Candidates Questioned on Puerto Rican Statehood

At today's gathering of Latino Republicans in Miami, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich were given the chance to explain their attitudes on Puerto Rican statehood. Newt Gingrich told those attending the Hispanic Leadership Network conference Friday, "I have had a firm position on the right of the Puerto Rican people to have a referendum. I am not dictating the outcome of the referendum because there are several options and the Puerto Rican people have to make that decision." Clearly unsatisfied by the former speaker's response, the woman who presented the issue at Thursday night's debate elaborated, pointing out that "Puerto Ricans have given more men and women to the United States Armed Forces than any other state in the union. We have 4 million Puerto Ricans in the United States who are voters." With an opportunity to give a real answer to the question, Mitt Romney's response barely differed from Gingrich's. "I'm looking forward to the time when the people of Puerto Rico make their decision about becoming a state," he said.