Politics

CNN regular and political strategist: Chicago gun violence the fault of the GOP [VIDEO]

Jeff Poor Media Reporter
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President Barack Obama’s adopted hometown of Chicago hasn’t elected a Republican mayor since 1927, but in the eyes of CNN regular and Democratic strategist Robert Zimmerman, the rampant violence currently plaguing the city is the fault of the Republican Party.

On Friday’s broadcast of “CNN Newsroom,” Zimmerman, Politics 365 contributor Jason Johnson and CNN contributor Ana Navarro were discussing a joint effort by former NBA star Isiah Thomas and Democratic Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to curb the city’s gang violence, when Zimmerman shifted the focus to congressional Republicans.

“[L]et’s be very clear about what’s happening in Washington today, and why it’s undermining the city of Chicago — because there’s a mindset now in our government, in Washington, from the Republican members of Congress, that sequestration is an acceptable way of doing business, that we can in fact engage in these massive irresponsible cuts that no one thinks is a logical approach to budgeting,” Zimmerman said. “And that undermines law enforcement in our cities; it undermines so many education opportunities for our younger people and it does in fact create an impoverished class of our society that leads to abuse, leads to violence and leads to more Chicagos.”

Navarro protested Zimmerman’s remarks, saying partisanship isn’t the solution to the problem.

“Yes, I’m going to try not to roll my eyes at your suggestion that Republicans are the ones responsible for Rahm Emanuel’s city, for Barack Obama’s — President Obama’s state, for a state that mostly Democrat,” Navarro said. “Look, you all got to take responsibility, and you are laying the blame on Republicans and making this a partisan issue.”

(h/t Mike Bates, Newsbusters)

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