Rhode Island Dems in uproar as party seeks to oust three progressive women

[babylonsister]

Rhode Island Dems in uproar as party seeks to oust three progressive women
At the same time, the party is standing by a lawmaker who has been charged with sexual assault and perjury. It also backed a former lawmaker who has been arrested several times.
by Alex Seitz-Wald / Jul.03.2018 / 3:15 PM ET / Updated Jul.03.2018 / 5:18 PM ET


WASHINGTON — As it tries to fend off a progressive insurgency, the Democratic Party in one of the bluest states in the country is facing open revolt after endorsing candidates — including a Trump-voting former Republican — in primaries against three progressive women up for re-election this year.

Progressives across the country say they're fighting an out-of-touch party establishment, but nowhere are the battle lines more clearly drawn than Rhode Island, where the state is run largely by Democrats who oppose abortion rights and get "A" ratings from the National Rifle Association.

The long-simmering fight burst into the open this week after the Rhode Island Democratic Party released its slate of endorsements, which critics say is aimed at punishing three women who ousted old-guard incumbents two years ago.

Meanwhile, the party stood by a lawmaker who has previously been indicted on charges of sexual assault and is accused of domestic abuse, and who is currently under indictment on perjury charges. It also backed a former lawmaker with multiple arrests on his record, including one in 1994 vehicular homicide, over the vice chair of the Rhode Island Democratic Party Women's Caucus.

The endorsements have sparked rebellion in the state, and not just from the left.

more...

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/rhode-island-dems-uproar-party-seeks-oust-three-progressive-women-n888666

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Those women need to be applauded and supported, not driven away.

The tactics by the so-called Democratic Party make me very angry. There is no way they should be supporting those candidates with their checkered histories.

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. Hear, hear!

[Sophia4]

31. Yes.

[Ferrets are Cool]

3. This is a disgrace. What the hell have we become? nt

[Tactical Peek]

4. Fuck that shit.

[Tatiana]

5. Finally! The progressive insurgency has arrived! I support it.

The liberal high school teacher ousted a 24-year incumbent who served as House majority leader in 2016. Now, the state party has endorsed a professor at a Catholic university who signed a letter supporting Ireland's abortion ban, which was recently overturned.

"Quite frankly, they are not used to women of color, black women, standing up," Ranglin-Vassell said.

Oh, but it looks like they are going to learn. I've long said, I think 2018 is going to be the Year of the Woman. These ladies are tough.

And I am kicking in a bit of cash in support:

Donate to Friends of Marcia Ranglin-Vassell

Support Moira Walsh for State Representative

Jeanine For Senate

RI is a blue state and there is NO WAY the Democratic Party should be supporting a self-proclaimed TRUMP VOTER. WTF!!!!????

Time for the national party to step in here!

[smirkymonkey]

6. +1000

[scarletwoman]

10. Me too! +1000! nt

[SharonClark]

11. Thanks for posting. I made a donation to all three.

Oops! Intended for Tatiana!

[bdamomma]

12. As a Rhode Islander

I will also donate to all 3.

[RandySF]

29. I gave Moira Walsh $20

[WhiteTara]

7. Why is the first thing I think -- old white men

who want to remain in charge did this?

[JI7]

8. How did Rhode Island end up this way ? The state party run by anti choice and NRA thugs ?

[Tarc]

9. There has been rampant, mafia-tinged corruption in RI politics for decades

That has touched both parties. It's not a pretty place, politically.

[bdamomma]

13. Tarc

are you from RI, geez we have been known to be true blue Dems in a very blue state. I will stand up to these thugs they better not ruin my state.

[hack89]

45. Rhode Island politics is a weird mix of unions, socially conservative Democrats and corruption

while it a blue state it certainly is not a progressive state.

It also has a unique state constitution that ensures the speaker of the house is the most powerful politician in the state.

[AtomicKitten]

14. This is disgraceful.

These women should be embraced. California is dealing with the same kind of fuckery. I'm sending donations albeit small to all three women to let them know we've got their backs.

Thanks babylonsister.

[R B Garr]

15. Where in California is this supposedly happening?

This kind of constant negativity and exaggeration turns people off, so that may be what you are seeing.

[AtomicKitten]

16. The entrenched establishment Democrats are defying progressive policy

... by, for instance, stopping in its tracks universal healthcare and gutting net neutrality.

[R B Garr]

17. That is not what happened. No numbers were provided

with their proposal for single payer, so it couldn’t go forward. Who could not understand that?

I will have to Google the net neutrality issue, but if it’s like the other insults against everyday Democrats, it looks like people are pushing back on the negativity and exaggeration.

If you can’t make it in liberal California, maybe something is wrong with the approach of empty insults.

[AtomicKitten]

18. Democrats who take corporate money work for their donors, not the people.

Democrats help corporate donors block universal healthcare in California:

http://www.ibtimes.com/political-capital/democrats-help-corporate-donors-block-california-health-care-measure-progressives

Telecom(AT&T)-backed Democrat gutted net neutrality in California:

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/06/20/telecom-backed-democrat-california-just-mutilated-nations-strongest-state-net

[R B Garr]

19. This is what I'm talking about. Empty insults that

don’t reflect what actually happened. They are slanted articles for targeted audiences. Just a quick Google and LA Times provides more info that is not hyperbole meant to sensationalize talking points.

There is info about the single payer proposal which was submitted without numbers.

I was called a corporate Dem, lol. I think people are sick of the exaggerations.

[AtomicKitten]

20. A statement of fact is not an empty insult nor an exaggeration. /nt

[mythology]

21. It is when you don't provide context

The single payer "plan" in California was absolute garbage. It didn't include a funding plan. It was a joke of a plan and the people pushing it should be embarrassed. How is that any different than Republicans passing a tax cut that they pretend will pay for itself with absurdly optimistic revenue generation assumptions?

[AtomicKitten]

23. The "context" you've added is your opinion.

And doesn't change the facts I've presented.

[R B Garr]

25. This is another perfect example of biased or omitted "facts"

You refuse to accept the fact that the single payer funding numbers were omitted because it doesn’t fit your worldview. This kind of bias isn’t fact.

[AtomicKitten]

35. And you ignore the fact that top Democrats in California

... take tons of money from corporations and do their bidding. It is no coincidence that Rendon takes a ton of money from the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry and recently refused to move a Senate-passed universal healthcare bill to the Assembly for a vote, nor that Santiago whose #1 donor is AT&T singlehandedly gutted what was felt to be the gold standard net neutrality bill.

You are welcome to argue on their behalf, but I for one have a huge problem with them taking corporate money and doing their bidding.

[R B Garr]

36. These are just biased talking points, not facts.

You ignore the fact that the numbers were left off the single payer proposal and instead pretend that corporations are somehow responsible. It’s absurd, and people see through it. You are doing just what I said might be the real problem — empty unsubstantiated insults.

[AtomicKitten]

37. They are facts. Apparently unpleasant hard cold facts.

Again you are welcome to argue on their behalf, make excuses for and try to move others off the scent, but corporatists take corporate money and do the bidding of corporations.

This is precisely why good public servants don't take corporate money - because they work for us without the impediment of being beholden to corporate donors - the platform on which Alexandria Ocuna-Cortez won and won big - the platform which many of us care very much about.

Goodnight. The last word is yours.

[R B Garr]

42. They are not facts. They are your interpretations

and glaring omissions, all of which fit a certain campaign. That’s it. The fact that you omit a fact about the lack of funding numbers in the single payer just shows how distorted those views are. That kind of exaggeration looks like it is being rejected.

Look at you trying to pretend I have to “throw people off the scent” — lol, what exaggeration. This just makes people roll their eyes at the absurdity. I just read the news and the fact about the single payer budget numbers being omitted and then I see people blaming corporations, lol.

[R B Garr]

38. Ugh, and I see how you completely distort what Democrats

are doing on net neutrality. Read the names of the Democrats who have called Santiago out! There’s more that I noticed about the bill which you don’t mention and it makes me wonder why.

Please quit distorting issues. This looks to be the problem. I’m glad people in California are on to this.

[R B Garr]

27. Exactly! It was submitted as more of a "values statement".

No numbers were provided. It has been used as a way to attack elected Democrats. Very dishonest. Looks like people in California are on to the deception.

[R B Garr]

24. Only facts that support a biased viewpoint are presented.

Other facts are omitted or misrepresented. Anyway, whatever you say is happening in California is targeted rhetoric.

[Sophia4]

32. It is true. The established Democratic Party is not listening to younger dissenters

and more progressive members. They need to get along, and they aren't. It is very important to make all members feel welcome.

[R B Garr]

34. It is not what happened. One man's campaign is not

what is happening in California if you look beyond biased third party talking points. I’ve seen what you’ve written about Biden, Feinstein, etc. and the anti-Democrat/Establishment slant just as you are pushing now. Hillary solidly won here; Feinstein is solidly ahead. What you are saying doesn’t match reality, sorry.

[joshcryer]

43. We weren't going single payer we were going the way of Germany.

But "muh single payer!"

Either way we were and are eventually going to have universal health care. It's just a talking point from the hostile fringe.

[joshcryer]

41. Those are literally things the Republicans have done...

...what the fuck.

[greyl]

26. Too strong language for someone not in RI. nt

[Tatiana]

22. Kick

Also, thanks to babylonsister for bringing this very important issue to the community's attention. They are trying to fuck over progressive Democrats in Rhode Island -- a place where liberals should be thriving, not anti-choice Trump-supporting Dems (WTF... I can't get over this. What Democrat would vote for Trump?)

This is old-fashioned Rovian/Republican fuckery and we must stand against it.

[RandySF]

28. I gave Moira Walsh $20

[Tatiana]

30. Awesome! I think she will put it to good use.

In order to win we are going to have to send mailers, stuff envelopes, and feed volunteers. Unfortunately, all of these things cost money. A gift of even just a few dollars could make a huge difference in a race like this. Please support me and more importantly support our fight for a stronger neighborhood.

- Moira

This sounds like old-fashioned, solid campaigning. And we need to support candidates who don't want to take corporate or special interest $$$.

[RhodeIslandOne]

33. There is ratfucking going on in my state

I recently received a mailer accusing my State Senator, Jim Seveney of being some "far left extreme" yadda yadda Bernie Sanders loving socialist.

Jim's a good guy, obviously, but he's a pretty rankin file Democrat. I've never heard him advocate for Sanders or many of his positions other than expanding health care and education which most Dems in my part of the state do and I assume he supported Hillary.

This mailer came from something called "The Gaspee Project". I'm trying to investigate them. They claim to be "JFK Democrats" who support the second amendment and I assume Donald Trump.

Here's the bottom line. There are a lot of people who run as Democrats WHO ARE NOT. They are in it for one thing, themselves. They are going to destroy the Democratic party in this state because they are so corrupt they can't see straight. Mattielo (House Speaker) is a scumbag who has openly told people he does not support a lot of progressive issues and I KNOW TOLD A REPUBLICAN FRIEND OF MINE "The Senate is not going to dictate their gay lesbian abortion agenda to me anymore. They got gay marriage now they can shut up!"

I've passed a note along to David Ciccilline about all this. Our Governor Gina Raimondo (who I'm not a fan of) has taken the correct position on this, and better watch out because she will be targeted next. These fuckers are probably hoping to oust her too and put in Republican slimeball Alan Fung to use as a puppet. They've already dug up someone from the past to primary her.

[CentralMass]

39. Of note, Bernie won the Rhode Island primary by around an 11% margin

[RhodeIslandOne]

40. I know

I did not follow what the polls were saying and literally did not make the decision until I got in the booth and put pen to ballot.

[demmiblue]

44. Incredible (but not necessarily surprising given the attacks on liberals/progressives of late).

Shame on them.

[Tom Rinaldo]

46. WTF?!?!?

"State Rep. Marcia Ranglin-Vassell is one of just eight African-Americans in the state legislature and, according to her tally, seven of them are now facing challenges in the Sept. 12 primary.

The liberal high school teacher ousted a 24-year incumbent who served as House majority leader in 2016. Now, the state party has endorsed a professor at a Catholic university who signed a letter supporting Ireland's abortion ban, which was recently overturned.

"Quite frankly, they are not used to women of color, black women, standing up," Ranglin-Vassell said.

Freshman Rep. Moira Jayne Walsh, 27, who has been outspoken about what she sees as a culture of corruption in the State House, lost her party's endorsement to Michael Earnheart, who voted for President Donald Trump."