In 2015, 2016, as well as in 2017, “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day” profiled Ryan Fattman, a Massachusetts State Senator who after getting elected to the Massachusetts state legislature back in 2011, started talking about illegal immigration, saying he hoped if a female illegal immigrant that got raped, that she would be afraid of reporting it to police for fear of being deported. Like many Republicans after saying something clearly inhumane and disgusting, Fattman then tried claiming he was “being taken out of context”. Fattman’s voting record, meanwhile, is one of the most regressive in his state, as he voted against attempts by thelegislature to keep firearms out of the hands of the mentally ill, voted against measures to keep abortion clinic protesters a safe distance from a clinic so that employees and patients could safely get in and out of them, andin an era of our country’s greatest income inequality in almost a century, has voted against minimum wage increases. Not once, but twice. Fattman also took the bold stance with three other Republicans to vote against a prohibition in Massahchusetts on discrimination, as relates to gender identity, in 2016.
Fattman was regretfully re-elected in November 2016 through having the good fortune to have no opponent running against him. He has continued to make his focus in government on demonizing immigrants, fighting to hold up the annual state budget over an amendment in it that would have funded sanctuary cities.
Meanwhile, outside the state legislature, Fattman has been at anti-immigration rallies and palling around with Jessica Vaughn, whose Center for Immigration Studies just so happens to be classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Fattman has downplayed his alliance with a hate group by trying to discredit the SPLC’s classification of them, rather than do the honorable thing and cut ties with the organization. At this point, it seems pretty clear that he has no intention of stopping his descent down a path of open bigotry, and would rather normalize his rhetoric and intolerant allies.
Whether or not Fattman’s xenophobia comes up from now until November… well, we’re hoping it leads to him getting a beat down at the polls from Democrat Tom Merolli, who formerly worked for Congressman Richard Neal, and worked on the 2012 Senatorial campaign of Elizabeth Warren, and has ties to the ACLU. Heck, if you want to help Merolli get that win, click on the link on his name and find a way to donate to his campaign. Surely, a guy that qualified would be a better choice than a bigot like Ryan Fattman in elected office.
One Year Ago, July 25th, 2017: Ryan Fattman (MA)… 2017 Update
Two Years Ago, July 25th, 2016: Ryan Fattman (MA)… 2016 Update
Three Years Ago, July 25th, 2015: Ryan Fattman (MA)… Original Profile
Four Years Ago, July 25th, 2014: Jim Bunning (KY)