What can be done?

[liberal democrat]

To Make DC a state. Forgive my ignorance, but looking at the 2006 cycle, winning back the senate looks all but impossible. The only way we can get it back is to have some represenation from DC. DC is the only smart place in this country. (You guys rock giving Mondale and McGovern electoral votes.) Anyway, what needs to give you guys statehood? Describe the movemnt. Has it had any near successes? Are politicians actively trying to attain statehood?

[Skinner]

1. Unfortunately, at this point, not much.

Until we get a Dem congress and a Dem president, I don't think Statehood has a chance. :(

[journalist3072]

2. DC Statehood

Unforuntately, it doesn't seem like much we can do at this point.

Statehood for DC is not really on the radar of many politicans, even those that support it.

We all know that George Bush has said he doesn't support it, and many Republicans don't.

And the Democrats that support DC statehood have even seemed weak on the issue. Former President Clinton made some symbolic moves, like putting the "taxation without representation" tags on the last presidential limosine he used. Bush promptly had them taken off when he came to office.

I think the only thing that might make more politicians support it is if there was a shift in this city where it was made up predominantly of Whites. As long as this city is overwhelming minority, we can forget it.

[primavera]

3. Actually, it's still seeing occasional activity in Congress

Lieberman, for all of his faults, sponsored in 2003 the No Taxation Without Representation Act (S 617), a correlate of which was introduced in the House of Representatives (HR 1285) by DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton. The Senate version included 17 cosponsors and the House version had 139 cosponsors. But it's buried in committees, probably never to resurface.