Local Parties Trade Jabs Over National Election
WETHERSFIELD - A sign, a Facebook post, and then a lengthy round of Town Council meeting public comments brought one Connecticut House candidate’s views on the national election into the spotlight Monday.

       Mayor Paul Montinieri called attention to a Donald Trump lawn sign outside the residence of 28th Assembly District candidate Mike Hurley through a comment posted to the Wethersfield Democratic Town Committee Facebook page, criticizing the current Town Councilor’s show of support for the controversial Republican presidential nominee.

       Members of the Republican Town Committee page responded, referring to the post as a â€"diversion” from state issues such as jobs and the economy, and voices from both sides of the discussion brought the issue to Monday night’s Council meeting.

       Montinieri’s supporters echoed the Mayor’s criticisms regarding recently leaked tapes-in which Trump seems to be boasting about being able to grope women-and one took it even further, going into a litany about the longer string of controversial statements made by the presidential candidate.

       â€"To vote for him is to morally justify his racism and his sexism,” said Marie Alfonso, a resident and member of the Democratic Town Committee. â€"You can’t pick the [positions] you like and discard the ones you don’t when making the decision to elect the president of the United States.”

       Alfonso also spoke out against controversial comments Trump has made regarding Syrian refugees, U.S. District Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel, Senator and former POW John McCain, along with others.

       Town resident David DeCarli had a different take, asking Montinieri if he supports Democratic Presidential Nominee Hillary Clinton in light of allegations regarding her use of a private email server while conducting State Department business.

       â€"Are you the same?” DeCarli said. â€"I don’t think so, but that’s why I ask.”

       During a phone conversation the next day, Montinieri said that he has not decided on whether or not to support Clinton, and that he has â€"his own concerns” about the candidate.

       DeCarli said that he didn’t think it was fair to use allegations regarding Trump as a measurement of Hurley’s character.

       â€"Last I checked, Trump has not been convicted, so to paint Hurley in that light I think is irresponsible,” DeCarli said.

       â€"In that video, he [Trump] indicates that he is okay with sexual assault, so whether he’s done it or not is irrelevant to me,” Montinieri said over the phone. â€"I believe it disqualified Trump for office, and Mike’s endorsement needs to be raised.”

       Hurley waited until the Councilor comments to chime in on the discussion surrounding the post-which asks if â€"we should consider a State Representative who condones sexual assault”.

       â€"To respond to Mayor Montinieri, I do not condone sexual assault,” Hurley said.

       Over the phone the next day, Montinieri said that his post was not meant to imply that, but simply to raise the issue of Hurley’s expressed support for Trump-which he feels is â€"fair ground for evaluating his run for the [House] seat”.

       He pointed to the fact that national Republican figures such as Paul Ryan have joined Trump's growing list of detractors.

       After Monday night’s meeting, Hurley played the post off as â€"gutter politics to try and get his friend [incumbent legislator Russ Morin] elected”.

      

      

      
STORY BY MARK DIPAOLA   |  Oct 20 2016  |  COMMENTS?