Who is Congressman Gerry Connolly? Is he a concerned legislator, caring, defending, and putting the interest of the people of his congressional district first, OR is he a crafty businessman first? Wheeling and dealing, enacting laws that will benefit himself, his business friends, and clients. Allegedly he violated the State and Local Conflict of Interest Laws, as he was a paid consultant for the very same companies awarded lucrative state contracts. Additionally, he used his influence and proximity to other state legislators, to persuade and/or bribe them to vote in his clients’ interest.
Connolly seems to either serve his own self-interest for profits or his parties’ best interest. When it came time to select the method of construction for the Dulles Rail Project, either a tunnel or an elevated rail, Connolly refused to listen to the public, the financial, and technical experts. The public wanted a tunnel but instead, the legislators elected for the elevated rail. It was not a fair competition between construction companies, rather the company selected was ultimately cherry-picked to complete the project? The project as it stands is a subpar selection and unsightly in appearance with huge cost overruns. When all the decisions were being made, the public of Northern Virginia, the taxpayers who paid for the project, were not considered, but other parties’ interests were deemed more important.
In Federal Government, he has found a profitable way to make money, the business of war. Congress members are responsible for helping to allocate and negotiate the Federal Budget, including defense spending, but is that fair if they are large investors in the very same companies profiting for these allocations? Connolly is no stranger to conflict of interest legislating, and it seems that he is now onto bigger profits, after becoming a Congressman, now either he or members of his family are profiting from this lucrative side of the business of defense spending and legislating.
Further evidence of the candidate’s neo-imperialist ideological drive is evidenced by his blatantly aggressive stand on foreign policies which is not in favor of Democratic countries like India but in favor of pro-terrorist anti-American countries like Pakistan, which sheltered the number one enemy of America Osama Bin Laden. Connolly had also misused his position in foreign affairs committee as he serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. His words and actions simultaneously betray his incredible ignorance of Indian affairs and display his arrogance by attempting to proactively police the world’s largest democracy, ignoring the essence and reality of the issue.
For an instance, via a joint press release on 27th September 2020, the candidate accused the Indian government of indirectly promoting and orchestrating “lynchings” of “religious minorities throughout India.” He also specifically targeted Kashmir by suggesting that the Indian government is oppressing Kashmiri Muslims by preventing them to observe communal worship – which is patently absurd because any restrictions (applied for the security of Indian citizens from Pakistan sponsored terrorists) applied were for all communities. The candidate went on to further endorse the statement that stated – “The people of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) deserve the same rights as any other citizen of India” which apparently was the sole intent of abrogation of Article 370.
This show that Connolly is seemingly ignorant of the fact that the Indian government’s landmark changes in Kashmir (repeal of articles 370 and 35A) was specifically made to provide, and not rescind, “the same” constitutional rights to the people of Jammu & Kashmir that were previously impossible under previous draconian laws that subjugated women, minorities, and homosexuals. This could be concluded that Connolly not only ignorant but also bias and do not care about women and the LGBTQ community. This should be a wake-up call even for the Democratic voters of his constituency.
Connolly is harboring an ill-concealed nefarious agenda against India a well-wisher of the U.S. and allies with the narrative of Pakistan which is known as the epicenter of sponsoring and harboring terrorist not and only shielded but also officially advocates for Osama Bin Laden to be recognized as a martyr. Given the Connolly’s previous stance on similar matters (for an example regarding Israel and Palestine), it is likely that he will persist in rallying democrats to aid his anti-India agenda and he will continue to craft Kashmir into an issue – thereby becoming a de-facto ally to Pakistan’s proxy war in Kashmir.
Knowing the established facts based on his history, that Connolly is no one but a self-centered businessman who puts personal interest before the interest of the country, the question remains, by supporting Palestine, Pakistan, taking undue advantage of his position who’s interests does Gerry Connolly serve, the public or his own? With his amassing wealth, first as a Virginia Law Maker and now as a Congress Member, the answer seems pretty clear. Connolly is in the legislative business for himself and not to serve the public. It is just for Gerry Connolly, that he continues to be a Congress Member. Which should give food for thought are the voters voting their representative or they are voting for astute businessman Connolly?
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