Amid bipartisan calls for quelling divisive political rhetoric, Connecticut Democratic leaders are calling comments by state GOP Chairman Ben Proto about Vice President Kamala Harris “lowbrow race-baiting” and demeaning.Proto made the comments about Harris during an interview with Connecticut Public’s Frankie Graziano on The Wheelhouse, saying she wasn’t qualified to be either vice president or president.“Kamala Harris was chosen for a reason and it had absolutely nothing to do with her ability to be the next president of the United States, to be the vice president of the United States,” said Ben Proto, the state GOP chair, on Connecticut Public’s “The Wheelhouse.”“It was clearly gender and racial politics that were put in play by the Democrats, and as a result they have a person sitting a heartbeat away from the presidency who really is not capable of serving in that role,” he said.Proto said voters are also even more concerned about Harris being president, noting that “she giggles when asked a question because she doesn’t have an answer.”On X, formerly known as Twitter, said Proto’s comments shouldn’t be tolerated.“Chairman Proto’s comments about Vice President Harris are despicable and we should expect leaders in Connecticut to speak with more respect and decency,” Russell wrote.“The underlying sentiment, on full display at this week’s Republican Convention, that no person of color is independently worthy of high-ranking jobs, is just racism,” Russell wrote. “I’m so discouraged and disheartened that this lazy and plain-spoken bigotry is tolerated within our politics. … To have the Chair of our state’s Republican Party resorting to lowbrow race-baiting is beyond disappointing and shouldn’t be tolerated.”Senate President Martin M. Looney and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff also issued a joint statement addressing Proto’s comments.“We wish it were surprising that the leader of the Connecticut Republican Party — a political party that has spent the last week shamelessly groveling at the feet of a convicted felon — has now attacked the qualifications of Vice President Kamala Harris solely because she is a Black woman,” they wrote.“Vice President Harris’ resume includes decades of public service in roles such as U.S. Senator, Attorney General of California, and San Francisco District Attorney. The candidacy of a woman with a track record of upholding the law must be an uncomfortable thought for the leaders of a political party that has devolved into a cult-like worship of a convicted felon whose lasting legacy includes stripping away the rights of women across America and ballooning our national debt in order to fund tax breaks for the rich.”The comments come as the party weighs whether Harris would be the party’s nominee, should President Joe Biden yield to increasing calls to step aside.Some GOP voters welcome Trump’s somewhat softened tone at Republican National Convention
Originally Published: July 19, 2024 at 3:28 p.m.
sekar nallalu Connecticut News,Cryptocurrency,Election,National Politics,News,Politics Dems call CT GOP chair’s comments about Kamala Harris ‘demeaning,’ ‘lowbrow race-baiting’