“Pay attention to (those) who believe accountability is something that happens to other people.” – Colorado Muslim Vote
Colorado’s primary is June 30. Colorado Muslim Vote—a project founded to connect and empower the Colorado Muslim community—has information that the voters should hear.
Colorado Muslim Vote (CMV) has been organizing a debate between Senator Michael Bennet, and Attorney General Phil Weiser for months. Both politicians are set to be on the primary ballot from the Colorado Democratic Party to fill the spot of term-limited Governor Jared Polis.
The debate was initiated because CMV “wanted Muslim, African, Arab, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and East Asian Coloradans to have a direct, structured opportunity to hear from the candidates seeking to lead this state.” A debate on such topics is an expectation of politicians running for office in today’s atmosphere. Yet, CMV was met with a continual stream of demands from Sen. Bennet’s team.
The debate was changed to a forum when Sen. Bennet said he didn’t want to be on stage with Phil Weiser. The team then requested a list of questions and topics in advance. Neither of these demands are necessarily atypical of debates or forums.
Bennet’s team raised flags for the CMV when they questioned the safety of the event. They indicated that the forum did not seem safe and was not worth attending. CMV noted the racist undertones of the comment, but “committed to providing safety.”
The moment when Bennet’s demands received a no was not long after. His team asked that he be asked no questions about Gaza. Colorado voters deserve to know where a gubernatorial candidate stands. Especially on issues like Gaza.
Bennet has accepted about $3.2 million from pro-Israel PACs and lobbies. In two major votes, he voted with the lobbies, in favor of Israel. Sen. Bennet voted against a bill presented by Bernie Sanders to block millions of dollars in weapons from being sold to Israel. The large majority of democratic Senators voted for the bill. Bennet was a stand-out no.
CMV has declined Bennet’s offer to meet in private to supplement the forum. They maintain that “through every escalating demand and his ultimate retreat,” Sen. Bennet has demonstrated what kind of leader he would be: “one who shows up for communities when it’s convenient and disappears when it costs something.”
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