Barry’s Hot Over Sheldon’s Break from Bill Debate

Sheldon Whitehouse’s brief break from Monday night’s Senate debate over his DISCLOSE Act left Republican challenger Barry Hinckley a little hot under the collar…hot enough to call a press conference outside Whitehouse’s Westminster Street office on a 95-degree Tuesday afternoon to assail the Democratic incumbent.

He parried questions about these charges by pivoting to jobs.

“Why is he focusing on campaign finance reform when Rhode Island is losing jobs?” Hinckley asked. The answer, of course, being that not only is our economy broken, but so is our political system.

While the political novice was trying to take the sitting senator to task, Whitehouse trumped him by sending out a statement critical of Republicans lack of support on the DISCLOSE Act, which was blocked for a second straight day by Senate Republicans.

“I’m disappointed that so many of my Republican colleagues, many of whom have clearly supported disclosure in the past, chose today to once again defend secret spending by special interests rather than stand up for the voices of the middle class.  However, I’m also optimistic that ultimately, we will pass this bill, or something like it, to end secret spending and defend the voices of the middle class.”

Hinckley said supports portions of the DISCLOSE Act, but not the whole thing. He also wouldn’t say definitively that he wouldn’t leave a floor debate for a fundraiser if he were to be elected to congress.