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Subscribe to RSSThe New York Times previews the president’s trip on Tuesday to Puerto Rico. “When President Obama arrives here on Tuesday — becoming the first American leader to visit officially since John F. Kennedy in 1961 — his feet will be planted firmly in San Juan’s historic district but his words will be aimed mostly at Puerto Ricans in Florida, New York and Pennsylvania. Not that there is anything wrong with that, many Puerto Ricans say. After five decades of cold shoulders from a succession of presidents, most Puerto Ricans are primed for a presidential visit, even if it is brief and unlikely to sway the longstanding debate over Puerto Rico’s identity as a United States territory.”
Defense Secretary Gates, on his farewell tour, made this warning to NATO: “In his final policy speech as Pentagon chief, Gates questioned the viability of NATO, saying its members' penny-pinching and lack of political will could hasten the end of U.S. support. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed in 1949 as a U.S.-led bulwark against Soviet aggression, but in the post-Cold War era it has struggled to find a purpose.”
“‘Future U.S. political leaders - those for whom the Cold War was not the formative experience that it was for me - may not consider the return on America's investment in NATO worth the cost,’ he told a European think tank on the final day of an 11-day overseas journey.
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Obama would like very much to make Puerto Rico a state. Why? Who's asking for a 51st state?
Who's asking for millions of new welfare recipients and government entitlement addicts in the middle of a depression? Certainly not American taxpayers.
But this has been Barack Obama's plan all along. His goal is to add two new Democrat senators, five Democrat congressman and a million loyal Democratic voters who are dependent on big government.
His efforts in attacking the private sector and to increase big government is working. Unemployment is rising, welfare receipients increasing, new govt clerks jobs and IRS agents positions have been created to process welfare checks and distribute food stamps and of course new IRS agents to penalize those tax cheats not already part of the administrations team.
Yes, making PR a state would make Obama happy, but I don't think the voters will allow that... I hope so anyway!
Hate to burst your bubble, but though Puerto Rico is not yet the 51st State, the citizens of Puerto Rico are United States citizens.
Guess what? That means they are ALREADY eligible for welfare and Social Security and Medicare.
By the way, next time you're in Washington, DC, feel free to stop by the office of Pedro Pierluisi. He is the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico and represents Puerto Rico as a non-voting member of the House of Representatives.
"Who's asking for millions of new welfare recipients and government entitlement addicts in the middle of a depression? Certainly not American taxpayers."
One good reason to VOTE REPUBLICAN in 2012 !
Lost in all the Puerto Rico trip nonsense was that Gates called NATO ineffective and unnecessary. Given the budget constraints the Defense Dept. will be working under the need to be in NATO at all should be discussed.
Yes, the cold war is over. Somethings just need to die. NATO has served its purpose. U.S. can save its money on this item.
Unfortunately it's not that simple.
There are those who question if Putin and Medvedev can be trusted...and even if they can, can they be trusted to keep track of all their nukes?
Those so called Welfare recipients have fought alongside our troops and distinguished themselves in combat to protect your arrogance Bill T.
Bill T.
I just have come to belive that all of the right wing ideologues are cut from the same bigoted cloth. So now it's welfare queen's from Pueto Rico eh? I've lived in PR and these people seem just like any other hard working American Citizens to me. Sure there are folks on welfare, but it's already provided by their (our) Federal government.
The fact that you were not aware of this exposes all of you rant for exactly what it is...ill informed BS.
Is his visit as POTUS or a Obama 2012 campaign visit?
Glenn, Read the article at the top of the page. It says it is an offical visist.
...or is it a vacation?
Apparently he is making and official visit to fulfill a promise made during the 2008 campaign. Although from one article I read, there will be a short stop at a fundraiser event.
"As lawmakers scramble to cut a budget deal and avoid defaulting on U.S. debt, the head of a top Chinese rating agency claims it's too late. "
Why is Obama not concerned with working on the budget ? ! We, the citizens, think it's priority #1 and more important than a trip to P.R. Obama's racking up the frequent flyer miles and playing golf instead !
Leona, surely you remember your civics classes. Congress (Senate and House) is the "lawmaking" branch of government. They are working on the budget deal, which will be voted on and sent to the President. It is not proper for the executive branch of government to make laws. Yes, the President can (and should) give his preferences to Congress, which this President has done. If we the citizens want to do something about the debt ceiling, we should contact our representatives in Congress and make our wishes known.
It's unAmerican to have second-class citizens in the USA. Puerto Rico should either get statehood, or be given independence, like we did with the Philippines. More here:
I believe the Founding Fathers would call Puerto Rico "Taxation Without Representation".