Channeling Donald Trump, Republican State Chairman JR Romano declares, “Let’s not forget that we have a secretary of the state that’s registering non-citizens, which you know. When someone checks off that they’re a U.S. citizen, the question is does the secretary of the state check that they’re a citizen? The answer is no. So you’re on your honor.” Show proof of wrongdoing, responds Connecticut Secretary of the State Denise Merrill’s spokesman Gabe Rosenberg. In the penultimate weekend to the Nov. 6 general election, expect charges and countercharges as Democrat Ned Lamont and Republican Bob Stefanowski hit the home stretch in their poll-tight race for governor.
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The state Republican Party and surrogates for Stefanowski will engage a poll monitoring operation election day which could become dicey in urban areas where GOP insiders hope for a low turnout.
From the Hartford Courant’s Neil Vigdor:
“This is the same type of reckless political attack that we have seen across the country, designed to divide Americans on the eve of an election, but it won’t work here in Connecticut,” Rosenberg said. “If the Republican chairman has some evidence of people being registered improperly, I would expect him to file a complaint with the state Elections Enforcement Commission. If not, it is irresponsible, although not terribly surprising, for him to sacrifice Connecticut voters’ faith in their elections in favor of some perceived, fleeting political gain.”
Merrill, who has been secretary of the state since 2011, is running for a third term against Republican Susan Chapman.
In 2017, she blocked a request by Trump’s voter fraud commission for the personal information of the state’s 2.1 million voters. She also is involved in a multi-state lawsuit against the Trump administration opposing the inclusion of a citizenship question on the 2020 U.S. Census.
… While we don’t comment on campaign strategy, J.R. Romano is adopting xenophobic, anti-immigrant talking points peddled by a president who thinks there are ‘two sides’ to racism,” said Christina Polizzi, a Democratic Party spokeswoman. “It’s a disgrace.”
Full story here.
Republicans always cry foul come election time. Bunch of sob sisters. Hey Romano, do your party a favor. Grow a pair and act like a man.
Connecticut is one of the states that issues a ‘Drive Only’ license for people who cannot produce proof of who they are. They are undocumented, likely because they are in the United States without permission.
The CT DMV license registration and renewal process has apparent weaknesses that may allow a ‘Drive Only’ license holder to become a registered voter.
Is it happening? Romano is saying (in an accusatory way)it is possible and laying it at the feet of the current Secretary of State who oversees voter registration.
Merril’s track record of blocking a voter fraud commission request and participation in a lawsuit opposing inclusion of a citizenship question in the next U.S. census suggests a bias consistent with the Democrat Party national strategy.
Tom White I notice that you have no problem with voters “suppression,” like in Georgia, Michigan, Texas and there are many more states that are blocking black and brown people from voting.
Well here we go again, Tom (being) White. It’s not the Secretary of State’s job to prove that it’s not happening it’s incumbent upon JR Ramano to offer some empirical evidence that it is indeed happening.
Republicans have a choice: They can change their policies to appeal to voters of color or find a way to suppress their votes. They have chosen the latter. Thank you Secretary of State Denise Merrill for upholding the rights of Connecticut residents to vote, irrespective of fools like JR Ramano and Tom (being) White.
Latinos have been making inroads in the GOP. Rubio, Cruz, et al.
Cubans such as Rubio and Cruz do not consider themselves LatinX. Cruz also has Irish and Italian heritage.
The GOP is not my father’s party, not anymore. Mitch McConnell ought to be ashamed of himself for supporting the orange ass clown.
The Registered Republican voters are outnumbered three to one in Bridgeport. Rightly so. The Connecticut GOP has neglected the cities in favor of suburban expansion. Now all the education dollars go to Simsbury, Avon, Trumbull, Milford, and other bedroom communities while Bridgeport, Hartford, Waterbury and New Haven get something between jack and shit.
Lamont is smart to make a deal with the Ganim/Testa machine. Maybe Joe will wring a few commitments out of him.
Day and Mackey do not hesitate to make statements that have no foundation in fact. They are allowed to make comments that suggest that I (and others) embrace something they have no proof of.
Is Mackey accusing me of blocking black and brown people from voting?
Then we have Day who attempts to make profound-sounding statements that expose a very biased view.
I hope that Lennie’s revamping of the OIB blog includes some guidelines for the statements that are posted.
Tom White, there you go again, Tom White being white, you are a liar, I didn’t say anything about you doing anything because you don’t have any power to do anything.
That is a typical GOP response, Tom. “I don’t like what they said about me, mommy. Make them stop.” The Constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech that allows you to spout bullshit rhetoric and “alternate facts” allows the rest of us to point out the hypocrisy in YOUR statements.
Tom(being) White how is my views any more biased than your views?
Republicans have a choice: They can change their policies to appeal to voters of color or find a way to suppress their votes.
I beg to differ Tom(being) White, that is profound as hell. C’mon man.
Don, Tom White is a victim of blacks ruling America and President 45 is his only hope so he has everything invested in 45 making America great again for whites like American has always been until blacks started voting. America was great with free black labor they built America.
Don, here is a little history of how the Republican Party really started to hate blacks from The New York Times.
“Haldeman Diary Shows Nixon Was Wary of Blacks and Jews”
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSMAY 18, 1994
The diaries of H. R. Haldeman, President Richard M. Nixon’s chief of staff until the Watergate scandal prompted Mr. Nixon to dismiss him, include references to Mr. Nixon’s believing that there was “total Jewish domination of the media” and that “the whole problem is really the blacks.”
In one entry, Mr. Haldeman, referring to the President as “P,” said: “P emphasized that you have to face the fact that the whole problem is really the blacks. The key is to devise a system that recognizes this while not appearing to. Pointed out that there has never in history been an adequate black nation, and they are the only race of which this is true. Says Africa is hopeless. The worst there is Liberia, which we built.”
The Republican Party’s racial bias can also be traced to when the Dixiecrats of the south switched parties from Democrat to Republican thanks to LBJ’s approval of civil rights legislation.
This is proof positive to me that no powerful politician in Washington cares about people that look like me.
J.R is kinda cute
His “Who Lost GE” strategy was a bust though.
J.R is not a Trump-er. He is more of a Libertarian but he has to go with the Trump flow.Too bad
Romano “… has to go with the Trump flow…” Are you on glue? No one is holding a gun to his head. No one is forcing McConnell, Ryan, et al, to toe the line. Get real. Why is it no one in the GOP has the mind and balls to stand up to the Orange Fruitcake?
Derek..take it easy.. I was at the Harborview Market/Stefanowski event and I was looking for you.
J.R. did not show up at the Harborview Market/Stefanowski event.