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Rep. Bush’s comments renew Republican effort to use ‘Defund the Police’ against Democrats

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Forget Christmas in July. It was Christmas in August for Republicans.

Wednesday, Congresswoman Cori Bush participated in an interview with CBS News.

During the interview, the Democrat from St. Louis said, “So suck it up and defunding the police has to happen, we need to defund the police and put that money into social safety nets.”

Within a day, those comments had been made into an ad for the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Had the video in the ad continued, viewers could have heard Bush explain that with the phrase ‘Defund the Police’, she doesn’t mean she wants to get rid of police entirely, but rather that she wants to reallocate some police money to allow social services to respond in certain situations.

In the CBS interview, Bush explained her point, saying, “What other occupation can do work that’s out of their scope and still be propped up to do work that’s out of their scope? As a nurse, I can’t be the surgeon too. You don’t want me being your surgeon and I’m the nurse. At what point do we pay police to be social workers? No, we don’t. How do they get to be social workers? So, what I’m saying is you do your job. Let the people who have gone to school with a particular skill set do theirs.

The phrase ‘Defund the Police’ has a ring to it that Republicans have used to their advantage, painting Democrats as extremists who want to get rid of police departments entirely.

It has worked for them in some instances.

Following the November 2020 election, Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) reportedly told her fellow Democrats that the movement almost cost her the race. Spanberger represents a suburban area near Richmond, Virginia. The district had long been held by a Republican, until Spanberger flipped it in 2018.

Spanberger’s frustration with the phrase was echoed by Virginia Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), who in a November 2020 interview with WAMU-FM said, “I think the ability — using terms like ‘defund the police’ have led to Democratic loses in this last year.”

With those comments, it’s no surprise Virginia’s Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin has made an ad attempting to tie his opponent, Terry McAuliffe, to defunding police.

However, Democrats are fighting back. Candidates are painting their Republican opponents as January 6th insurrection supporters and Trump loyalists.

In a recently released ad, former governor and current Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Terry McAuliffe says, “Let me be clear, Glenn Youngkin is not a reasonable Republican. He is a loyalist to Donald Trump.”

The audio then cuts to Youngkin saying, “President Trump represents so much of why I’m running.”

Forget CHRISTMAS IN JULY… IT WAS CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST FOR REPUBLICANS. 

(Rep. Cori Bush, (D) St. Louis) – <<”So suck it up and defunding the police has to happen, we need to defund the police and put that money into social safety nets.”>>

Already the National Republican Congressional Committee is using Congresswoman Cori Bush’s comments ABOUT HER NEED FOR PRIVATE SECURITY in an ad.

NRCC ad: <<”Murder and other violent crime rose sharply in cities across the country. if I end up spending $200,000, if I spend 10 more dollars on it — you know what? I get to be here to do the work. So suck it up and defunding the police has to happen.”>>

HAD THE VIDEO CONTINUED… YOU WOULD HAVE SEEN BUSH EXPLAIN SHE DOESN’T MEAN TO GET RID OF POLICE DEPARTMENTS…

 BUT RATHER REALLOCATE SOME POLICE MONEY TO ALLOW SOCIAL SERVICES TO RESPOND TO CERTAIN SITUATIONS.

(Rep. Cori Bush, (D) St. Louis) <<”AS A NURSE, I CAN’T BE THE SURGEON TOO. [EDIT] At what point do we pay police to be social workers? No, we don’t. How do they get to be social workers. So, what I’m saying is you do your job. Let the people who have gone to school with a particular skill set do theirs.”>>

BUT THE PHRASE DEFUND THE POLICE HAS A RING TO IT THAT REPUBLICANS USE TO THEIR ADVANTAGE… 

PAINTING DEMOCRATS AS EXTREMISTS WHO WANT TO GET RID OF POLICE DEPARTMENTS ENTIRELY.

AND IT HAS KIND OF WORKED…

IN 2020.. REPUBLICANS CAPITALIZED ON THE DEFUND THE POLICE MOVEMENT.

FOLLOWING THE NOVEMBER ELECTION… 

VIRGINIA DEMOCRAT ABIGAIL SPANBERGER REPORTEDLY TOLD HER FELLOW DEMOCRATS THAT THE MOVEMENT ALMOST COST HER THE RACE.

THIS WAS ECHOED BY VIRGINIA SENATOR MARK WARNER IN AN INTERVIEW SHORTLY AFTER THE ELECTION. 

(Sen. Mark Warner, D-VA) <<”I think the ability — using terms like defund the police have led to Democratic loses in this last year.”>>

WHICH IS WHY IT’S NO SURPRISE THIS AD HAS HIT THE AIR IN VIRGINIA WHERE THE COMMONWEALTH WILL ELECT A NEW GOVERNOR THIS NOVEMBER.

Glenn Youngkin ad: <<”What is Terry McAuliffe’s plan? Refusing to meet with police officers. Touting endorsement from extreme left-wing groups that want to defund the police.”>>

DEMOCRATS fire back  – doing THEIR PART PAINTING REPUBLICANS AS INSURRECTION SUPPORTERS AND TRUMP LOYALISTS.

TAKE A LOOK AT THIS AD FROM THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE IN VIRGINIA.

Terry McAuliffe ad: <<”Let me be clear, Glenn Youngkin is not a reasonable Republican. He is a loyalist to Donald Trump.’President Trump represents so much of why I’m running.”>>

WHICH DO YOU THINK IS THE STRONGER AD?

LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW AND ON OUR STRAIGHT ARROW BIAS METER.