[cll]

Your assestment is pretty accurate, except that "none of the above" is literally a fifth column. Just one more obstruction. Again, all of those plesbicites were of local origin and not binding to Congress which has ABSOLUTE power over the territories (property) of the United States under the territorial clause of the Constitution. And that is a state of tyranny. Granted, it is a tyranny not in the stalinist way, of course, but even a policy of benign neglect is a tyranny after all.

Saludos to your wife. The temperature here is low 80's with clear skies. Wish you were here.

[RebelBanker]

I wish we were there too - it was 6 degrees when I got in my truck this morning.

As I understand the opinion polling on the island, a plurality or razor-thin majority favor the status quo, followed fairly closely be the pro-statehood folks, with the pro-independence nuts occupying a narrow fringe. The people of Puerto Rico have repeatedly indicated their desire to keep the current status at the ballot box. Calling the commonwealth status "illegitimate" or some similar term and forcing a vote that requires some change appears to me to be no different than AlGore trying to use the courts to change the outcome of the election because he did not like the results.

Personally, I would be only too happy to welcome Puerto Rico as our 51st state but only if that is what the majority of Puerto Ricans want. Remember, states are not allowed to secede. IIRC, we had a little dust-up about that issue back in 1861...