While I’m not going to comment on the issue of whether English should be the official US language (there currently is no designation), one again has to wonder where Ricky is heading or what he is thinking with this latest running off at the mouth.  Here he is in Puerto Rico, talking about statehood and basically sets a condition for Puerto Rico that is one that does not exist in our Constitution nor has ever been a requirement for statehood:

While Ricky and his staff are doing the usual post-stupid comment dance, he was specific in his statement:  “As in any other state, you have to comply with this and any federal law. And that is that English has to be the main language,” Santorum told El Vocero, a San Juan newspaper. “There are other states with more than one language as is the case in Hawaii, but to be a state in the United States, English has to be the main language.”

Even in the simplest view of gaining delegates, which Ricky needs badly, this stance will not be bringing in too many of the 23 delegates sitting with Puerto Rico.  I don’t know if statehood is something that Puerto Rico wants or not (there is a referendum on their ballot this year so it holds importance at some level) but it is obvious that either Ricky is downright ignorant, is basically exhibiting another form of political bigotry or has another agenda.

Secondly, the Latino vote becomes a game changer in the real Presidential election – especially for a Republican.  My numbers might be a bit off but when Bush last won, he had about 44% of the Latino vote.  McCain managed around 14% and the current polls are showing similar numbers for the Republican frontrunners.

While it is obvious I think Ricky is pretty much a fool and has none of the credentials that would put him in consideration to be President, one would think that the fact that Ricky has a Bachelor’s degree from Penn State, and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Law degree from Dickinson School of Law (so much for educational snobbery) would give him some foundation in law where he would be better informed as to specifics of the  Constitution and how it positions requirements for statehood.

The 21st Century Don Quixote

I think what is really here is a reality that sits at the bottom line view the Republican Party has of minorities in general, poor people pretty much across the board, the middle class and, at some level, most anyone who doesn’t agree with them – they really don’t care what you think, what you need or how you vote – mostly because (and this is the paradox of it all) they still get a good number of these people to support them somehow.  The Republicans can remain the party of the rich and can keep their economic future rosy all at the cost of the rest of the less well off in our country and still maintain a reasonably consistent record of getting elected.  There remain those individuals that no matter what, they stay uninformed, generally uneducated and pretty much filled with hate – it is this crowd this stance Ricky has taken plays directly to.  Yes, let’s say it together – it is the Tea Party – the people generally standing up at Republican events, making the most noise about big Government while fully taking advantage of what is probably the largest handout to the members of the Tea Party – our own national social insurance program – Medicare.

To give a bit more evidence of the depth of this Republican disdain of everything not “American”, I also bring you back to another stellar human being, Newt Gingrich who, in 2007, remarked “We should replace bi-lingual with immersion in English so people learn the common language of the country. They learn the language of prosperity, not the language of living in a ghetto.”  Not one of our more gracious leaders.

People – maybe it is time to clear our heads and get a bit smarter.  To quote POGO “We have met the enemy and he is us”.