by Chris Bailey
06 October 2021, Ventura County California
On 03 October, 2021 Senator Krysten Sinema was followed into a restroom by members of an organization named Living United for Change in Arizona. It has been highly publicized as individuals harassed Senator Sinema, with only the door of the individual stall blocking them from recording her every move. The Left leaning Mainstream Media permitted casual mention of the harassment. Conservative media spent more time on the interaction between these activists and Senator Sinema. Dave Rubin highlighted a second interaction between Senator Sinema and another member of Living United for Change in Arizona(LUCHA) on her return to Washington DC in her coach seat on an airline. The activist simply would not leave her alone. To her credit, Senator Sinema did not let them under her skin in either interaction.
An article in the Washington Examiner by Katherine Doyle covered President Biden’s reaction to the harassment of a sitting Senator. The first sentence of the article read “President Biden condemns activists” with regard to following her into the restroom. President Biden dismissed the interaction as normal in political circles at a press conference. Further down in Katherine Doyle’s article the actual, correct quote attributable to the President in no way read as a condemnation.
I contacted Ms. Doyle through her publication dropdown and said the following:
“Biden’s quote “I don’t think they’re appropriate tactics, but it happens to everybody,” Biden said of the people who confronted Sinema on Sunday. “The only people it doesn’t happen to is people who have Secret Service standing around them. It’s part of the process.” Isn’t close to condemnation of the act. Not great or even lukewarm journalism.”
I expect more from a Right of Center publication, and I most definitely expect the truth regarding a President who has reached new definitions of partisanship in a short time in office. Would I receive no response from Katherine Doyle, or a note it was a misreading of his statement, with an edit to remove the editorial slant on the article.
I was disappointed. Ms. Doyle’s response was, “I don’t think it’s my place to editorialize his remarks. You can draw your own view!”
So I was compelled to respond as follows. ”YOU did exactly that, when your article stated Biden condemned the act, when his statement actually endorsed invading her privacy. YOU EDITORIALIZE HIS STATEMENT. You reported the President of the United States condemned the activity, when he did not. Then you send ME this response when I called you out for lukewarm journalism: “I don’t think it’s my place to editorialize his remarks. You can draw your own view!” Draw a view about what? That Biden endorsed stalking Sinema or that Biden condemned stalking Sinema because YOU say he condemned it? My whole point in writing was YOU have editorialized the President’s comment, lifting his statement to condemnation when he only dismissed the harassment as politics. You didn’t report. You created a reality, and allowed readers to believe his statement condemned the act. He didn’t condemn the act, he actually endorsed the act by dismissing it. The only person who condemned the act of following Senator Sinema into the restroom was Sinema herself, NOT the President. At the very least you owe Senator Sinema an apology for misrepresenting President Biden’s statement.”
I’ve not heard from Ms. Doyle. The reply did warrant review of the balance of the article. It states the organization which followed the Senator into the restroom was Living United For Change, which is not correct. The organization’s name is Living United For Change in Arizona(LUCHA). The Spanish translation of the acronym LUCHA is “struggle”.
The LUCHA Mission Statement on their YouTube Channel: “Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA) is a membership-led, grassroots organization that builds power with Arizona’s working families to advance social, racial and economic justice for all. Through grassroots campaigns, leadership development, advocacy and civic engagement, we work to create an Arizona in which every person enjoys equal rights, opportunities and protections.”
Inclusive until one researches their purposes within the State of Arizona. Living United for Change in Arizona is a Hard Left Progressive 501{c}4 organization which is pro Open Border demanding amnesty for the 11 to 22 million illegal aliens living in the United States. Amnesty for illegal aliens will firmly erase any hope for our Nation to remain a Republic, as there will only be one party in Washington DC, State Legislatures, and County and City municipalities. Amnesty for illegals is the grand slam of all political moves. The coup de gras to our society, with a Socialist Democracy at best, and a full Socialist Government structure the worst outcome from such Executive or Legislative Action.
Maybe Ms.Doyle didn’t intentionally misrepresent the name of the organization that attacked Senator Sinema. As reporters we are to provide information that is correct, and Ms. Doyle’s article misses the mark in two glaring areas. Is she a Left leaning reporter hiding in a supposed Right leaning publication? Should it matter, with regards to reporting the truth? The bottom line is the Washington Examiner gave President Biden a pass, when they should have called him out for allowing a US Senator to be harassed by an organization that wants the United States to have no borders.
I don’t agree with most of Senator Sinema’s politics. I would prefer a more Conservative Senator to represent Arizona. That doesn’t make it alright that she was harassed in a private area by activists who have an agenda, and are telling her “We can find you anywhere” by popping up everywhere in her life away from her work. It is incredibly wrong that our President, who claims to be the President of all Americans, has activated the Justice Department against parents at public school board meetings, but dismisses an private quarters attack on a sitting Senator as normal behavior.
What has been said about Socialism rarely has clear examples in real life, but the harassment of Senator Sinema is a very clear example that you will have a voice on the Left until you are no longer of use. Then you become persona non grata. Katherine Doyle’s article in the Washington Examiner can be read here.
Chris Bailey is a reporter-at-large of citizensjournal.us, a business owner, military veteran and longtime resident of Camarillo
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