Category Archives: Democrat

PHOENIX A Gilbert lawmaker called "a little bit disingenuous" a Tucson Democrats contention that she hid Bibles at the Arizona Capitol as a peaceful protest.

Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton has publicly stated she was trying to make a "playful'' point about the separation of church and state when she moved the Bibles that normally are in the members' lounge, putting them at various times underneath the cushions of chairs and, at one point, in a refrigerator.

And she said she was trying to start a "conversation'' about the issue, though she conceded that should have started with talking to someone and not hiding the books.

But Rep. Travis Grantham, R-Gilbert, one of three Republicans on the five-member House Ethics Committee, said during Thursday's hearing the explanation about a protest doesn't ring true.

"I find it a little bit disingenuous,'' he said.

"How is having a Bible sitting on a table somehow a violation of church and state?'' Grantham asked. "Did she feel like she was being coerced to follow a certain religion?''

Rep. Justin Heap, R-Mesa, one of three Republicans who filed the complaint with the committee, acknowledged he did not witness Stahl Hamilton's actions in hiding the Bibles that are in the members' lounge, the last of three incidents caught April 10 on a hidden camera set up by House staff.

But he said Thursday he was still offended after the videotape became public and the issue gained national attention. And Heap said he believes some action against Stahl Hamilton is appropriate.

"What was particularly disturbing to me is not simply that these Bibles were removed but the photos of where these Bibles were placed, in a refrigerator and under the cushions of chairs where I and other members and lobbyists sit,'' he told the Ethics Committee.

"I sit in those chairs,'' Heap said.

"So now I have to deal with the question of, at some point while these Bibles were missing, was I sitting on my own sacred text?''

Republicans on the House Ethics Committee sought to question Stahl Hamilton Thursday on her claim that her decision to hide Bibles amounted to a joke and a peaceful protest.

But she wasn't there, having made what she told Capitol Media Services was a decision not to attend on "the advice of my excellent lawyers.''

And that left the members of the GOP-dominated panel frustrated as they decide whether to recommend some punishment for her.

Rep. Joseph Chaplik, R-Scottsdale, who chairs the panel, acknowledged she was under no obligation to appear personally. And he said he won't hold that against her when recommending what punishment, if any, is appropriate.

"But I think it would have been more effective for her if she was here to give some light to some of our questions that were directed directly at her,'' Chaplik told Capitol Media Services after the hearing.

He said a final decision will come after lawmakers consult with attorneys to determine if her actions rise to the level of violating House ethics rules on the conduct of members, with a target of June 12 to make a recommendation to the full House.

Rep. Jennifer Longdon of Phoenix, one of the two Democrats on the panel, pointed out to Heap that Stahl Hamilton publicy apologized and asked him if he accepted that.

"I do appreciate her apology, but it can't be escaped that apology came only after the actions had been known, she was informed this had been caught on video and that this became an issue of national concern,'' Heap said.

"So that does put a shadow over the sincerity of the apology though if she is sincere I accept it,'' he continued. "But I think that question is irrelevant to the question of was her behavior appropriate.''

Grantham also raised questions about what he said, using air quotes, was her "apology.''

"She didn't apologize for the action,'' he said. "She apologized for the offense of anyone who thought that action was inappropriate.''

Rodriguez said Stahl Hamilton meant no disrespect to the House.

"However, she also has the utmost respect for her First Amendment rights to engage in peaceful protest,'' he said. "And we would describe what she did as a peaceful protest.''

Wed like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.

Howard Fischer

@azcapmedia

@azcapmedia

Mr. Fischer, a longtime award-winning Arizona journalist, is founder and operator of Capitol Media Services.

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Gilbert, Mesa lawmakers unimpressed with Democrat's reason for ... - Daily Independent

[W]e have come over time to see the flaws in our nations justice system and to view the states death penalty laws in particular as legally and morally troubling, wrote two former governors of Alabama in an op-ed for the Washington Post. Republican Robert Bentley (pictured, right) and Democrat Don Siegelman (pictured, left) agree that the 146 people whose death sentences were imposed by non-unanimous juries or judicial override should have their sentences commuted.We missed our chance to confront the death penalty and have lived to regret it, they wrote, but it is not too late for todays elected officials to do the morally right thing.

In support of their recommendation, the authors acknowledged the racist underpinnings of non-unanimous verdicts as a Jim Crow practice dating from the 1870s. Alabama had been the only state to allow a person to be sentenced to death by this legal relic. They noted 115 people were sentenced to die by non-unanimous jury verdicts, and an additional 31 people were sentenced to death by judges who overrode jury recommendations for life. The authors cited research by the Equal Justice Initiative that indicates judicial overrides may have been influenced by judges political concerns. Judicial overrides made up 7 percent of death sentences in a nonelection year but rose to 30 percent when Alabama judges ran for reelection.

The former governors recommend that the 146 people sentenced under the outlier practices of non-unanimity and judicial override receive reduced sentences, and that an independent review unit should be established to examine all capital murder convictions.

The governors also discuss the link between official misconduct and wrongful convictions, pointing to the exoneration of Walter McMillian, as well as the cases of two men on death row who may be innocent and whose sentences involved both misconduct and outlier sentencing practices.Toforest Johnson was sentenced to death by a non-unanimous jury after prosecutors withheld evidence that the key witness against Johnson received a secret $5000 reward.Rocky Myers, was never connected to the murder scene, and even though the jury recommended life without parole, the judge overrode the recommendation and ordered his execution. Siegelman also wrote that he is personally haunted by his decision to allow the execution of Freddie Wright in 2000, because he now believes Wright is innocent.

During the 2023 legislative session, Rep. Chris England (D - Tuscaloosa) proposed a bill to allow the death penalty only when a jury unanimously recommends it. Under existing law, a death sentence can be imposed if at least 10 jurors recommend death. The bill would retroactively reduced the death sentences of the 146 people discussed in the op-ed - those whose death sentences were non-unanimous, and those who were sentenced under judicial override. At a May 24, 2023 hearing on the bill, Mae Puckett, who served as a juror in the trial of Rocky Myers, said, What was the point of us ever being there if we werent going to matter? Why did we have to sit and listen to these horrible things? And see those pictures that we had to see? He was accused of stabbing a woman to death. I dont understand why we had to go through that for this man to have just turned around and say, No, it doesnt matter, I know what we need to do. And this man has been on death row for 25 years. The bill did not receive a vote before time ran out for it to be considered this legislative session.

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Former Republican and Democratic Governors from Alabama ... - Death Penalty Information Center

1. 3 Tennessee Democrats face removal from office in Thursday vote after gun control protest on state House floor  CNN
2. Tennessee House votes on expelling 3 Democrats over gun protest  NPR
3. Hundreds demonstrate ahead of Tennessee House vote to expel three Democrats  The Hill

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3 Tennessee Democrats face removal from office in Thursday vote after gun control protest on state House floor - CNN

In the political system of the United States, Democrats are largely associated with liberalism (a political philosophy based on belief in progress) while Republicans are associated with conservatism (a political philosophy based on tradition and social stability). However, the beliefs and positions of political parties change over time, so it is not always accurate to consider Democrat and Republican to be synonyms of liberal and conservative.

Democrats are often thought of as liberal, in the sense that they are in favor of government playing a larger role in social affairs. Republicans are often thought of as conservative, in the sense that they tend to advocate for smaller government. That is a very simplified explanation; what follows is a slightly more elaborate one.

The Democratic Party is generally associated with more progressive policies. Democrats typically advocate for civil rights of ethnic and religious minorities, and they support a safety net for individuals (such as various social welfare programs, including Medicaid and food stamps). Democrats often endorse funding these programs and initiatives through taxation. In addition, Democrats support environmental protection programs, gun control, less-strict immigration laws, and worker rights.

Many Republicans advocate for reduced taxes as a means of stimulating the economy and advancing individual economic freedom, and they generally support conservative social policies. Republicans also tend to desire an economy with fewer government regulations and fewer government-funded social programs. Regarding foreign policy, the Republican Party traditionally has supported a strong national defense and the aggressive pursuit of U.S. national security interests. Republicans also (in most cases) support states rights against the power of the federal government.

Its important to note that depending on what era of American history youre looking at (sometimes even what decade or election cycle), the values, beliefs, and preferred policies that define Democrat and Republican can be quite different, running counter to our modern-day notion of liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans. Thats because both Democrat and Republican refer to members of political parties, and the ideologies and positions of political parties are subject to change.

The Democratic Party, for example, has changed significantly during its more than two centuries of existence. During the 19th century the party supported or tolerated slavery, and it opposed civil rights reforms after the American Civil War in order to retain the support of most white Southern voters. By the mid-20th century, however, it had reinvented itself as a party supporting organized labor, civil rights, and progressive reform. Since President Franklin D. Roosevelts New Deal of the 1930s, the party has also tended to favor greater government intervention in the economy and to oppose government intervention in the private noneconomic affairs of citizens.

Similarly, although modern day Republicans are generally opposed to government intervention in the economy and are similarly conservative in their resistance to social change, during the 19th century the Republican Party stood against the extension of slavery to the countrys new territories and, ultimately, for slaverys complete abolition. The point here is that the definitions of all words change and evolve over time, and designations like Democrat and Republican are particularly fluid.

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Democrat or Republican: The Official Differences | Merriam-Webster

Truck driver who upset top N.J. Democrat in 2021 faces GOP primary challenge in big election year  NJ.com

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Truck driver who upset top N.J. Democrat in 2021 faces GOP primary challenge in big election year - NJ.com

A top Democrats radical plan to deal with Trumps worst judge and protect abortion rights  Vox.com

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A top Democrats radical plan to deal with Trumps worst judge and protect abortion rights - Vox.com

Our Party

Since 1848, the Democratic National Committee has been the home of the Democratic Party, the oldest continuing party in the United States.

Today, we are millions of supporters strong, leading with our values, fighting for progress, and helping elect Democrats in every state, city, and ZIP code from local office to the Oval Office.

Our party is strong because its built on advancing our Democratic platform and forging positive solutions that include everyone. As Democrats, we believe that every person in this nation should be treated with dignity and respect. We believe that health care is a right for all and that we should be rewarding the hard work of middle class families. We believe that our schools and streets should be free from gun violence and that a womans decisions about her own body are hers to make.

As the DNC, we are working together to build a bright future for everyone. We are fighting for the soul of our country, for the heart of our democracy, and for Americas place as the land of opportunity for all.

P: 202-863-8000

E: democraticparty@democrats.org

430 S Capitol St SE

Washington, DC 20003

The Democratic National Committee, or DNC, was created during the Democratic National Convention of 1848, and is governed by its Charter and Bylaws. For 171 years, its been responsible for governing the Democratic Party and is the oldest continuing party committee in the United States.

Under the leadership of Chair Jaime Harrison, the DNC is composed of the chairs and vice-chairs of each state Democratic Party Committee and over 200 members elected by Democrats in all 57 states and the territories.

The Democratic Association of Secretaries of State is the only organization dedicated to electing Democratic candidates to the office of secretary of state. The mission of DASS is to assist Democratic secretary of state candidates through political support that includes campaign contributions, fundraising, and independent expenditure campaigns where appropriate, along with policy training and coordination for candidates and sitting secretaries of state.

The Democratic Attorneys General Association is the only party committee solely dedicated to electing and supporting Democratic state attorneys general. Democrats currently hold 25 state attorneys general seats and represent the majority of Americans. This is the most diverse coalition of Democratic attorneys general in history.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, or DCCC, serves as the official national Democratic campaign committee charged with recruiting, assisting, funding, and electing Democrats to the U.S. House of Representatives. They provide services that include designing and helping execute field operations, polling, creating radio and television commercials, fundraising, communications, and management consulting.

The Democratic Governors Association is an independent voluntary political organization that supports Democratic governors and candidates nationwide. As the only party organization dedicated solely to electing Democratic governors, the DGA participates at all levels of campaigns, from providing resources to fund operations to helping articulate and deliver their messages.

The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, or DLCC, works to win state legislative seats and chambers for Democrats. The DLCCs mission is to build and maintain winning, state-of-the-art campaign committees through a continuing partnership with legislative leaders, professional staff, and supporters.

The Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association (DLGA) is the only organization solely focused on electing Democratic lieutenant governors and candidates each year.

The Democratic Mayors Association is comprised of mayors in cities of 30,000 or more a diverse coalition of innovative leaders who get things done. As a 527 organization, DMA mobilizes mayors on behalf of progressive issues and unite them with a common voice to take on the most critical challenges communities face. DMA convenes local leaders with private sector and labor partners to develop creative solutions.

Democratic Municipal Officials (DMO) is a national association of elected mayors, city council members, and other municipal leaders. DMO has over 6000 active members and has state chapters forming in over 30 states. As a constituency organization of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Democratic Municipal Officials is the Democratic voice in local politics and the local voice in Democratic politics.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, or DSCC, serves as the official national Democratic campaign dedicated solely to electing Democrats to the United States Senate. From grassroots organizing, to candidate recruitment, to providing campaign funds for tight races, the DSCC works hard all year, every year to elect Democrats to the U.S. Senate.

The Democratic Treasurers Association is dedicated to electing and supporting Democratic state treasurers. The elected Democratic state treasurers oversee more than a trillion dollars of investments held in state operating funds and pension funds. Individually and as a group they are powerful advocates with a unique ability to exert influence that defies the constraints of the electoral map.

The National Democratic County Officials (NDCO) is the official campaign arm of the Democratic Party dedicated to electing Democrats at the county level. NDCO represents and supports a broad diversity of elected officials from all corners of this nation: rural, urban and suburban. NDCO provides training and campaign support to elect first-time office holders and reelect incumbent Democrats. With the help of NDCO, Democrats are able to run successful campaigns for county office in states all over the country.

The ASDCs mission is to help build robust state parties in order to elect Democrats from local office to the Oval Office. To accomplish this goal, the ASDC focuses exclusively on the current and future needs of state Democratic parties. It acts as a service organization responsible for supporting and educating its members and state party executive directors and staff.

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About the Democratic Party - Democrats

The United States Democratic Party is one of the two biggest political parties in the United States of America. The other is the Republican Party, which is the Democratic Party's main opponent. The U.S. also has several smaller political parties known as third parties. Members of this party are known as Democrats.

Every four years the party holds a National Convention where they agree on their candidate for president. The Democratic National Committee coordinates most of the activities of the Democratic Party in all 50 United States. Since Andrew Jackson's inauguration in 1829, there have been 16 Democratic presidents (17 if including John Tyler, who, though originally elected to the Vice Presidency as a Whig, was expelled from his party shortly after taking office, became an independent, and allied with Democrats), the most recent (and current) being former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-DE) who took office as President of the United States in 2021.

The Democratic Party represents a broad spectrum of liberal and left-wing ideologies,includingbut not limited toclassical liberalism, social democracy, progressivism, and social (modern) liberalism.

Democrats, also sometimes called 'the left', 'liberals' or 'progressives' make up one of the two main political parties in the United States. A mostly Democratic state is sometimes called a 'blue state'. This comes from the partys main color, which is blue, referring to a state supporting blue candidates.

Democrats believe in a strong government with social assistance programs to help members of society. They prefer diplomatic solutions to conflicts, and take generally multilateralist views on trade, believing that trade must be free, but fair to protect American workers, consumers, local communities, and the environment. Some Democrats are economic centrists.[9][10]

Socially, most Democrats believe in sociocultural liberalism, taking pro-immigration, pro-marriage equality, and pro-choice views.[11][12][13][14]

Currently, the Democratic Party is identified by progressivism, liberalism, and left-wing policies.

Not all Democrats believe in the same thing, but generally these are the things many Democrats support:

Most support for Democrats comes from states in the Northeast, Upper Midwest, and the Pacific Coast, as well as from the state of Hawaii.

The Sun is Purple, symbol of the Democratic Party is the Donkey.[15] Since the election of 2000, the color blue has become a symbol for Democrats.[16]

Historically, Thomas Jefferson, whom the party claims as its founder, has been often seen as symbols of the Democratic Party, particularly emphasized in the annual celebrations of Jefferson Day Dinners held since the days of Andrew Jackson. As such, the Democratic Party is also often referred to as the Party of Jefferson.[17]

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Democratic Party (United States) - Simple English Wikipedia, the free ...

Democrat NYC Mayor Adams calls on federal government to play more proactive role to secure border  Fox News

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Democrat NYC Mayor Adams calls on federal government to play more proactive role to secure border - Fox News

1. Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin announces he has 'serious but curable form of cancer'  CNN
2. Jamie Raskin Announces He Has a Serious but Curable Form of Cancer  The New York Times
3. Maryland Rep. Raskin says he's been diagnosed with lymphoma  USA TODAY

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Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin announces he has 'serious but curable form of cancer' - CNN