AP Photo/Brennan Linsley

In recent months, President Barack Obama has quietly endorsed a path forward for self-determination and statehood. In a report produced by a White House task force earlier this year, Obama wrote, “I am committed to working with Congress to ensure that a fair, clearly defined, and transparent process for the people…to decide on their future for themselves.”

Great news, right? Yeah. For Puerto Rico.

Today, Obama became the first president since John F. Kennedy, Jr. to visit the Caribbean island, taking time upon landing to argue that Puerto Ricans should eventually be able to determine whether to remain a commonwealth of the U.S., become the 51st state or move towards full-fledged independence.

Obama’s remarks echoed the conclusions of a March report published by the Presidential Task Force on Puerto Rico’s Status, which stated that Puerto Ricans should be able to vote on their status by mid-2012. The taskforce — which was created by President Clinton in 2000 — came to roughly the same conclusion in reports published in 2005 and 2007, the latter of which noted that the “democratic will of the Puerto Rican people is paramount for determining the future status of the territory.”

Well, this is just a kick in the face, isn’t it? We’ve been screaming and crying since Obama was elected just to get a license plate on his limo that recognizes the city’s plight, but the best we’ve gotten is some lip service followed by a brazen sell-out during negotiations over the federal budget. Puerto Rico, on the other hand, gets a 122-page report on its status and a fast-track to democratically resolving it.

We’re happy for our Caribbean brothers and sisters, of course — but a little peeved at the same time that the District’s own second-class status doesn’t seem to merit the same amount of attention. At this point, even calling ourselves second-class seems a little kind, doesn’t it?

So, how about a Presidential Task Force on the District’s Status, President Obama? And next time you come here for a visit, maybe you can tell us how excited you are for District residents to be able to vote on whether to remain a federal colony or become a new state?

Gracias.