On
Sunday, Jan. 28, Hamilton’s Little Pub played host to local Democrats gathered in support of State Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi, a Congressional hopeful for New York’s 22nd district, in which Hamilton is located. The privately-hosted event was supported by the Hamilton College Democrats and Katheryn Doran, Associate Professor and Chair of the Philosophy Department.
“I want to thank the Hamilton College Democrats, and the Kirkland and Oneida County Democrats for doing such a great job bringing out the crowds to such a fun, lively event: a party with a purpose! It’s been a tough year politically for many of us but this was a hopeful event,” Doran told
The Spectator
.
“District 22’s 2018 Congressional race is one of the most closely watched in the nation, and the town & gown turnout and energy at the Pub confirms my confidence that Anthony Brindisi can win it,” she added.
Advertised as including appearances from Congressman and Hamilton alumnus Matt Cartwright ’83 (D, PA-17) as well as Congressman Paul Tonko (D, NY-20), along with Brindisi himself, the event’s entry fee varied from $20 for “Students” to $100 for “Individuals.” Attendees had the option to donate $250 and $500 for the enumeration of “Friend” and “Sponsor,” respectively.
However, as announced at the event, Brindisi’s father-in-law, who had long been in hospice care, passed away on the morning of the event. As such, the congressional hopeful was not able to attend; organizers remain optimistic that he will reschedule and eventually appear on campus.
“Unfortunately, Anthony was unable to attend Sunday’s event due to a family emergency,” Ellen Foster, Brindisi’s campaign manager, told
The Spectator
.
“As a campaign, we were very happy to see many new and familiar faces and we are excited to keep involving the Hamilton College community in our campaign. If any students are interested in interning for the campaign, please email Katie Mock at
[email protected]
.”
Additionally, due to a miscommunication over timing, Congressman Cartwright was unable to attend. As such, Paul Tonko served as the event’s sole Congressional representative. Tonko, elected to the House of Representatives in 2008, currently serves on the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Science, Space & Technology. He represents New York’s 20th district, which is located in the heart of the Capital District and include Albany, Schenectady, and Troy.
In an impassioned, 15-minute speech to the crowd of 40–50, comprised of professors, faculty, locals, and students, the Congressman attacked Trump and the GOP at large while simultaneously indicating his steadfast support for Brindisi.
He began his speech with a not-so-subtle reference to current NY-22 congresswoman Claudia Tenney. Tenney, a conservative Republican elected to her first term in 2016, has garnered significant local press coverage for her appearances with President Donald Trump.
The Congresswoman was one of two House members invited to the President’s April 21 signing of three executive orders to roll back some of the Dodd-Frank reforms passed after the 2008 recession. At said signing, the Congresswoman handed her cell phone to President Trump, asking him to speak with her son, Trey Cleary, who was set to soon leave for a six-month deployment to Iraq.
“They had quite a long conversation for a couple of minutes,” Tenney told the Mark Weiner of
The Post-Standard
. “I said, ‘What’s going on? [Trump] laughed a little bit. They must have been joking or something. He handed me the phone back and my son said, ‘Oh my God.’”
The Congresswoman also made upstate headlines following the House Republicans’ initial attempt to repeal Obamacare. On May 4,
The Post-Standard
ran the online headline “Tenney celebrates at White House after GOP starts to dismantle Obamacare.” This was Tenney’s first trip to the Rose Garden; her appearance elicited disapproval from Tonko.
“So the first time they did that whole thing (the House bill to repeal Obamacare), remember the pictures of some local faces in Congress — very local faces — at the picnic at the White House when they passed their version in the House and denied 23 million people healthcare?”, Tonko asked the crowd. “Very local faces” appears to refer to Tenney, who can be seen with the President on bottom left.
“So what do you do [when you pass the bill]?” the Congressman panned. “You have a beer blast at the White House!”
Additionally, Tonko took aim at President Trump’s and the GOP’s immigration policies, particularly in reference to the DREAMers.
“Now [as] if the economic agenda isn’t…morally defunct [enough], how about the DREAMers?” Tonko asked. Answering his own question, the Congressman aimed to refute Trump’s claims that DREAMers are not positive additions to the country.
“97 percent of our DREAMers are either working or in college. I think it’s 91 or 92 percent are absolutely working. A thousand — near a thousand — have served us in the military.”
Furthermore, Tonko addressed Trump’s reported use of the word “shithole” to describe Haiti, El Salvador, and numerous African countries. The Congressman did not mince words.
“Mr. President, open your eyes wide and scrub your mouth,” Tonko said sternly.
“I have Haitian friends, I have African friends, I have an African doctor from Nigeria who brought my mother back to sound health at 96 just a few weeks ago. So don’t tell me about your vulgarity, don’t debate ‘hole’ vs. ‘house,’” Tonko declared, referencing a Jan. 15 Washington Post article in which anonymous Republican sources asserted that Trump said “shithouse countries” rather than “shithole countries.”
“Look at yourself,” he implored the President. “Look at yourself good into the mirror and tell us that you stand for all of us.”
In addition to referencing contemporary immigration concerns, Tonko discussed his own personal history. “As a grandson of immigrants, you have just blasted away at my grandparents’ journey and I don’t take it kindly,” he said.
“Don’t crush the American spirit with your vulgar mouth and vulgar attitude.”
Continuing on to the approval of the liberal crowd, the Congressman addressed the future of both the district and the country at large. Specifically referencing Brindisi and local activists, the Congressman painted an optimistic picture.
“So tonight my friends, my message to you is: we are agents of hope. And if we’re not, get out of the way,” he passionately told the crowd. “There’s a difference here in the quality of representation that people can bring and that’s the joy of America. And Anthony will be a partner in that progress.”
“He will have that moral compass that says ‘we will do this together, we will walk together, we will feel each other’s battles, we will feel each other’s pain, and we’ll show the best that America has to offer.’”
Concluding his remarks, Tonko essentially issued a called to action.
“So let’s get out there… [with the] work and the energy that it requires, let’s pour forth the intellect, let’s challenge or neighbors, and friends and family, and say ‘open your heart, open your mind; there’s a better choice for this Congressional District.’”
