Contact: Mike Panetta
(202) 253-6534
mike@mikepanetta.com

(WASHINGTON, DC February 11, 2008): Mike Panetta, the elected U.S. “Shadow” Representative for the District of Columbia, today announced his endorsement of Barack Obama for President.

“The torch has been passed to Senator Obama as the vanguard of a new generation of leadership, and I know he’ll use that torch to light the fires of democracy here in the District of Columbia,” said Representative Panetta. “It’s clear to me that Senator Obama can bring hope to our nation, and hope to those fighting for full citizenship right here in America’s capital.”

“If we are serious about permanently ending our ‘taxation without representation’ situation we will need a leader in the White House who can bring together Democrats, Republicans, and Independents,” Panetta added. “Barack Obama possesses both the passion and pragmatism to make it happen.”

“With Barack Obama in the White House, we’ll have a president who will tirelessly work to ensure that his new neighbors are given the same voting rights in Congress that other American citizens enjoy. I encourage all District voters to join me on Tuesday in supporting Barack Obama in his campaign to become the next president of the United States.”

About Mike Panetta

Mike Panetta was elected to the District-wide position of Statehood Representative in the District of Columbia in November 2006. The office is commonly referred to as the U.S. “Shadow” Representative and should not be confused with the position of Delegate to the House of Representatives currently held by Eleanor Holmes Norton. The office has traditionally served as advocate for DC statehood and full congressional voting rights.

I wrote this in response to a letter that was recently submitted to the Capitol Hill newspaper The Hill from a reader in Pennsylvania. You can read the original letter here. Hopefully it will be published next week.

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Dear Editor,

John Salsgiver should read both the “blood-bought Constitution” he references and the actual text of the DC Voting Rights Act before firing off letters such as “We the Sheeple” to The Hill. (Regarding
article, “House Dems secure win on D.C. voting rights bill,” April 20.)

The Constitution grants Congress authority over the District “in all Cases whatsoever”. Constitutional scholars from both sides of the aisle have testified before Congress that this clause gives Congress
the authority to grant the District a vote in the House of Representatives. Whether or not this is Constitutional is some the courts will ultimately need to decide, but his claim that the Constitution was “willfully violated” is quite a stretch.

I also take issue with Mr. Salsgiver claims that it won’t be long before demands are made for two voting Senators for the District – and his questioning if we can “smell the desperation” of Democrats looking to get three extra electoral votes from this bill.

I’m not sure what Mr. Salsgiver smells, but I don’t think that it’s desperation for electoral votes. I would remind Mr. Salsgiver that the 23rd amendment to the Constitution granted the District of Columbia the three electoral votes he fears so much back in 1961.

I would also remind the reader that the DC Voting Rights Act would grant an additional congressional district — and thus another electoral vote — to the state of Utah. It doesn’t take Charlie Cook
to figure out that Utah will likely be a Republican state in 2008. This is hardly the sort of legislation that would be passed by desperate Democrats.

This was on NPR yesterday. Here is the blurb from their web site:

Prospects for D.C. Voting Rights Take a Hit
Advocates for Washington, D.C., voting rights thought they had it made when Democrats took over Congress. A deal giving Utah one more red-state congressman seemed likely to allow the blue district a voting representative. But that has changed. Lisa Nurnberger of member station WAMU reports. (Listen here)