Trump for President signs can be found around Cranston, says Aubin, displayed next to signs for the three Republican City Wide City Council candidates. Their names also appear on signs with local GOP standard bearer, Mayor Allan Fung, who told WPRI in August that he supported “the Republican nominee” and said of Trump’s hate speech that the presidential nominee “keeps putting his foot in his mouth.” By aligning themselves with the mayor and not publicly disavowing Trump, Michael Farina, Ken Hopkins, and Louis Petrucci are sending a signal that Trump’s message of racism and division is okay by them.

Farina, reached by email, did not reply directly to Aubin’s call for him to disavow Trump. “I am running for city council not President,” said Farina, “and this is a lame attempt for her to garner attention in a race against 2 incumbents and other more popular candidates herself. She should run on the issues and how she plans on making Cranston better. I stand by my record of positive improvements in the city of Cranston.”

This isn’t enough for Aubin. “When nomination papers were filed in June, Trump was already the presumptive nominee of the Republican party. No one forced Michael Farina to switch parties and become a Republican, and his continued unwillingness to disavow Trump’s racism and bigotry — even when given a direct opportunity — demonstrates a severe lack of judgment, courage, and leadership.

“So this absolutely matters to Cranston and the people of our city deserve to know where Mr. Farina stands on Donald Trump. I believe that Trump’s near constant hateful and incendiary comments are dangerous for America and for Cranston. I have spoken clearly about the issues I am passionate about for our city — improving our neighborhoods by making them more walkable and affordable, protecting our environment, improving our local economy, reducing wasteful spending, and making sure Cranston has top performing schools.”

At the time Farina switched party affiliation from Democrat to Republican he said he believed there had been “efforts to inhibit or obstruct him from taking positions on certain issue contrary to fellow Democratic leaders.”

“As a Democrat I have felt pressure,” said Farina, “to conform to party positions … more about political maneuvering and personal ego than the constituents.”

Aubin says that as a longtime advocate for social justice, she believes in a Cranston that is strong, diverse, and equitable. The America that Donald Trump is selling, based on xenophobia and intolerance, has no place in Cranston or anywhere in our country.

Coincidentally, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump came to Minneapolis MN on the same day I made my first visit to the city. This turned a day that I had planned to spend sightseeing into a day of traveling to three different anti-Trump events.

“Trump’s rhetoric is creating an unsafe environment for the Muslim community, for the Somali-American community, and we have seen an increase in Islamaphobia and anti-Muslim efforts across the state of Minnesota,” said Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Council of American-Islamic Relations- Minnesota (CAIR-MN), “We have seen, just a few weeks ago, an incident involving five young Muslim men who were shot… we believe that incident is a hate crime.”

Hussein believes that Trump’s extremist rhetoric is creating a hostile, unsafe environment for Muslim Americans and immigrants, and the effects are being felt by the most vulnerable.

Hussein introduced 13-year old Yusuf Dayur who has been experiencing bullying in his school because he is a Muslim. Hussein suggested that Dayur might one day be president. Though Dayur’s school is very proactive in providing Dayur time and space in which to pray, some of his fellow students do not trust him because he is a Muslim. Dayur bravely fought back tears as he described the difficulties he faces.

Jaylani Hussein’s full comments:

After the press conference I headed across town to the Minnesota State Republican Offices where Cosecha Minnesota was holding a “Wall Off Trump” event. Cosecha is “a nonviolent decentralized movement that is focused on activating our immigrant community and the public to guarantee permanent and humane protection for immigrants in this country.”

Estaphania and another woman explained that their protest, in which they painted a wall, like the one Trump is promising on the Texas-Mexico border, is meant to draw attention to Trump’s extremist rhetoric that threatens the health and safety of immigrant Americans.

My last stop was at the Minneapolis Convention Center, where people representing virtually everyone Trump has ever publicly maligned, including immigrants, black Americans, members of the LGBTQ community, women, Muslims, indigenous Americans and more, gathered together to denounce Trump ahead of his visit to a large donor rally.

This protest was organized by MIRAc, the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, a group that, “fights for legalization for all, an end to immigration raids & deportations, an end to all anti-immigrant laws, and full equality in all areas of life.”

Trump did not make a public appearance in Minnesota, or even speak to the press. He spoke to donors only at the Convention Center. But his very presence in the city was enough to galvanize this group to come out to speak, sing, dance and chant their opposition to Trump being president.

According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, after this event, as Trump donors left the convention center, they were confronted by angry demonstrators. “The demonstrators who harassed donors were not present earlier on, when the protest was peaceful. Many in the later group hid their faces behind scarves,” writes reporter Patrick Condon, “Minneapolis police spokeswoman Sgt. Catherine Michal said there were no arrests and no reported injuries. There was, however, minor damage, including graffiti on the walls of the Convention Center, and officers had to escort Trump supporters in and out of the lobby because they were being harshly confronted, Michal said.”

Below are the rest of the pictures and video from the three events.

Update: July 1: Congratulations to Representative Blake Filippi, and independent representing Charlestown, New Shoreham, South Kingstown and Westerly. With James Mageau withdrawing from the race, he’s been effectively re-elected to his seat in the General Assembly.

Update: July 1: Both MaryEllen Goodwin and Paul Jabour have picked up opponents on the Senate side. As the Secretary of State website is updated, some who have drawn their papers are still be added. Jeffrey Orlando Caminero is challenging Goodwin and Brian E Hutchings has stepped up against Jabour. Both identify as Republicans.

Update: June 30: Kathleen Decker contacted me to say that she is running against Jared Nunes, saying, “I declared yesterday and have the time stamped copy on my desk now.  I checked with the Secretary of State’s office and the declaration paperwork is still being entered into the database by different town and city boards.” The article has been amended to reflect that, though as of July 1 she still hasn’t been added to the Secretary of State’s website.

About one/third of the General Assembly was, barring disaster or scandal, effectively re-elected at close of business yesterday when the due date for officially declaring one’s candidacy ended. 13 senators and 21 House members were granted two more years in legislative office simply by showing up and signing some forms. These 35 lucky politicians won’t have to go through the tedious process of walking their district and meeting their constituents, spend any of their campaign cash or run any kind of campaign at all. They are all effectively re-elected, and they all get to take the year off.

All are incumbents and they hail from all over the state, representing both Democrats and Republicans.

Ray Hull, a Democrat representing House District 6 received no challengers, despite being removed from House Finance as a punishment for voting against the infamous tolls by Speaker Nicholas Mattiello. Mattiello, by contrast, earned 3 challengers.

There are wins here for both progressives and conservatives. Progressives may be happy with Shelby Maldonado’s easy win in House District 56 (Central Falls) or Gayle Goldin’s continued service in Senate District 03 (Providence) while conservatives can celebrate the continued State House presence of Antonio Giarrusso representing House District 30 (East Greenwich) and Dennis Algier’s continuing presence as Senate Minority Leader from Senate District 38 (Westerly and Charlestown).

Among those running unchallenged is Arthur Corvese, who has refused to return $900 in illegal NRA contributions to his campaign. Other candidates running unopposed who have taken but not returned illegal NRA contributions include: Charlene Lima $300, Robert B Jacquard$1350, Stephen R Ucci $2050, Brian C Newberry $1250, MaryEllen Goodwin $550, Daniel DaPonte $400, Roger A Picard $1100,Marc A Cote $1000, Erin Lynch Prata $600 and James C Sheehan $400.

Blood money is still money, after all.

For a visual representation, here’s every House and Senate District represented by Post-it notes:

Here’s the same wall with only active races:

Here’s the list, culled from the Secretary of State’s latest update of unopposed candidates:

House

RAYMOND A HULL (D) House 06

JOHN JOSEPH LOMBARDI (D) House 08

SCOTT A SLATER (D) House 10

CHARLENE LIMA (D) House 14

ROBERT B JACQUARD (D) House 17

K JOSEPH SHEKARCHI (D) House 23

ANTONIO GIARRUSSO (R) House 30

SAMUEL A AZZINARO (D) House 37

STEPHEN R UCCI (D) House 42

GREGORY J COSTANTINO (D) House 44

BRIAN C NEWBERRY (R) House 48

MICHAEL A MORIN (D) House 49

STEPHEN M CASEY (D) House 50

ROBERT D PHILLIPS (D) House 51

ARTHUR J CORVESE (D) House 55

SHELBY MALDONADO (D) House 56

JAMES N MCLAUGHLIN (D) House 57

MARY DUFFY MESSIER (D) House 62

GREGG AMORE (D) House 65

JOY S HEARN (D) House 66

MARVIN L ABNEY (D) House 73

Senate

MARYELLEN GOODWIN (D) Senate 01

GAYLE L GOLDIN (D) Senate 03

PAUL V JABOUR (D) Senate 05

ADAM J SATCHELL (D) Senate 09

DANIEL DAPONTE (D) Senate 14

DONNA M NESSELBUSH (D) Senate 15

WILLIAM J CONLEY JR (D) Senate 18

ROGER A PICARD (D) Senate 20

MARC A COTE (D) Senate 24

FRANK S LOMBARDI (D) Senate 26

ERIN LYNCH PRATA (D) Senate 31

JAMES C SHEEHAN (D) Senate 36

DENNIS L ALGIERE (R) Senate 38

Steven Frias, a Rhode Island Republican leader and prize winning writer, has announced his candidacy for Representative in District 15, which is currently held by House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello. The race presents a clear choice between Speaker Mattiello, the chief defender of Rhode Island’s failing status quo, and Frias, an articulate advocate for dramatic reforms to make Rhode Island’s economy more prosperous and its government more ethical.

Frias stated, “Rhode Island’s most powerful politician, Speaker Mattielllo, believes Rhode Island is in ‘excellent shape’ and that state ‘government actually works very well.’ Well, I have to disagree. For example, Rhode Island currently has the sixth-worst business-tax climate in the nation according to the nonpartisan Tax Foundation. Further, Rhode Island’s structural budget deficit will grow to over $300 million dollars in a few years according to new budget projections. Moreover, in just the last two months, Rhode Island has lost nearly 4,000 jobs. To make matters worse, in less than two months, members of Mattiello’s House leadership team have become mired in scandal. This is unacceptable.”

Frias continued, “To grow our economy, the cost of doing business in Rhode Island must be significantly reduced. For starters, we should repeal the new tolls, and implement dramatic reductions in Rhode Island’s tax rates to levels below those of its neighboring states, like Massachusetts. To restore public confidence in our state government, we need reforms such as requiring legislative grants to be specifically listed in the budget, a line-item veto, restrictions on fundraising while the General Assembly is in session, requiring the General Assembly to follow open meetings laws, and term limits. It’s time we clean house at the State House!”

[From a press release]

After 400 years of terror, isn’t it time for all Christians to speak out against ‘Radical Christian Extremism?’

Slavery was terrorism: Plantations were concentration camps. The Native American genocide was terrorism: The Trail of Tears was a death march. Hangings by slave patrols and the Ku Klux Klan were terrorism: These murders—often perpetrated or approved by white ‘Christians’—were intended to grieve, horrify and intimidate blacks.

Virtually all who committed these acts of terrorism claimed they were Christians.

This radical Christian extremism persists. Militant Christians still verbally and physically attack gays and blacks, Muslims and immigrants. They justify their hate by appealing to Jesus and the Bible.

Actually, the word ‘Christian’ may not apply to any who perpetrate these horrors. Should terrorists be called radical ‘Christian’ extremists? Their claims of following the tenets of Christianity are wholly false. More than a billion Christians should not be smeared by those committing acts of terrorism. Their crimes are perversions of Christianity.

The same is true of radical ‘Muslim’ extremists. Their claims of following the tenets of Islam are wholly false. More than a billion Muslims should not be smeared by those committing such acts. Their crimes are perversions of Islam.

Many Republican leaders, especially Donald Trump, disagree—along with many voters in the base of the Republican party. Why? Must all Muslims bear responsibility for those claiming acts of terrorism are a legitimate expression of Islam?

This political blame is based on fear and hatred. These are not Christian motives. As stated in I John 4:18, “There is no fear in love. Perfect love drives out all fear.” Also, Jesus insisted Christians must love, not hate, their enemies. He modeled this love throughout his life and even during his crucifixion.

We must contend with our fears: our fears of blacks; our fears of gays; our fears of Muslims; our fears of immigrants. Unchallenged fears result in misplaced rage and scapegoating of ‘the other.’ This leads to verbal attacks and violence against hated groups.

Racism and homophobia are repulsive. Islamophobia and xenophobia are abhorrent.

Insisting all Americans oppose Muslim immigration or be castigated as purveyors of politically correctness is obscene. Yes, we must seek to be correct—politically and morally—but we can only do so, as the Apostle Paul states, by “speaking the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15).

What is the truth? Muslims are our neighbors. Muslims are soldiers serving our country. Muslims are patriotic citizens. And Muslims are no more deserving of prejudice than Christians.

What does love require? We must treat the vast majority of Muslims as neighbors, not enemies. We must respond with compassion to the extraordinary hardships of refugees, including Muslims. We must see Muslims as human beings—people who have far more in common with us than differences.

Love also requires those of us judging others must first judge ourselves. Jesus was explicit: Before taking the speck out of our neighbor’s eye, we must remove the log from our own eye.

Those using a broad brush to paint all Muslims with the taint of terrorism imagine falsehoods. Let’s reject our biases and diligently seek truth.

Moreover, let’s ask to what degree our Christian community is responsible for historic acts of terrorism which executed and enslaved millions. Orlando, San Bernardino, Paris and even 9-11 are horrific singular acts of terror. Contrast these with the multitudes of ‘Christian’ atrocities spanning centuries.

Does evil and apathy prevail among American Christians? Could it be that we Christians really do need to account for the log in our eye?

We can choose to scapegoat those having nothing to do with perpetrating terror attacks. Or we can conscientiously oppose such evil massacres, come together, foster unity, and overcome our fears and hatred by speaking the truth in love.

Representative Daniel Reilly has not listed contributions from his father on his campaign finance reports, contributions the US Department of Justice found while prosecuting his father for tax evasion in Florida.

Reilly, a Republican from District 72 serving portions of Middletown and Portsmouth, has reportedly received money for both his schooling and his political campaigns from his father’s “law firm and shell corporation” that the elder Reilly is alleged to have used to illegally evade paying taxes.

His father, William J. Reilly, pled guilty to tax evasion and was sentenced to 2 1/2  years in federal prison and ordered to “pay more than $1.9 million in restitution.” Channel 12’s Tim White noted that William Reilly is “at the top of Rhode Island’s tax delinquent list.”

The US Department of Justice reports that from 2005 through 2010, William Reilly,

…used bank accounts for his law firm and the shell corporation to receive personal income, transfer funds into his personal accounts, and pay personal expenses directly, including his Visa credit card account, his children’s private school and college tuition, support his daughter’s equestrian business, make vehicle and mortgage payments, contribute to his son’s political campaign, and purchase more than $50,000 in tickets for sporting events and concerts.

You can read William Reilly’s plea agreement here.

The only contribution Daniel Reilly reported receiving from his father was a $500 in-kind contribution noted as “use of a recreational vehicle.” This was not a cash contribution. You can access all of Rep Reilly’s campaign contributions here.

Reilly responded in an email that, “My father never contributed any money to my campaigns and only rented an RV during my 2008 campaign for us to campaign in. I recorded that as an in-kind contribution for the amount that it was valued. I believe that was what was referred to in the press release. It was a ‘contribution’ in the sense that it is in-kind and was recorded as such, but not a cash contribution and I never received any from him.”

Daniel Reilly served two terms as District 72’s representative before being unseated by Linda Finn in 2012. He regained his seat in 2014 and Finn is challenging him again in 2016.

RI Future has reached out to House Spokesperson Larry Berman and Rep Daniel Reilly for comment. We will update.

Thank you to Paula McMahon at the Sun Sentinel for her reporting on this story.

A few days ago Eric Draitser and Dr. Tony Monteiro appeared on Community Public Radio with Don DeBar to offer an in-depth dissection of the debacle that has become the presidential campaign. I would highly encourage those who are looking for an alternative to the conventional media analysis to check this out, at about 35 minutes it is the best description I have heard of this circus in a while.

[Comments and responses are welcome.]

Accepting Syrian refugees into the United States is an emotional issue. People are suffering and dying in Syria and throughout the broader Middle East. The grotesque nature of the situation is very real. Innocent Christians, Jews, women, homosexuals and children are being killed, sold as sex slaves and brutalized. Nobody in America wants that. Nor, however,…

Charles Jacobs, who runs the Orwellian named Americans for Peace and Tolerance (APT). Founded in 2008 as a “pro-Israel” group, APT has actively worked against the interests of the Muslim community in Boston, fighting to prevent the opening of the Roxbury Islamic Center and mosque. Though Jacobs claims to represent the Jewish community in his antics, in 2011 a “group of seventy Rabbinical community leaders together published a letter in The Jewish Advocate… calling upon Jacobs, ‘to discontinue his destructive campaign against Boston’s Muslim community, which is based on innuendo, half-truths and unproven conspiracy theories.’ The Jewish religious leaders also called ‘upon members of our community to reject the dangerous politics of division that Mr. Jacobs fosters.'”

More on APT here and here.

As for Representative Hoekstra, he’s little more than a paranoid fear monger in the best tradition of Fox News. For just a taste of his batshittery, see here. Rest assured, there’s much more.

Fortunately, Rhode Island, founded by religious refugees, is meeting the lies and hatred straight on. A counter protest is planned to coincide with the APT event at 2pm, and a multi-faith response to their demand that Governor Raimondo rescind her invitation is scheduled for directly after their event, at around 3-3:30pm.

The APT event is in the Bell room, the responses are planned for the main rotunda. Consider attending and showing support for the refugee families fleeing terrible violence, like this one:

The fix is in. The President is not elected by 105 million American voters. No, the President is selected by five Supreme Court justices.

Justice Antonin Scalia writes that recounting Florida votes will “cast a cloud” over the election. This is absurd.

On December 11, 2000, conservative justices rule in Bush v. Gore for George W. Bush on a technicality: The Florida Supreme Court is making “new law.” So Florida’s justices promptly submit a revised ruling.

Oh no! Isn’t there still some way to stop this recount? How?

The Supreme Court Five now invoke the opposite finding: Florida must put aside each county’s voting laws on recounts and establish ‘new law’—the same for every county.

This too is absurd. Differing legal standards for each county’s voting already exist. So, using the Court’s logic, shouldn’t Florida’s results be tossed out? No, Al Gore would win.

Moreover, applying one legal standard statewide requires judicial activism and violates states’ rights. Doesn’t Scalia detest such violations of his bedrock principles?

If the recount proceeds, however, Al Gore is almost certain to be President. The reason: Outdated punch-card machines in poor Democratic precincts negate more votes than modern machines in Republican precincts. A manual recount restores legitimate votes. And The Guardian reports that recounts commissioned by The Washington Post and Palm Beach Post document, “Florida ‘recounts’ make Gore winner.”

So the Court’s Republican caucus commits this dastardly deed of selecting their favored candidate. They declare the equal-protection clause of the 14th amendment—whose original intent is protecting the slaves—now protects Bush. This violates Scalia’s ‘originalist’ and ‘strict constructionist’ interpretation of the law—especially since he declares the equal-protection clause should not apply to women.

So much for Scalia’s ‘principled’ jurisprudence. Did he somehow forget Jesus’ bedrock principle, “The truth will set you free”?

The Court’s chicanery continues: The ruling is issued at 10 pm on December 12, requiring the Florida Supreme Court’s compliance by midnight!

The Court’s legitimate choice is to give Florida several days to conduct a fair recount. As they fear, however, Gore will win.

Make no mistake: Democracy dies on December 12, 2000. The Court’s miniature election is a coup d’etat.

This pernicious ousting of President Gore is compounded when Bush appoints two conservatives to the Court which crowned him.

Moreover, the Iraq invasion is highly unlikely with a Gore administration. Imagine: No Iraqi war deaths or refugees; no emergence of ISIS in Syria—and no fear of their terror attacks. The Supreme Court Five bear much responsibility for this widespread devastation.

But deceptions do not cease with Scalia’s death.

In the year 2000, five Republican-appointed justices overthrew a Democratic President. In the year 2016, Senate Republicans insist they will block any candidate the Democratic President nominates. Thus, Republican leaders only ethic is winning at all costs—the ethic of dictators.

A coup for Scalia’s successor is repugnant. Again, the excuses are absurd.

Excuse #1: Time’s too short. False. Since Clinton’s presidency, the longest confirmation takes 87 days. Obama still has more than 300 days in office.

Excuse #2: The voters should decide with the next President. Wrong. The voters already decided, electing President Obama for four years—not three.

Excuse #3: As no president has made a Supreme Court nomination in his last year in office for 80 years, doing so would violate our tradition. Sounds good—except no such ‘tradition’ of waiving nominations exists.

Excuse #4: Supreme Court nominee Abe Fortas was rejected in 1968 because it was the last year of LBJ’s presidency. Again, the deception meter buzzes. Abe Fortas was filibustered because Republicans were outraged with the Warren Court’s decisions.

In this instance, Ted Cruz is deceptive—obscuring Republican obstructionism to justify his own case for Republican obstructionism!

Oh, what a tangled web we weave…