Extended race great news for Puerto Rico

Extended race great news for Puerto Rico

Sunday, May 11th 2008,

Leighton/AP

SAN JUAN - Retired schoolteacher Ana Canaval and a few dozen women gathered at Hillary Clinton headquarters recently to plan for Puerto Rico's June 1 presidential primary.

After Clinton's disappointing showings in Indiana and North Carolina last week, the all-women volunteer group scoffed at calls for her to quit. They confidently predicted she'd win a majority of Puerto Rico's 63 Democratic delegates.

"In an election, you count every vote, and that means our votes here, too," Canaval said. "Hillary has always stood by Puerto Rico, and we'll stand by her to the end."

Sen. Lucy Arce reminded them that Clinton, as First Lady, visited the island twice after the devastating Hurricane Georges in 1998. She returned to support jailed leaders of the protests against the Navy's bombardment of Vieques.

Not since those Vieques protests has Puerto Rico received so much attention from Washington politicians and the mainland media.

Islanders cannot vote in the presidential election, but they cast ballots in party primaries. And with 4 million people, Puerto Rico boasts a Democratic delegation bigger than half the states.
The tight Democratic race has produced a major victory for island residents. Barack Obama and Clinton made unprecedented promises to voters. Bill and Chelsea Clinton have campaigned here, and Michelle Obama is expected this week.

The longer the nomination battle lasts, the more Puerto Rico will benefit, say backers of both candidates.

"As a Democrat, I wish we'd put an end to the campaign, recognize Obama has won and start fighting [John] McCain," said Pedro Pierluisi, co-chairman of the Obama campaign and a leader of the island's pro-statehood New Progressive Party. "But as a Puerto Rican I know this is our chance to engage the candidates on issues that matter to our island."

Last week, Clinton and Obama penned columns in Puerto Rico's main newspaper outlining their plans for the island.

Clinton has flatly promised to remove a cap - decried by area politicians - on federal funding that sharply limits Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements. She also promised to extend the federal child tax credit to locals and to complete environmental cleanup of the Navy's abandoned Vieques firing range.

Obama committed to giving Puerto Ricans child and income tax credits, and to raising the minimum wage.

Both pledged support for a final resolution of the thorniest issue in Puerto Rico - the island's final political status as the 51st state, an independent country or some form of the present commonwealth.