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Battenfeld: Sorry Democrats, Baker's not Trump

Friday, October 16, 2015

By:Joe Battenfeld

On his chopper stopover in Massachusetts today, Donald Trump should take credit for yet another huge campaign accomplishment: providing work for depressed Bay State Democrats.

Trump shows up, and the party stirs from its slumber to demand Republican Gov. Charlie Baker disavow the hated GOP presidential front-runner and his comments about women and minorities.

Weak.

This is how far the Democratic party has sunk. With Baker’s approval numbers higher than any Democrat, and nothing substantial to criticize him for, try to link him to Trump.

Because Trump’s a Republican. So like every other GOP presidential candidate and elected Republican, Baker should be made to answer for everything the billionaire entertainment mogul says or does.

Just like the Democrats. When five members of the local Teamsters union were indicted for yelling homophobic and racial epithets at the “Top Chef” show cast and its Indian-born host, Padma Lakshmi, Massachusetts Democrats immediately disavowed the union and returned all of their campaign contributions, right?

Actually, no. They’re still gladly taking donations from the Teamsters.

And when then-Democratic state Rep. Carlos Henriquez was arrested for assaulting his girlfriend, party leaders demanded his immediate ouster.

No, that didn’t happen either. Only a year and a half later, when Henriquez was convicted, did Democrats decide he had to go. And it took them three weeks after that to kick the handcuffed state rep off the Legislature.

I’m sure his victim appreciated the support.

But when Trump denigrates illegal immigrants or makes bone-headed sexist comments about Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly, every Republican — especially Baker — has to answer for it.

And for the most part, the media goes along with the Democratic playbook. Every single GOP candidate had to be held responsible for Trump’s words.

But until this week’s debate, how often did Hillary Clinton get asked to denounce Bernie Sanders’ socialist views? Or be forced to disavow Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid every time he said something ridiculous and false?

Baker isn’t even running for president, and suddenly he’s now accountable for Trump’s positions.

Never mind that the GOP governor immediately denounced Trump’s comments about Megyn Kelly as “reprehensible.” That’s not good enough.

No doubt the Democrats won’t be satisfied until Baker shows up at a Trump rally with a protest sign, or threatens him with an arrest warrant.

Better yet, Baker should handle it like the Democrats’ union friends: Slash Trump’s tires.

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