Donna demonstrates why she is, as the Westerly Sun wrote,
“the only legitimate candidate”
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| Left to right: Rep. Donna Walsh, Rep. Brian Patrick Kennedy, his challenger Peter Bonk and Donna's challenger Tina Jackson |
By Will Collette
Last night, the Westerly Town Council chambers were the site
of the final debate of this election season, featuring Westerly town
candidates, and the candidates for House Districts 35 and 38.
I came for the final face-off between Donna Walsh and her
two opponents, Tina Baker Jackson (R) and Kevin Prescott (Independent). I was
especially curious to see if Prescott and Jackson would actually show up after
their two campaigns imploded when their long criminal histories were revealed
first by the Westerly Sun and then went statewide.
Prescott didn’t show, but Jackson did, bold as brass and
acting as if it was normal for statewide media to report how she was arrested
more than a dozen times on drug, alcohol and violent criminal charges,
including passing bad checks at Rippy’s. But there she was, urged on by members
of the Westerly Republican Town Committee, and ready to read her state party
talking points.
This debate, under the auspices of the Westerly-Pawcatuck
Chamber of Commerce, was held literally at the 11th hour due to last
week’s Hurricane Sandy aftermath. Normally the Chamber gets a good turnout from
candidates, but in addition to losing Prescott, Sen. Dennis Algiere and Rep.
Sam Azzinaro were also no-shows, largely because they’re unopposed, though they
usually show up to at least give a greeting.
Because there were more than a dozen Westerly town candidates
in addition to the four House candidates, there was very little time – 45
minutes – for much more than a few questions and such strict time restrictions
as to make it impossible to give more than a superficial answer to questions
that deserve a little more than 30 seconds. Plus, it wasn’t really a debate –
the candidates were asked to respond to questions pulled from a fishbowl. They
each had different questions and there was no interaction.
Nonetheless, the contrast between incumbent Donna Walsh and
her dubious challenger Tina Jackson was stark. Donna answered questions by citing
specific actions she has taken while Jackson spouted generic conservative
generalities and state party attack points.
But when it came down to closing statement, Jackson
unlimbered the state GOP rhetoric and got personal, attacking Donna for voting for the 38
Studios deal and for not supporting pension reform.
That caused Donna to set aside her prepared remarks and
respond directly to Jackson, pointing out that not only did she, like every
other rank-and-file state Representative, not know about the deal former
Governor Donald Carcieri (R) and the Economic Development Corp. board had
worked out with Curt Schilling, but that PolitiFact and even Gov. Carcieri
himself verified that legislators like Donna were kept in the dark.
Donna also noted that she reluctantly voted FOR the pension legislation, even though she herself took a hit as a retired schoolteacher, because
there were no other viable options. And, yes, she did vote for three amendments
that, if they had passed, would have cushioned the blow that fell on retirees.
Donna closed by pointing out that she has devoted years of
service both in government and in the community. Calm and cool, Donna suggested
voters compare that record with the record of her opponent. Jackson sat there
stone-faced.
And that’s how you close a campaign. Tonight, we count the votes and see what the voters think.