It’s OK apparently to offer false solutions to serious
problems – a national replication of Connecticut’s gun restrictions will not
prevent mass slaughters such as happened at a Country and Western concert in
Las Vegas – but profiting politically from wading in blood may be a bridge too
far.
Concerning U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy’s most recent campaign
money grab, Kevin Rennie writes in a Hartford paper, “If a politician is going to try to raise money off the
dead and wounded of the Las Vegas slaughter only hours after the attack, be
honest about it. U.S. Senator Christopher Murphy wants the money but wrapped
his fundraising appeal in a deceptive request of support for control advocates.
Murphy’s Monday email sought contributions for Americans for Responsible
Solutions PAC, Everytown and Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. When
supporters clicked through to the Act Blue donation site, there was a fourth
organization splitting contributions, Murphy’s re-election campaign.”
Incumbent politicians rolling in campaign dough is one thing:
Federal Election Commission reports indicate that Murphy presently has a
campaign war chest of a little over $5 million and rising. Blumenthal, recently
re-elected, already has $164,367 in his campaign kitty. No opposition party challenger
can meet these figures, which is why incumbents roll in money for as long as they
continue in office. Rolling in blood money, however, is still frowned upon in
some quarters.
Four years ago, a newspaper commended Governor Dannel Malloy and U.S. Senators Dick Blumenthal and Chris Murphy for providing a public platform to victims'
families. Far from politicizing a tragedy, the mass murder of school children
in Newtown, the politicians were “helping [to] give voice to the victims' families.
[Governor] Malloy went so far as to send
public Twitter messages to U.S. senators who were blocking a vote on gun
legislation, asking that they return phone calls from the daughter of
murdered Sandy Hook Elementary School Principal Dawn Hochsprung.”
This noble effort
was followed by a pitch for campaign funds. The paper noted: "'In the wake of the horror of
the December 14, 2012, massacre of 20 beautiful children and 6 dedicated
educators,’ Blumenthal is asking supporters to send money to his 2016
re-election campaign! ‘As your senator, I will continue fighting for the rights
of all the people, not the special interests. But I need your help,’ Blumenthal
wrote in an email to supporters Thursday morning. ‘Please contribute $5 now as
the Senate debate continues on common-sense gun reform legislation this week.’”
This craven grab for
blood money produced an editorial rebuke: “Using the ‘horror’ of the ‘massacre
of 20 beautiful children’ at a time when critical legislation honoring their
memory is at stake to beg for $5 for your next political campaign is as
tasteless as it gets.”
Asked if he thought
he was misusing the victims of the Sandy Hook massacre, Blumenthal sought to
defend the money grab the paper had characterized as “disgusting." The money, the paper reported, "is
not for one of the relief funds set up to help victims' families, or to fund
mental health services, or to support autism research.”
Blumenthal said he
regularly taps people for campaign contributions. “I have been immersed in
seeking to achieve an end to gun violence. I have been immersed in advocating
for sensible common sense preventive measures dealing with gun violence. This
outreach is done regularly and usually about the work I am doing in the Senate.
Gun violence has been the work I have been doing in the past weeks."
And Murphy rose to
Blumenthal’s defense. "People want to support the work that we do,” said
Connecticut’s Junior Senator. “And right now people supporting the work we are
doing is on this bill."
The paper noted that
Blumenthal “had no comment when asked if it was insensitive or whether he
specifically authorized it.” Silence, as they say in the legal profession,
signifies assent.
Asked the same
question, then Republican Party Chairman Jerry Labriola remarked, “The Newtown tragedy engendered shock and
sympathy across the world -- two emotions that are now and will always be felt
keenly by the greater Newtown community and citizens across the country.
Senator Blumenthal's fundraising appeal was at best insensitive. I would also
say it was ill-timed, but I cannot imagine a time when such an appeal would be
appropriate."
Labriola was right,
but modern politicians are not Henry Clay, Abraham Lincoln’s favorite politician,
who said “I’d rather be right than be President.” Most run of the mill politicians
would rather be senators than right, even if they have to wade through blood
money to get there.
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