Santorum To Puerto Rico: Make English Your ‘Principal Language’

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rick-santorumCampaigning in Puerto Rico, Rick Santorum didn’t show any signs that he wants to pander Wednesday, telling voters that they must declare English their only official language to achieve statehood.

Mitt Romney’s victories in American Samoa and Hawaii last night won him more delegates than Santorum grabbed with his Alabama and Mississippi wins.

According to Reuters, Santorum told El Vocero, a local newspaper, “Like any other state, there has to be compliance with this and any other federal law … And that is that English has to be the principal language. There are other states with more than one language such as Hawaii but to be a state of the United States, English has to be the principal language.”

There actually isn’t a federal law mandating English as the national language, though some states have chosen to pass one themselves.

Romney, who’s probably very aware the the territory has 20 delegates he can use for his growing lead, had a line we think Puerto Ricans will like a bit more, saying simply that he’d help them if they chose to pursue statehood. Santorum’s “English as the national language” issue probably wasn’t intended for Puerto Rican newspaper readers though, as it tends to play well among the more culturally conservative voters he’s reaching for these days. It may have seemed like a gaffe, but maybe it was a strategic one – or maybe he’s already thinking ahead to the general election.

{The Atlantic Wire/Matzav.com Newscenter}


6 COMMENTS

  1. Good man santorum. Now we can use Puerto Rico for our domestic calls about technical support now. I am so glad that Rick can make sense of this world!

  2. Last I heard, the Puerto Ricans had given up on asking for statehood (wonder why?) What they want now is independence. No more crazy American elections. No more 24/7 TV political ads. Old-fashioned democracy where politicans are accountable to the people, not the special interest with the biggest bank account.

  3. 1. Comment from beethoven’s friend
    Time
    March 15, 2012 at 10:40 AM

    Good man santorum. Now we can use Puerto Rico for our domestic calls about technical support now. I am so glad that Rick can make sense of this world!

    Listen, you royal liberal — what language do they speak in Louisiana? New Mexico? Arizona? Yeah, I thought so — English. Rick — who I strongly support — may have misspoke regarding the Federal law issue, but the United States is an English-speaking country.

    2. Comment from Oldtimer
    Time
    March 15, 2012 at 11:12 AM

    Last I heard, the Puerto Ricans had given up on asking for statehood (wonder why?) What they want now is independence. No more crazy American elections. No more 24/7 TV political ads. Old-fashioned democracy where politicans are accountable to the people, not the special interest with the biggest bank account.

    Actually, the puertorriqueños are having a referendum come November.

  4. Reply to #4:

    Listen you apikorus. America is founded on Freedom, not assimylation. Arizona was not built on the spanish language, but guess what, they do speak Spanish in Arizona.

  5. 5. Comment from beethoven’s friend
    Time March 16, 2012 at 10:47 PM

    Reply to #4:

    Listen you apikorus. America is founded on Freedom, not assimylation. Arizona was not built on the spanish language, but guess what, they do speak Spanish in Arizona.

    Not sure what makes me a heretic, but if you say so — hey, it must be true.

    “Freedom” is a word parroted by the left all the time, but they usually use to refer to a do-whatever-the-heck-you-want lifestyle. Sorry, but throughout history, if you wanted to come here, you learned English.

    As for Arizona, learn your history. Arizona, California, and New Mexico were part of the Mexican Cession of 1848 — so yes, it was built on the Spanish language. And yes, some people speak español, but your average hombre or mujer speaks inglés.

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