A bad name for the 51st state  Say it isn't so, Washington
Post. On Sunday, the respected newspaper reported on recent
efforts to make Washington D.C. the 51st state. The reporting
was excellent, as usual.... but the headline suggested naming
the state "Columbia." Really? Columbia? Isn't that name already
taken--by a South American nation that's a major exporter of
cocaine. And what about the fallout from Native American tribes
who don't consider Columbus Day worthy of much celebration? Why
not avoid all the negative ramifications and just call the
potential new state "Potomac." That's my suggestion, anyway.
Read more in the "Potomac" entry in Lost States.     1. What
would you call the residents of this new state?       I've
always thought the best solution would be to give the district
back to Maryland. The population boost would probably give
another representative and electoral vote to the state, without
changing the Senate, while giving all the residents
representation at last.    2. The South American c