No Democrat would ever dream of saying the things Ernie Almonte says on this video about Social Security, Medicare, taxes, the 1%, the 47%, taxing employer-provided health insurance, etc. The amazing thing is that he made these remarks in September 2012 at the same time Mitt Romney was using the same pitch to LOSE the 2012 Presidential election. Stick a fork in this guy's primary chances. He's done! If you have any trouble viewing this video, try this link.
They hugged, Almonte gave her a campaign bumper sticker and she
put it on her Ford Mustang, which already had a “Don’t Tread On Me” tea party
bumper sticker on it.
In Almonte’s defense, he meets with everyone. He also attended
the governor’s forum sponsored by the left-leaning Economic Progress Institute
and was endorsed last week by the North Kingstown Democratic Party.
But there’s more…
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| Ernie Almonte pitched his credentials to the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee. Didn't work. The CDTC endorsed his opponent,Seth Magaziner [photo by Will Collette] and that was BEFORE the video came out. |
“I saw firsthand that he wasn’t for the citizens, he was for
himself,” Almonte said of Laffey, who has since relocated to Colorado to pursue
a political career there.
Fair enough. But then there are the things he says – they
sometimes sound like the words of a conservative, too. Take this video of him speaking to a group of accountants and actuaries
in 2012.
Eerily similar to Mitt Romney’s 47-percent comment, Almonte
sounds shocked when he says 50 percent of America doesn’t pay taxes (I think he
meant income taxes). He also says some people “want something for nothing” and
that he doesn’t think making $250,000 a year means your rich.
When I asked Almonte about the video, he said his comments were taken out of context and that the video was spliced together to make him appear more conservative than he is. He said he was giving a speech prepared by the auditor general, for whom he was filling in.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Almonte uses "I" throughout the video, taking ownership of these odious positions. In addition, he says at the 1:20 mark that he is a candidate for office. He was the first to declare that he would run for Governor in 2014, later deciding that he couldn't run with the big dogs - Raimondo & Tavares - and lowered his sights to Treasurer. I take his remarks in the video to mean that these terrible positions represent his position as a candidate for office. So be it. - W. Collette
He said he does not believe every American should be taxed on
their income, and suggested those who earn less than $30,000 should be exempt.
And he said he does not think poor people necessarily want something for
nothing. “It’s not a broad brush but there are some elements,” he said,
recalling a story of an accountant who wanted to collect unemployment benefits
before returning to work.
He also stepped back slightly from saying people aren’t rich who
earn $250,000 a year, but not too much.
“I think they are well off,” he told me. “I can’t say I think
they are rich because I don’t know what they spend.”
The whole package – hugging Conley, voting Republican, saying
poor people want something for nothing, essentially welfare-queening an
out-of-work accountant in defense of such comments, it makes me wonder how
committed to core Democratic values Almonte is, or if he’s like so many
conservative Rhode Islanders who run as a Democrat because it’s the easiest
path to victory.
“I don’t put myself in a hole of being a conservative,” he told
me. “I’m fiscally responsible.”
So I asked him if he would consider running as a Republican or
an independent.
“I won’t run as a Republican, and I’m running as a Democrat,” he
said.
Sounds like he’s leaving himself some wiggle room to run as an
independent, I told him.
“The chances of me running as an independent are about as close
to me running as a Republican,” he said. “I never like to say never, but there
is probably no chance.”
Then he added, “Wait, can I say that another way? I’m running as
a Democrat and I won’t run as a Republican or independent.”
Bob Plain is the
editor/publisher of Rhode Island's Future. Previously, he's worked as a
reporter for several different news organizations both in Rhode Island and
across the country.