Kamala Harris Defends Her Prosecutorial Record

By Jeralyn, Section Elections 2020
Posted on Sat Jun 08, 2019 at 06:58:46 PM EST
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Kamala Harris will speak in South Carolina tonight, focusing on a defense of her prosecutorial record.

“She will bust myths that claim the black community doesn’t want any type of law enforcement or that say being a prosecutor and being progressive are mutually exclusive,” the aide said. “Just as she prosecuted cases against those trying to harm the people, she will lay out the case against Trump — what she will call 'the case for a new president.’”

Kamala Harris can't run from her record, which is anything but progressive.

Time after time, when progressives urged her to embrace criminal justice reforms as a district attorney and then the state’s attorney general, Ms. Harris opposed them or stayed silent. Most troubling, Ms. Harris fought tooth and nail to uphold wrongful convictions that had been secured through official misconduct that included evidence tampering, false testimony and the suppression of crucial information by prosecutors.

You can't put toothpaste back in the tube. And Harris shouldn't be allowed to change the topic to Trump when her history comes up. It's apples and oranges.

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Kamala Harris Defends Her Prosecutorial Record | 12 comments (12 topical)

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Harris's record ... (5.00 / 1) (#1)
by Yman on Sun Jun 09, 2019 at 07:51:00 AM EST

... consists of much more than criminal justice issues and more than her time as a prosecutor/AG, although even the author of this opinion piece points out that her record on criminal justice much more mixed than initially portrayed:

Of course, the full picture is more complicated. During her tenure as district attorney, Ms. Harris refused to seek the death penalty in a case involving the murder of a police officer. And she started a successful program that offered first-time nonviolent offenders a chance to have their charges dismissed if they completed a rigorous vocational training. As attorney general, she mandated implicit bias training and was awarded for her work in correcting a backlog in the testing of rape kits.

She's rated as the third-most progressive Senator (lifetime 98.17 rating), barely behind Elizabeth Warren and ahead of all the other Senatorial candidates (including Bernie). She's progressive on a wide variety of issues, including gun control.

As a candidate, I like her.

I wish she hadn't bragged... (none / 0) (#2)
by Dadler on Sun Jun 09, 2019 at 10:00:24 AM EST

...about sending poor parents to jail for their children's truancy. That spoke volumes. She will NEVER, on the campaign trail, brag about not seeking that death penalty, IMO.

Peace.


Actually (5.00 / 2) (#3)
by Yman on Sun Jun 09, 2019 at 02:33:42 PM EST

She already has, in an interview right after announcing her candidacy.


: Good for her, I was wrong, and she should also... (none / 0) (#6)
by Dadler on Wed Jun 12, 2019 at 09:45:58 AM EST

...disavow that disgraceful and hateful line about poor parents jailed for kids' truancy. They go together in a congruence I'm not sure she gets. There is NO equivalence between ghetto parents and police officers. None. Zero. One group are armed agents of the state, the other TARGETS of armed agents of the state.

She remains my first choice (none / 0) (#4)
by Militarytracy on Tue Jun 11, 2019 at 09:42:18 AM EST

From what I've seen thus far (none / 0) (#11)
by CST on Thu Jun 13, 2019 at 12:05:25 PM EST

Shes certainly formidable. I look forward to seeing her in the debates I have a feeling she will do quite well.

I have mixed feelings about the prosecution background, but it does seem like she was trying to move the needle somewhat from the inside, while still playing the game. I struggle with that but I don't like purity tests and she's saying all the right things today.

She's my second choice right now, but depending on how the debates go could potentially move up a slot.


Warren is picking up now (none / 0) (#12)
by Militarytracy on Thu Jun 13, 2019 at 01:44:14 PM EST

She is on my radar too. Each passing day Warren becomes more solid.


: I have a dream (5.00 / 1) (#18)
by CST on Thu Jun 13, 2019 at 03:01:41 PM EST

That both of them end up on the ticket. No doubt it's a pipe dream, but it's mine. I wouldn't really care what order.
IMO I think Warren's biggest potential upside is that she's not actually an "east coast liberal" once you hear/see her speak. As she gets more TV time, that shines through more. That Oklahoma accent is surprisingly useful, and not fake either.

Have to point out (none / 0) (#8)
by ragebot on Wed Jun 12, 2019 at 11:17:22 AM EST

Harris's has a very short record as a senator. God knows I am no fan of Joe or Bernie but both of them have decades of voting in the senate at a time when things were much different than they are now which explains some of the very old votes.

If Joe and Bernie get bashed for their older votes then Kamala can be bashed for her record in the past as well.


Well... (5.00 / 1) (#5)
by kdog on Tue Jun 11, 2019 at 10:58:17 AM EST

I guess you could say defending the indefensible is an integral part of the job of being president of these united states....so this will be good practice should she win the thing!

I do believe there is a large segment of the black community who would prefer somebody other than a person who made a career out of law and order, considering how that community has been particularly abused by the law. That's no "myth", equality under the law is the f*cking myth.

South Carolina (none / 0) (#7)
by Dadler on Wed Jun 12, 2019 at 09:58:45 AM EST

My wife has spent the last six+ months working as MVP level consultant at the largest and oldest African-American owned and operated bank in South Carolina. The white CEO (only white employee there) would love if we moved to Dixie so my wife could continue working her experienced magic on a daily basis (and making him look better). Bless his male privilege.

: I had no idea (5.00 / 1) (#9)
by Ga6thDem on Wed Jun 12, 2019 at 02:39:25 PM EST

there was such a bank and I grew up in SC. of course it also is not surprising that I did not know about since it's not something that the news media would have reported 40 years ago.
Your wife must be very talented and I know you must be proud of her. And being that it is SC i'm sure the CEO is taking the credit for whatever is happening.