From Politico:
Some Democrats running against Auchincloss are taking particular issue with a Facebook post from 2010 regarding the Quran. “So we can’t burn their book, but they can burn our flag?” Auchincloss wrote, linking to a news story about Pakistani lawyers burning the American flag at a rally. Auchincloss made the comment when he was 22, and says it was a sarcastic remark.
“Who among us is proud of every single thing they said or did in college? I’m not. Since that time I’ve served two tours in the Marines, been elected three times in Newton, and started a family,” Auchincloss said. “This was a sarcastic comment to point out how angry burning the American flag made me. This isn’t representative of my views, then or now.”
But others running to fill Kennedy’s seat are calling the posts “offensive” and “inexcusable.” Ihssane Leckey, a former Wall Street regulator, said she found what Auchincloss said “deeply offensive and divisive” as a Muslim and the only woman of color in the race. Leckey already called on Auchincloss to drop out during a debate earlier this week, as did attorney Ben Sigel. “There is no room for this kind of hateful rhetoric in the Democratic Party,” Leckey said.
Newton City Councilor Becky Grossman said “the idea of burning the Quran is sanctioning the worst kind of hatred” against a religion. “It has no place in our society,” she added. “MA-04 deserves better than Jake Auchincloss,” Jesse Mermell’s campaign manager, Katie Prisco-Buxbaum, said in an email.
Facebook post from 2010 are being dug up as political ammunition against Jake? What was he 23 years old? C’mon guys be real. Jake is a quality candidate. If you want to support another, that’s fine but disagree on relevant issues, not 10 year old Facebook posts.
It is sad and distressting to watch the Democratic campaigns in the 4th Congressional District turn so toxic. A message to the candidates and their rabid supporters. If you want me to consider voting for you or your favorite candidate, stop throwing garbage at your opponents. Tell me what you will do if elected. Prove to me that you are capable of executing/carrying out what you propose based on what you have actually accomplished in the past. And please do not take credit for your previous bosses’ various initiatives!!
Let’s push the restart button and focus on the issues in these final days of the campaign. We need the undecided voters to come out to vote, not to walk away in disgust.
Gloria, it’s interesting that you believe an anti-Muslim post from 10 years ago somehow falls outside the statute of limitations.
What do you say about this tweet from 4 years ago? Should we “be real” and ignore that one too?
Jake is a “quality” candidate….LOL
Like some of the posters above, I’m disappointed to see (disgusted even, but not surprised by) distorted accusations from Democratic candidates for Congress and a formerly reputable organization (Emily’s List, connected to the Women Vote Project) aimed at Jake Auchincloss. Negative, false, and defensive attacks are a turnoff to fact-seeking voters.
Isn’t in interesting that all of the other candidates have been ganging up on Jake for days but nobody seems to be attacking anybody else? That tells you all you need to know about who’s leading this race, and as this latest example shows, the attacks are getting more small-minded and ludicrous by the day. Message to Grossman and Mermel and Leckey and Cavell et al: get out of the gutter and start giving people real reasons to vote for you the way Jake is or none of you will stand a chance to win.
I’m with Gloria, Anne, and Andrea on this issue. Who among us hasn’t made hateful, sarcastic, demeaning, or inappropriate remarks in anger, disgust, or frustration and then come to regret them later? I fully accept Jake’s explanation (and I am supporting one of his opponents.) I have no reason to think that he is anything but a sincere and well intentioned person trying his best to serve the public.
Let’s take the full measure of all these candidates and make our choice. Let’s also try to run these campaigns in a manner that are likely to encourage, rather than discourage, other far-from-perfect members of the community to run for this or other offices in the future. Putting oneself (and family) out there in the public spotlight is hard enough without having to defend everything you’ve ever done in your life. I thank Jake and all the others for doing so; and not one of them has any reason to withdraw from the race.
Nice. So in addition to Auchincloss’ anti-Muslim, anti-Indigenous, pro-Columbian sentiments, he also supports giving a platform to Steve Bannon, who has enabled anti-Muslim extremists and who told le Front national, “Let them call you racists. Let them call you xenophobes. Let them call you nativists. Wear it as a badge of honor.”
That’s the kind of speech Auchincloss thinks should be heard on campus?
I don’t know what to say about anyone who could justify voting for Auchincloss at this point – you would have to either be obscenely committed to the corporate cause (and there are clearly quite a few people in Newton and Brookline who are), or else one of the racist, xenophobic Sheriff Hodgson supporters down in Bristol County.
It’s not OK to ask “So we can’t burn their book, but they can burn our flag?” It’s not OK to say that Indigenous Peoples’ Day is “taking PC too far.” It’s not OK to give a platform to someone who thinks that being racist, xenophobic, and nativist is a “badge of honor.”
This isn’t about mud-slinging. This is about basic human decency.
@Andrea – I saw ads from the same organization similarly taking on Alan Karzei. Speaking only for myself, I find the ads a turnoff the way they are presented.
I’m comfortable with Democrats running against each other in a competitive primary under the auspices something distinguishes them from one another and makes them best suited for office pointing out particular examples of others’ speech that exemplifies those distinctions. While I am not proud of everything I have ever done, I like to vote for candidates who I can be maximally proud of, and a Harvard undergrad posting he’d like to burn the Quran before enlisting to carry a large weapon in the Middle East before he goes on to have his rich parents fund his race for Congress is not something I can be proud of. He won’t have my vote.
Jake’s post as a 22-year old was clumsily phrased. But it could be easily rephrased to say: if you recognize that burning the Holy Qur’an is hurtful to some people, you should also recognize that burning the American flag is hurtful to some people. There is nothing controversial about that.
All of the candidates in this race are decent people with good intentions. I wish the exaggerated mudslinging would stop.
Wait, Jake was in the Marines?? I had no idea! He is really subtle about that!
I’m sure he learned not to be racist, sexist or homophobic while in boot camp. American military training is famous for the wholesome worldview it provides to the cadets! Haven’t you seen Full Metal Jacket??
I agree with Gloria, Anne, Andrea and Gerry. Sad attacks. Stretching to take down the front runner instead of letting us know why we should send each of them to Congress. I do believe that there are several quality candidates here but with each attack I have less respect for them all. Until a week ago this was a very classy, civil contest but it has fallen apart quickly and in my mind this has only solidified my support for Jake Achincloss. The Globe got it right which has set off a barrage of attacks. As for Emily’s list, the advertisements target the two perceived male front runners just because they are male. I know both men and it’s unconscionable to paint them as anything but pro -choice supporters of woman. Those adds are downright lies and there should be repercussions for such false advertisements.
No defense for this.
I received this mailer today implying that Jake was not pro-choice. This is outrageous that a group tied to Emily’s list would produce should a despicable piece. This doesn’t help their cause. Why haven’t the other candidates denounced it?
@bluefootedbooby: Too funny: Full Metal Jacket? Really? Possibly you could update your movie list and join the modern era. All kinds of things wrong with this comparison and your take on “Bootcamp,” which as a Marine Officer Jake wouldn’t have attended (Officer’s Candidate School). As far back as my trip to Parris Island in 1975, we were fully into racial equality. My 3 drill instructors were: African American, White, and Mexican, and we were all treated equally as well (?) by all three.
I have been following Jake for 3 or 4 years, as a resident in his ward. I have been most impressed by his weekly availability to residents at L’Aroma and his remarkably thorough, thoughtful and highly intelligent weekly email updates. He is the youngest in the field of candidates. He has put himself in harms way in service to our community and country. I have learned to have great respect for our servicemen and women. I do not know the other candidates as well, and from what I have read, I do not see anyone of them as having as great a potential to lead as Jake. Yes, I am not happy about some of his comments from 4 years ago and beyond. I feel strongly about Jake, believe in Jake and will certainly vote with the hopes that he will be elected to Congress.
Whatever about his ten year old, or four year old or whatever year old comments, I don’t like the fact that Jake told the Globe that he had co-sponsored a Newton city council proposal to change Columbus Day to Indigenous People Day. A simple call by the Globe to Newton City Clerk showed this was untrue. That’s what I don’t like.