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Republican operatives are attempting to link vulnerable Democrats to progressive members calls to disband police departments and reduce their budgets as they look to flip key swing districts in November.

Top progressive lawmakers and outside groups have called for substantial changes to the structure of U.S. law enforcement after thedeath of George Floyd, an unarmed black man in Minneapolis who died during an arrest after a police officer knelt on his neck.

Rep. Ilhan OmarIlhan OmarNRCC turns up heat on vulnerable Democrats over Omar's call to abolish police Top progressive lawmaker unveils bill requiring national police training standards Pelosi demands Trump clarify deployment of unidentified law enforcement in DC MORE (D-Minn.) tweeted Friday: The Minneapolis Police Department has proven themselves beyond reform. Its time to disband them and reimagine public safety in Minneapolis."

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-CortezAlexandria Ocasio-CortezNRCC turns up heat on vulnerable Democrats over Omar's call to abolish police Overnight Energy: US Park Police say 'tear gas' statements were 'mistake' | Trump to reopen area off New England coast for fishing | Vulnerable Republicans embrace green issues Engel primary challenger hits million in donations MORE (D-N.Y.) also took to social media to blast New Yorks police budget, tweeting: If police budgets bought peace, the $6 billion NYPD budget wouldve bought the most sophisticated de-escalatory operation in the world. Clearly, it didnt.

The Minneapolis Police Department has proven themselves beyond reform.

Its time to disband them and reimagine public safety in Minneapolis.

Thank you to @MplsWard3 for your leadership on this! https://t.co/AQfHM5M6eR

Last night the NYPD Sergeants union *publicly threatened the mayors daughter* while they held her.

Indefensible.

If police budgets bought peace, the $6 *billion* NYPD budget wouldve bought the most sophisticated de-escalatory operation in the world.

Clearly, it didnt. https://t.co/wjl8MG059w

Republicans have slammed the proposal, arguing that while bad actors like those responsible for Floyds death should be held accountable, they believe that defunding and disbanding the police goes too far. A number of Democrats, including Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Karen BassKaren Ruth BassNRCC turns up heat on vulnerable Democrats over Omar's call to abolish police House Judiciary Committee to hold hearing on police brutality next week Minority caucuses call for quick action on police reform MORE (D-Calif.), also said they dont agree with calls to defund law enforcement.

"No, I don't believe that we should defund police departments," she said at apress conference on Wednesday.

While the Democratic party is not in agreement over the issue, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), the House GOP's campaign arm, and outside groups like the Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF) are looking to seize on progressives comments by taking aim at those representing purple districts, many of which flipped during the midterm election cycle.

Of all of the things these insane Democrats have tried to abolish, this may be the most dangerously insane one yet, NRCC spokesman Chris Pack said in a statement. Whats next, the fire department?

While the Democratic lawmakers and candidates being targeted have not publicly weighed in on the topic, the NRCC has taken to social media and sent out numerous email blasts targeting members.

[Rep.] Tom MalinowskiThomas (Tom) MalinowskiNRCC turns up heat on vulnerable Democrats over Omar's call to abolish police Gun control group rolls out House endorsements Human Rights Campaign rolls out congressional endorsements on Equality Act anniversary MORE (D-N.J.) is honored to have the support of Indivisible, an extreme liberal group that wants to defund the police. Malinowski has even gone so far to say the group is 'essential to a healthy democracy',"it sent in a mass email on Thursday.

And CLF, the main House Republican super PAC, has employed similar tactics, highlighting donations made by Omar to vulnerable members campaigns.

WillRep. Underwood stay silent about her top donor [Omar]'s support of defunding the police? WillUnderwood push to defundChicago Police as well? the group tweeted, referring to Rep. Lauren UnderwoodLauren UnderwoodNRCC turns up heat on vulnerable Democrats over Omar's call to abolish police Julin Castro launches PAC to support progressive candidates Gun control group rolls out House endorsements MORE (D-Ill.), whom Omar has supported.

Will @RepUnderwood stay silent about her top donor @IlhanMN's support of defunding the police? Will @LaurenUnderwood push to defund @Chicago_Police as well? https://t.co/ljEng9EBb7 #ILpolitics #IL14 https://t.co/8trZRfwd2y

Attempting to connect moderates with progressive policies has been a leading component in the GOPs strategy in its efforts to take back control of the lower chamber.

While at times the NRCCs aggressive messaging tactics have come under fire, the group has asserted it needs to take a bold approach if theGOP is going to flip back the House.

Democratic lawmakers have vowed to take bold legislative action to prevent police brutality, but it is unclear whether any of the bills will include language to change the funding mechanisms for police departments.

Well, I did hear of Los Angeles, that's about almost onetenth of the budget, it's about $1.3ish billion, so that would be onetenth of that,"Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiNRCC turns up heat on vulnerable Democrats over Omar's call to abolish police Shocking job numbers raise hopes for quicker recovery Engel primary challenger hits million in donations MORE (D-Calif.) said at a press conference on Thursday when asked about thecity'splan to divert $150 million fromLAPD to various other programs. "Again, I'd refer to the Congressional Black Caucus as to how they want to prioritize. Its a question of curating some of these... overlap, prioritizing and then deciding in how many different bills will they appear."

Some of them may have some bipartisan support right away and others may need some more work in that regard," she added. "So we shall see.

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NRCC turns up heat on vulnerable Democrats over Omar's call to abolish police | TheHill - The Hill

Theres no question that the chair of the Sumter County Democratic Executive Committee operates with a specific theory in mind David vs. Goliath.

At 5-foot-2-inches tall, Cathie Hardy literally has to step up to podiums and oftentimes needs a step stool. But if ones not available, she quickly overcomes that challenge by grabbing the microphone and walking in front of the stage.

Cathie Hardy, chair of the Sumter County Democratic Executive Committee, displays the Golden Gavel award her group received at the 2019 Democratic State Party convention. The award is given for the best vote-by-mail campaign conducted by a small county.

Frankly, David vs. Goliath is a metaphor that describes Hardys entire life.

That was never more evident than when she accepted the job of leading the Sumter County Democratic Executive Committee. She didnt hesitate to take on the challenge in a county where Democrats are outnumbered by Republicans by more than a 2-to-1 ratio.

With the help of her committee members, Hardy has guided the furnishing and staffing of the party headquarters at 300 S. Main St. in Wildwood. Volunteers staff the front desk, dealing with a daily barrage of phone calls and walk-in traffic.

Volunteers also make door-to-door visits and man a call center daily. They contact registered Democrats and urge them to vote by mail and offer special greetings on their birthdays. And they have participated in fun days when Mahjong-playing members of the Democratic Womens Club gathered for social activities.

Hardy readily admits that although she was active in the Democratic organization, she had a lot to learn when she took on the job as chair of the executive committee. But utilizing knowledge gained in previous administrative positions, she leaned on her existing board and added to the volunteer base, utilizing their knowledge and skills.

In the 2018 election, candidates popped into Sumter County on short notice, often requesting that Hardy invite people to attend their appearances. Several groups used the headquarters for news conferences. Taking note, Hardy upgraded the public address system and podium to maximize candidate appearances in the 2020 election campaign.

With the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, the headquarters closed in March. But that didnt shut down the work Hardy and company needed to accomplish. With cell phones provided by the executive committee, volunteers stepped up the pace and made thousands of calls to Sumter County Democrats with the vote-by-mail suggestion.

On a high note, Sumter County Democrats made a strong showing in the 2018 election, which earned the executive committee the Golden Gavel award at the 2019 Democratic State Party convention. The award is given for the best vote-by-mail campaign conducted by a small county.

Hardy also takes pride in her support for the creation of a newsletter, which is e-mailed to up to 4,000 Sumter County Democrats each week. Another high point was a gala that drew Lilly Ledbetter as speaker. A fair pay act passed by Congress bears Ledbetters name, a tribute to her battle with the Goodyear Tire Co. after she discovered she was being paid far less than men doing the same job. And an upcoming virtual gala will be highlighted by guest speaker Congresswoman Val Demmings.

The Villages Democratic Club technically comes under the jurisdiction of the executive committee but has its own leadership and guides its own programs. As previous county chairs have done, Hardy points with pride to the clubs position as the largest Democratic club in the state.

With the numbers heavily stacked against her, Hardy says she knows getting a Democrat elected to a local or state office will be a challenge. But she also knows the votes generated in Sumter County will have an impact in the November presidential election a reminder to her that David defeated Goliath.

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Top Sumter Democrat brings 'David vs. Goliath' mentality to the table every day - Villages-News

AUSTIN (KXAN) The two Democrats vying for an opportunity to unseat U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, stepped onto the debate stage Saturday evening.

The Nexstar Media Group debate between M.J. Hegar and Texas State Sen. Royce West began at 6 p.m. at the KXAN studios in Austin. It was their only scheduled face-to-face meeting ahead of the July 14 runoff election.

Hegar, an Air Force veteran, garnered 22% of votes in the March Democratic Primary, while West picked up 14%. The winner of the runoff election will face Sen. Cornyn in November. Cornyn has represented Texas in Washington, D.C. since 2002 and is a three-term incumbent.

KXAN-TV news anchors Sally Hernandez and Robert Hadlock, as well as Dallas Morning News political writer Gromer Jeffers Jr., moderated the hour-long debate and posed questions to the candidates collected from viewers around Texas.

Ahead of the debate, State of Texas anchor Josh Hinkle, Nexstar Media Texas Bureau Reporter Wes Rapaport and digital anchor Will DuPree discussed the most important considerations for Hegar and West when it comes to the November election.

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Democrats vying to unseat Sen. Cornyn debate ahead of runoff election - KFDX - Texomashomepage.com

It all started with a 19-year-old college student from Queens.

Aaron Fernando, a rising junior honors student at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, told CNN on Tuesday he began compiling police union campaign donations to New York Democrats the day before George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis last week.

When news of Floyd's death gripped the nation, though, Fernando said he felt compelled to share what otherwise may have been a side project for his own personal use.

"I've been looking at state finance disclosures for candidates in New York and I was noticing a lot of police money, law enforcement money taken by Democrats claiming to be against it," he said. "I was making this spreadsheet. Then (the death of) George Floyd happened -- so many people responded and it got, like, a hundred likes in a couple hours? So people wanted to see this."

"Your contributors are a reflection of who you are," he said. "I think it's fair to ask politicians to take money that aligns with the values they espouse. If you're going to fight to end solitary confinement in New York, you shouldn't be taking money from corrections officers."

New York Democratic officials respond

Among the most notable politicians to reallocate their campaign donations is New York State Sen. Michael Gianaris, who says he donated $16,650 in contributions to bail funds and mutual aid after Fernando's spreadsheet made the rounds.

"I thought this was an important thing to do," Gianaris said. "Others can decide for themselves. We're held accountable by the people we represent. I'm the deputy majority leader and highest-ranking senator from New York City, so I have a special obligation to take a stand, given what happened and what we continue to see on the streets every day."

"It's outrageous to suggest someone's public safety should be put in danger," he said. "We're not in a political alliance with law enforcement. That mentality highlights that we have a systemic problem."

Catalina Cruz, a New York state assemblywoman, said it was a mistake to take the money and that she is giving it to bail funds.

"Nobody questioned where I stood, but it was me proactively saying no one should question where I stood," she said. "I'm not going to allow anyone to question where I stand -- not even going to give it a chance. I said, 'Let's give back the money.'"

Others, such as Assemblywoman Karines Reyes, said she hadn't even realized she had taken police contributions.

"The contributions don't necessarily come from police officers," Reyes said. "They come from an organization whose sole purpose is to protect police officers even when they're in the wrong -- oftentimes when they are in the wrong. And that is counterintuitive to accountability. There is no profession where you can kill somebody without being accountable."

Reyes said her constituents made clear that they didn't want their representatives taking police money anymore, which Fernando said he "never thought" would happen when he first made the spreadsheet.

"I couldn't do anything without those people on the street," he said. "Without those protests, it wouldn't have had the momentum to take notice.

"Black Lives Matter was in the back of (politicians') minds and now it's pushed to the front," he said. "That's the way I see it."

Link:
A 19-year-old called out New York Democrats accepting police campaign donations. To his surprise, many have listened - CNN

East Lyme Town Democrats have organized a peaceful rally and vigil to take place at noon Saturday at the Samuel M. Peretz Park at Bridebrook, 221 West Main St.

The event seeks to honor the lives of George Floyd and Breonna Taylorwhile alsostanding "in solidarity with Black Indigenous People of Color in the fight against racism, the fight for social justice and to support the reform necessary to break the cycle of brutality that led to their, and countless other deaths," according to a Facebook post about the event.

Floyd is the blackman who died lastmonth after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into his neck during an arrest, andTayloris a black womanfatally shot in her own home by Louisville Metro Police Department officers in March.

Confirmed speakers at the event will include Dr. Terrlyn L. Currey, founder of Sacred Intelligence; Jean Jordan, a retired teacher and president of the New London NAACP; Janelle Posey-Green, a social worker who recently created the CT Black Mental Health Forum to support the emotional needs of the local black community; Tariko Satterfield, an entrepreneur; Kevin Booker Jr., founder of Booker Empowerment, and Elizabeth Allen, a licensed clinical social worker with extensive experience onsubstance abuse, complex trauma and forensic settings.

Those coming to the event are asked to wear a mask and follow social distancing measures.

m.biekert@theday.com

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East Lyme Democrats to host peaceful rally and vigil Saturday - theday.com