Virginia
Related: About this forumVA-02 Dem Candidate Shaun Brown Hits DCCC, Says She Will Run for Congress as Independent
I get the frustration in VA-02 with the DCCC foolishly weighing in the way they have for one candidate (Elaine Luria, who voted for Rep. Scott Taylor not once but TWICE in 2016). Having said that, I do NOT believe that its at all helpful for a Democrat (e.g., Shaun Brown; see statement below) to run as an independent in the general election, as this could be a very close race in November, where even 1% or 2% bleeding off from the Democratic nominee to the independent progressive candidate could hand reelection to the Republican, Scott Taylor. That would, to be blunt about it, suck. (Also note that a similar situation has happened in VA-07, where Helen Alli dropped out of the Democratic primary and announced shell be running as an independent, also in a district where the election in November could be VERY close
) Lowell
Statement: Second Congressional District Candidate Shaun Brown
Today, I announce my intention to enter the November general
election and not participate in the Democratic Primary on June 12th
for the second congressional district since a democratic nominee has
already been pre-selected by the Democratic Congressional Campaign
Committee (DCCC). This has minimized the voice of voters. My fight
for fairness for you starts now as the DCCCs decision not only does
not respect the voice of the voter, it goes to the core of who we are
here in Virginia, the birthplace of our democracy. Democratic primary
candidates in the second congressional race like myself would
ultimately pay for an election that has been pre-determined. I believe
that a fair primary election would have been best for all with all of
us coming together to support the winner.
Next year we will celebrate the 400th hundredth anniversary of the
first representative government in this New World and the landing of
the first Africans here in the second congressional district both in
1619. No one but the people should choose who the people are. Thats
democracy.
I am running to bring about meaningful change to our district and to
our nation. That includes but is not limited to: Fair Elections,
Comprehensive Commonsense Gun Reform , Protecting and taking care of
our Veterans because they protect us every single day and ensuring
that our Seniors who have worked their entire lives do not live in
poverty after they retire.
Read more: https://bluevirginia.us/2018/03/va-02-dem-candidate-shaun-brown-hits-dccc-says-she-will-run-for-congress-as-independent
Bleacher Creature
(11,257 posts)GaryCnf
(1,399 posts)In a general election, I just won't vote for an independent when there is a viable Democrat in the race. That costs elections and lives.
That being said, the DCCC's "Washington knows best," money-driven, contra-democratic manipulation of the primaries drives essential constituencies out of our party. That costs elections and lives.
58Sunliner
(4,398 posts)GaryCnf
(1,399 posts)joined in the assault on ACORN instead of standing up for black people fighting for black people.
The indictment is a f'ing accusation made by the Trump Justice Department AFTER it had been resolved by state officials.
I wonder why anyone would assume there was something to this? What possible reason is there?
58Sunliner
(4,398 posts)Shaun Brown, 58, was indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury in Norfolk on charges of wire fraud and theft of government property. The scheme lasted at least nine months in 2012, according to the indictment, and involved more than $400,000 in fraudulent reimbursements. But feel free to proceed with your claims of racism? Even if the facts don't support your claim.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/failed-va-congressional-candidate-accused-of-fraud/2017/12/20/ef5d695a-e5cf-11e7-833f-155031558ff4_story.html?utm_term=.6531ec9aec96
GaryCnf
(1,399 posts)with NO criminal action at the state level and became a criminal matter ONLY in 2017 under Sessions.
Of, course, that fact seems to have escaped you.
58Sunliner
(4,398 posts)How can the state set aside federal charges?? It was related to a federal program, not a state one.
"Brown worked in 2011 and 2012 for a nonprofit called JOBS Community Outreach Development Corp. that worked with the U.S. Department of Agricultures Summer Food Service Program to provide meals to low-income children during school breaks. Prosecutors say that Brown and others directed employees to fill out fake forms inflating the number of meals served and would then pocket the extra funds."
Apparently the overage was caught by an audit in 2013-14.
GaryCnf
(1,399 posts)It's similar in that sense to Medicaid, known here in Tennessee as TennCare. The state and the federal government are separate sovereigns. As such, where they have concurrent jurisdiction, such as here, both may prosecute or not. Here, Virginia looked at this and determined that it was nothing more than an administrative matter. After that was done, Sessions stepped in and went to the grand jury anyway.
Under Obama, this would have fallen under the Justice Department petit policy and because it had already been handled by in sovereign, Virginia, would have been dropped.
58Sunliner
(4,398 posts)GaryCnf
(1,399 posts)The accusations made against her were in essence that she was instructing poor claimants to make false statements in order to get payments that were beyond what were permitted under law. ACORN was falsely accused of doing exactly the same thing as it relates to housing. In both cases, centrist Democrats barely waited for the starting gun before running away from anything that might be used to accuse them of going easy on blacks.
The only difference here is that the DCCC apparently thinks "It's okay to throw this 'ACORN' under the bus because anything is permissible when it comes to stomping out the 'far left.'"
58Sunliner
(4,398 posts)Big difference. i saw what you did by trying to smear me as racist for bringing it up . BS on you.
GaryCnf
(1,399 posts)As for what you have been accused of, I have said nothing more than that you have taken the same position as many in our party did when it came to ACORN.
I'm not sure I would call that racism. What would you call it?