suggest that the people of Puerto Rico do not deserve equal treatment, equal benefits, equal opportunities because of their position as United States citizens, I say come see this monument, read the names on this monument," she said.. "These are the names of fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters who have given, as President Lincoln described, the last full measure of devotion.
"Puerto Rico deserves to have its sacrifice noted," she said. "You deserve to have leadership in Washington that respects and honors this sacrifice and all who serve. The real test is not what we say but what we do. The real challenge is how we can not just make speeches that contain promise, but deliver on those promises. It is for me a sacred obligation.
"I believe it is long past time that we give the people of Puerto Rico, United States citizens all, an equal voice in the vote for the commander in chief who sends young Puerto Ricans to war," the New York senator said.
The tone and demeanor of this event was much more serious and somber than that of events Clinton held earlier in the day in Ponce, P.R., where she was greeted by a loud band that shouted “Hillary! Hillary!” over and over. At that same event, Clinton uttered a little Spanish, saying, “si podemos!” a thing she rarely does. The senator also met with two families who she listened to and laughed with as they shared stories.
May 26, 2008 in Bush, George W. | Permalink | User Comments (41)
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
So Clinton used memorial day to pander to Puerto Ricans to get their votes in the primary. Sad and disgusting.
Posted by: robby10001 | May 26, 2008 8:24:23 PM
Obama was pandering in Puerto Rico too, but they won't vote for him... Bravo, Puerto Rico!
We want a candidate who will keep their promises; someone who will act, rather than deliver a speech!
Posted by: Emily | May 26, 2008 8:31:17 PM
As Hillary said: "The real challenge is how we can not just make speeches that contain promise, but deliver on those promises. It is for me a sacred obligation."
Hillary is a public servant who keeps her promises!
Never give up!
Posted by: Emily | May 26, 2008 8:42:41 PM
most Puerto Ricans are not interested in this primary which is called the 'colonial or foreign primary' in Puerto Rico by political analysts of this island nation. The center-left wing of the ruling party is boycoting this event since they believe in Sovereignty for Puerto Rico, also the pro Independence and Nationalists will have a protest march that day. According to informal radio polls less than 200,000 (from 2.5 million voters) are expected to vote, Obama leads by a small margin.
Posted by: reva | May 26, 2008 8:44:39 PM
Hillary, unlike Obama, believes that the people should be allowed to vote--that means ALL of the people. How can we go around the world bragging about democracy and empowerment of the people when we limit the rights or the votes of the people? First of all, that includes Michigan and Florida, and all of the other state primaries which too many in this campaign tried to prevent. Secondly, the yearning for the vote by Puerto Ricans is just as sacred as those faced in our early history by those who did not own land, by women, by slaves, by men who fought and died for their country. Who deserves such rights? Just you and I?
Guess what? The people are still trying to vote and this terribly flawed process is not finished, even though one egotist in the campaign is waiting to be crowned King.
Go Puerto Rico! Go Hillary!
Posted by: georgia | May 26, 2008 9:04:52 PM
Here she goes again...promising Puerto Ricans an amendment to the US Constitution in order to grant islander's the right to vote in US presidential elections without being a state. Yeah, right.
Posted by: vdata | May 26, 2008 9:15:10 PM
robby,
It truly is sad and disgusting to call one candidate's words pandering, while another candidate's words surely must come from God Almighty!
The names of brave men and women of Puerto Rico shown on their memoial monument are just as worthy as those on our Vietnam Memorial. "Worthy" depends on your perspective, however. I call it memorializing or recognizing on this Memorial Day. You call it "pandering".
Posted by: georgia | May 26, 2008 9:18:40 PM
robby10001: It's sad and disgusting to see how biased you are against Hillary. What's wrong of her to reach out to those voters and speak of their deserved rights? And you call it pandering? What about Obama? Speaking of pandering, he's biggest one in the world. Just watch what he has said to voters and what he has actually done - such discrepancy exactly tells that he's the one who has been pandering, not Hillary who has strong record of getting things done.
Posted by: Louise | May 26, 2008 9:20:18 PM
Staying in America and paying respect to our honored dead, or r&r in the islands buying vocal support. What will she do next.
Posted by: Dannara | May 26, 2008 9:23:59 PM
Hillary remains a world famous fibber and one who can't be trusted. She happily endorsed the regulations her supporters on the rules commitee set up to exclude Michigan and Florida and now suddenly cares about them! What's up with that! She voted to send our country to war, why didn't she care about us when it counted?
Posted by: GeorgieG | May 26, 2008 9:31:43 PM
Hill the Bosnian General is out of control again, she is promising the moon to Pueto-Ricans. She is out of touch and should stop running as a "headless chicken", the game is over because the writing is on the wall.
Posted by: BKMC | May 26, 2008 9:33:29 PM
georgia, that is just not true. Obama believes that all should have the right to vote as well. He is a co-sponsor for the DC House Voting Rights Act.
Posted by: d | May 26, 2008 9:36:04 PM
Talking about pandering, it is the phony hypocrite who took his name off the MI ballot to pander the voters of Iowa, but then, he is now the cry baby who tells his mommy in the House that he did not get any votes in MI because his name was not on the ballot.
Take some responsibilities, phony. You took your name off Voluntarily, for pandering, and nobody asked you to do so. Now you want to discard these votes because of your boneheaded mis-judgment?!
You will lose for sure in November. Quit and leave the sure win to someone else.
Posted by: fishy | May 26, 2008 10:11:57 PM
She will say and do anything to get votes,the don't want to pay taxes to the US so they don't vote .They are not a state and it won't happen anytime soon.
This thing is not even in her right mind anymore .She needs help.
Posted by: o | May 26, 2008 10:11:58 PM
You're still MY choice Hillary! They can't take that away for me.
Posted by: gaypastor | May 26, 2008 10:37:56 PM
Hillary promised NY State a half million new jobs. Since she has been in the Senate we have lost jobs.
Posted by: Roch | May 26, 2008 10:38:56 PM
Not once during her 8 years of
'experience ' in the White House, not once during her time in the Senate has Hillary Clinton pushed such a plan. Another clear attempt to pander.
Posted by: Louis | May 26, 2008 10:50:59 PM
Hillary Clinton is a patriot.
Barack Obama is not.
Only Clinton has a chance of delivering on the promise of democracy.
Posted by: Donna Davidson | May 26, 2008 11:20:48 PM
If the clintons need you ... you can count on them to be there.
Posted by: Omentum | May 26, 2008 11:22:43 PM
georgia,
hillary wouldn't know an honest and fair election if it hit on the head. take MI for example. take Fl for another.
Obama '08
Posted by: voter | May 26, 2008 11:36:47 PM
Post a comment
