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March 28
1934 - Bouquet Canyon Reservoir, replacement for ill-fated St. Francis Dam & reservoir, begins to fill with water [story]
Bouquet Reservoir


Commentary by Bryan Caforio
| Monday, Oct 17, 2016

bryancaforioThis past weekend, Donald Trump once again showed us what kind of man he is and the kind of character he possesses. While most people paying attention had come to expect this type of behavior and rhetoric from the Republican presidential nominee, many Washington Republicans feigned enough shock to withdraw their support. Rep. Steve Knight was among them.

Over the past year and half, Donald Trump made it abundantly clear that he is unfit and unqualified to be president. Throughout his campaign, Trump has spewed sexist, racist and bigoted rhetoric. He insulted immigrants, he mocked the disabled, he disparaged the Gold Star Khan family, and now we all know he bragged about sexual assault. It’s a pattern of disrespect and behavior that Trump has made clear he won’t change.

Donald Trump didn’t become the Republican presidential nominee all on his own. Republicans like Steve Knight should have (and could have) stood up from the very beginning and made it clear they wouldn’t tolerate Trump’s ugliness. Instead, Knight stayed silent and watched his party encourage Trump’s rise.

Knight’s last-minute statement criticizing Trump just 30 days before Election Day wasn’t a brave moral choice; it was a calculated move to make a last-ditch effort to save his fading chances for reelection.

That’s why it’s so patronizing to hear some Republicans talk about principles and standards. To the rest of us, it seems like they care a lot more about partisanship and self-preservation. Knight and his fellow Republicans stuck with their party until they realized they were about to lose.

The way they act in Washington is no different. Their political party comes first, creating a never-ending cycle of obstruction and gridlock. Problem solving for the American people is an afterthought, if it’s even considered at all.

Steve Knight is the poster boy for partisanship. Knight said he wouldn’t be a “wishy-washy” Republican who would work with people with differing views. Knight even proudly proclaimed: “I hate the term ‘work across the aisle,’” and “partisan politics is not a bad thing.” The Ventura County Star wrote an entire editorial criticizing Knight’s lack of independence, but that didn’t stop him from taking party-line obstructionist votes directly affecting our communities.

In his short time in Congress, Knight has voted 28 times to block legislation to prevent potential terrorists from purchasing guns; voted eight times to block consideration of fully funding an emergency Zika response; and voted 11 times to repeal or dismantle the Affordable Care Act with no viable replacement.

That’s not the kind of leadership we need in Washington. Every day, we all face challenges, but we can’t just throw our hands in the air and call it quits because we don’t agree with someone. And we can’t sit idly by while watching group after group get bullied, attacked and insulted by the big kid with high ratings. We aren’t in kindergarten, and politicians need to stop acting like they are.

Now more than ever, we need to work together to beat back this ugliness and break through this gridlock. In Congress, I will represent our communities – all of them – and live up to the responsibility of an elected official.

 

Bryan Caforio is a candidate for Congress in California’s 25th District.

 

 

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38 Comments

  1. Trump 2016 Hillary belongs in prison..

  2. No more #Knightmares. Turning #CA25 BLUE!!!

  3. Chad Rogers Chad Rogers says:

    Qualifications to be president: 35 years old and a natural born citizen… those are the only 2 qualifications!

  4. Allan Cameron says:

    “Carpetbaggers” were overwhelmingly Republican businessman, who, sensing opportunities to do well by doing good, flooded the defeated treasonous former “states” of the “Confederacy” after the Civil War. Mostly, they behaved civily and ethically. However, the southerners so hated the idea that hated “Yankees” were present in their areas, that they invented the “carpetbagger” term, and invested it with the negative interpretation some still give to it. Funny how people today will use a term coined by slave holding traitors, and fell zero shame or reluctance.

    • Ronald Lewis Ronald Lewis says:

      Want to know why? Trump and whoever he was talking to with the sexist comment, was in a bus I believe with reporters. It was recorded it wasn’t found it’s like recording police brutality.

    • Wendy Cruden Wendy Cruden says:

      Idc what Trump talks about when he’s chillin with the boys. I’ve heard worse from local AV judges during lunch hour in restaurants. What I do care about is Hilary hiding emails, selling out America, Benghazi, I have children in the military, and she can’t be trusted to ensure any kind of safety. Im with Trump 100%

    • Ronald Lewis Ronald Lewis says:

      Wendy Cruden , trump is a sexist racist pig. If anyone is going to sell out America it’s him. Already Russia is threatening to nuke us if we don’t elect him, North Korea. And yes NORTH KOREA supports him. What does that say? Every communist country supports trump. I would rather have Hilary over trump any day because she’d be impeached because she can’t even hide emails correctly. Trump will start more wars then any president, our allies from WW1 and 2 have begun to ban him from their countries, if we elect him, we will lose our friendship/ties with them then we are screwed.

  5. Jack Winkel Jack Winkel says:

    Danger Will Robinson, danger!!!! Pro-abortion!!!!

  6. Ronald Lewis Ronald Lewis says:

    People are surprised?

  7. Kevin Hannant says:

    Dump Knight-no longer represents the Democratic 25th districtn

  8. You won’t get my vote if you promote an outright criminal like Hillary Rotten Clinton, yes Trump has flaws but he’s not been a politician until now, she’s been at this for 30yrs and is completely corrupt ?

    • Denny NNWofLA says:

      Yes, Trump has flaws; our agreeing ends there.
      Trump has zero political experience and it shows glaringly. Hillary’s 30 years in public service
      have given her that experience. Just as raising a family gives you experience in child rearing, holding office gives her the political experience necessary to lead. And I’ll bet she has done a better job than you, ‘O’.

  9. Cari Byers Cari Byers says:

    Bryan Caforio lost my vote months ago with his overly aggressive anti Steve Knight campaign. All I ever hear from him is all about who he hates.

  10. Suzi S Smith Suzi S Smith says:

    Keep speaking truth to power, Bryan!!

  11. A vote for Trump is a vote for Putin !

  12. C. Beaudine says:

    When did this forum (SCV News) become a stumping ground for a Congressional wannabe?

    • SCVNews.com says:

      Better question: Why is a congressional wannabe the only one who’s smart enough to take advantage of the fact that we publish all letters & commentaries that are sent to us? (hint, hint)

  13. Supporting Bryan Caforio says:

    Steve Knight has fallen with the times and the Republican party’s war on woman and minorities. Bryan Caforio is a true top tier choice for this congressional seat. I believe in Bryan Caforio.

  14. George Baida George Baida says:

    Scvtv yet another biased page rallying for crooked Hillary!!!! No such thing as non-biased journalism! Shame

  15. Hey Bryan go suck a Lemmon! You don’t have my vote! Trump Trump!!!

  16. Typical liberal distraction. Instead of talking about how wants to raise taxes (when is enough, enough). Or talking about how he wants to increase the nightmare nown as Obamacare. Pack it up and keep on moving. This town knows better than to believe another Liar. #draintheswamp

  17. Lyn O Lyn O'Kane says:

    You are not getting my vote when you are up for election

  18. ZeeZee says:

    Saw his add..whatidiotic statemwnts. ..feeble mind , zealot whom we definetely don’t need

  19. ZeeZee says:

    Eager, Beaver zealot w idiotic, feeble comments saw his campaign ad. Ugh

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