Nassau GOP trying to "Willie Horton" Kaminsky

From 1988 presidential campaign ad

 

Does anybody remember the 1988 presidential campaign ads by Republican George H.W. Bush that blasted Democrat Michael Dukakis, then Massachusetts governor, for a weekend prison furlough program that released Willie Horton, a convicted murderer who used his time off to commit armed robbery, assault and rape?

Many say the Horton commercials defeated Dukakis -- though others also blame the ludicrous photograph of Dukakis, a small man,  wearing a combat helmet while riding on top of a huge tank during some news event.  (Politico called it "the worst campaign photo op ever.")

Horton was black, which ignited some controversy, but Bush still won handily.

Now State Sen. Todd Kaminsky is running for Nassau District Attorney this November. He kicked off his campaign, according to Newsday, pitching himself "as a corruption fighter and tough enforcer of criminal laws."


Kaminsky, a Long Beach Democrat,  is a former federal prosecutor who also had served in the Queens District Attorney's office.

But the Nassau GOP, which has yet to announce a candidate for district attorney, immediately labeled Kaminsky as "soft on crime."

Kaminsky, you see, was credited by his fellow Albany Democrats with helping to write the original bail reform laws that angered many people in early 2020. The new laws seemed to eliminate cash bail no matter how serious the alleged crime, allowing dozens of violent suspects to be released to commit additional offenses.

Faced with a backlash,  Kaminsky in April 2020 moved to restrict some of the crimes that required no bail.

But the county GOP already has posted four examples on its Facebook page of criminals that were released without bail, "thanks" to Kaminsky.

Only one of the people pictured in the examples appears to be black, but it certainly is reminiscent of Willie Horton.

Here it is.

Nassau County GOP

Senator Todd Kaminsky’s record has been terrifying. The assault, strangulation and unlawful imprisonment of Mr. Thorpe's victim might have been PREVENTED if it weren't for Kaminsky’s bail "reform." How many more people will get hurt if Kaminsky becomes Nassau DA?


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