RI Progressives Call Out Whitehouse’s “Hypocrisy” on Vote for Trump CIA Pick

Friday, January 27, 2017

GoLocalProv News Team and Kate Nagle

 

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Senator Sheldon Whitehouse -- under fire for Pompeo vote.

Progressive Democrats are calling out Senator Sheldon Whitehouse for his hypocrisy by voting for Michael Pompeo, President Trump's pick to head the CIA -- and are expected to turn out in the hundreds at a community dinner hosted by the Senator on Sunday to express their disapproval. 

Earlier this week, Whitehouse had announced his opposition to Trump's nomination for Attorney General, Senator Jeff Sessions, citing Sessions' vote against reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act as one of the reasons why.

Also voting against the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act? Pompeo. 

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"Whitehouse cited Sessions' vote against Violence Against Woman Act, and Sessions' past comments on race, in coming out against him," said Georgia Hollister Isman with the Rhode Island Working Families Party. "Pompeo also voted against [reauthorization] of the Violence Against Women Act, and has made disturbing comments about Muslims."

Mounting Opposition to Whitehouse's Vote

On Sunday, several hundred people are expected to turn out "register their disappointment" with Whitehouse's Pompeo vote at a community dinner at Nathan Bishop Middle School in Providence from 5-7 p.m.

The event has garnered national attention, as HuffPost's Ryan Grim tweeted the event Facebook page on Thursday, saying, "For a taste of how pissed Demorcrats are at elected Democrats, check out this Faceook event."

According to Working Families:

"This Monday, Senator Whitehouse was one of only 15 Democrats to vote in support of Trump’s frightening pick for CIA director. Mike Pompeo, a Tea Party congressman who has a history of supporting torture, extreme surveillance measures, and the inhumane detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. He also has a disturbing history of anti-Muslim rhetoric and climate change denial. Residents will ask Whitehouse to lead the resistance to Trump’s dangerous agenda and to vote against the rest of Trump’s cabinet nominees and subsequent nominees."

On Thursday, Republican State Representative Robert "Bobby" Nardolillo said that even he wouldn't have voted for Pompeo. 

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Republican Rep. Robert "Bobby" Nardolillo said he wouldn't have voted for Pompeo

"I was tremendously surprised to see Senator Whitehouse cast his vote in support of Mike Pompeo for CIA Director. He contradicts so many of the Senator’s viewpoints; but yet he still supported him," said Nardolillo. "Pompeo’s stances on torture, extreme surveillance and most especially his comments about the Muslim community were concerning to me, and wouldn’t have earned my vote of support."

"Hopefully he is able to explain his reasoning for supporting the Director who is said to be a 'frightening pick' for the position," said Nardolillo. "I strongly hope, in the future, the Senator is able to avoid his conflicting positions, so that we may have a better view on the Senator’s stances to avoid having these apology dinners."

The Pompeo vote controversy however is the latest for Whitehouse.  

As GoLocal reported, Whitehouse was an investor in a for-profit charter school company -- while now opposing Trump's school choice pick for education secretary, Betsy DeVos. 

In 2014, GoLocal reported that Whitehouse had profited from ownership in global warming companies, while at the time having had delivered more than 80 floor speeches about the adverse impact of global warming.

Whitehouse Responds

"Pompeo would not have been my choice to lead the CIA.  As a congressman he made wrongful comments about our Muslim community and I urge him as CIA Director to be more responsible in the way he speaks about the Muslim community.  Director Pompeo does know the intelligence community well and can be a check on dangerous impulses from the Trump White House," said Whitehouse. "He committed during his confirmation hearing to abide by the clear legal prohibition on waterboarding and other harsh and ineffective interrogation techniques used by the CIA during the Bush administration, and to refuse any orders to restart the agency’s use of enhanced interrogation techniques that exceed the limitations of the Army Field Manual."

As for both Sessions and Pompeoo voting against the Violence Against Women Act, Whitehouse's office offered the following focusing on Sessions, but not Pompeo. 

"One blindingly obvious difference is that the Department of Justice enforces and funds the Violence Against Women Act and the CIA doesn’t. The Violence Against Women Act is a critical tool for protecting women from domestic abuse.  The Attorney General is responsible for enforcing the Violence Against Women Act, and Senator Sessions’s vote against reauthorizing that vital law casts doubt on his ability to faithfully and effectively perform the duties of that office."  

Political Impact?

"Progressives are not talking about primarying Sheldon, who has a long record of fighting for our state's values.  He's been our hero in the past, which is why we're so concerned about his recent votes for Trump's dangerous nominees," said Sam Bell with the Rhode Island Progressive Democrats of America. 

Other Progressives, however, were far less assured following the Pompeo vote. 

"RIPDA was furious with his vote for Pompeo," said Lauren Niedel, who had helped spearhead the Bernie Sanders primary victor in Rhode Island. "We are anticipating a huge crowd over the weekend to question him on it."

"As far as a challenge from the left, the Rhode Island Democratic Party needs new leadership and I hope we have vigorous primaries in 2018," added Niedel.

 

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