Pantanal wrote: PR residents don't even vote in the general. Why PR or Guam are included in the primaries is one of those really idiotic facts no one can give and an intelligent answer to because none exists. Obama didn't even bother to show up in PR.--Pantanal"

(1) The United States of America controls Puerto Rico and Guam in a "commonwealth". We control nearly every important aspect of their lives daily. Ever lived in either place? I lived in San Juan for nearly four years and speak Spanish well. I can tell you that the people of Borinquen...the actual name of Puerto Rico...are proud people who feel a kinship with the States. Add to that kinship the sacrifice of thousands or Borinquenos who have fought and died for America in wars around the world, the fact that Borinquen is the homeland for millions of our citizens here and is an important manufacturing base in the Caribbean.

Guam is home to a huge forward base of our military, are proud people who have contributed much to America and are impacted directly by Washington's political decisions.

With all that in mind, why should either group NOT participate?

(2) Perhaps you missed the picture of Senor Obama doing a pretty mean salsa at the head of a parade in Puerto Rico a week or so ago. Or, maybe it was his evil twin.

Panatal, you really need to stop disenfranchising peoples from Puerto Rico and Guam from participating in the democratic process with your xenophobic rants; they might get the idea that they don't matter.

They do!

Here's what bothers me the most about Obama's departure from Trinity Church:

After the Rev. Wright had preached racism and intolerence from the pulpit for twenty years with Obama front and center in the pews, never expressing disagreement with that message...after Rev. Pfleger spewed his vile misogyny and racism from that same pulpit just a week or so ago...why did it take twenty years for Obama to FINALLY leave the church? What the hell was he waiting for?

In my opinion, he didn't leave the church because he disagreed with the message from the pulpit, he left because it was politically expedient for him to do so. Barack Obama: expediency trumps principle.

There's another one that will come back to haunt us in November!

Panatal wrote: I'm anything but xenophobic. If a territory doesn't get to vote in the general, it makes no sense to let it vote in the primaries. Israel is in may ways the 51st U.S state and my guess is that more Israelis identify with and support the US than PR residents, yet the Israelis aren't allowed to participate in US elections. The notion of a territory voting in primaries yet not allowed to vote in the general is absurd. They should either vote in both or in neither.--Panatal"

Your arguments about participatory Democracy would make more sense if the Democratic rules committee hadn't just taken four earned delegates from Hillary Clinton and awarded forty unpledged delegates to Barack Obama...who wasn't even on the ballot in Michigan!

Bulletin: AIPAC, one of the richest and most influential PACs, does, indeed, participate in our elections at Israel's behest. Some would even say that they participate a little TOO much in our elections.

As for cutting Puerto Rico or Guam loose, tell those in Washington to get off their collective butts and give both islands the choice.

The facts are that the Rev. Wright has been delivering racist messages from the pulpit for the twenty years that Obama has been a member. From all accounts, Obama never stepped up even once to denounce those views. We've all seen the video of the Rev. Pfleger prancing around delivering mysogynistic and racist rants from that same pulpit...scarcely a week ago.

The question still hangs in the air: if Barack Obama so completely disagreed with those messages of hate, why did it take him twenty years to get up and walk out the door...and, without saying a WORD of disagreement while a member.

Call me silly, but, if I'm in a church, or anywhere else, that doesn't reflect accurately my personal views, I'd either stand up and denounce that racism/misogny directly or walk out; it wouldn't take me twenty years to do so, either.

He either agreed with those comments and stayed, disagreed with those comments but did/said nothing or FINALLY read the hand-writing on the wall and fled. I repeat: Barack Obama chose political expediency over principle.

If you don't think that white, Christian, conservatives and moderates of both parties...whom we need to win in November...will have this rammed down their throats by the "SwiftBoat" crowd ad infinitum and ad nauseum, you are on your own planet.

I respect your opinion, HP, but, I think you're wrong on this point.

To those who are still venting their spleens at the idea of Hillary Clinton joining Barack Obama on the Democratic ticket, one question: do you want to win in November?

Hillary won about 18 million votes...just about what Barack Obama won. Do you really think that every single one of those voters doesn't matter? Are you seriously going to diss 18 million voters by demeaning the woman for whom they voted?

Had it come out the other way...with Hillary winning...I would have insisted that she invite Barack to join her on the ticket as VP. They're..together...a formidable team. Some have supported Sebelius, McCaskill, Pelosi as female VP candidates other than Hillary; however, not a single one of them has the name recognition or has run a national campaign as Hillary has.

If you seriously want to win but without having the "other half" of the Democratic party aboard...good luck. You're going to need it.