By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
On Wednesday, December 16, Jonathan McConnell, a GOP primary candidate for the US Senate, released a statement critical of the omnibus spending bill and incumbent US Senator Richard Shelby (R-Alabama). McConnell attacked Shelby from his political right.
Jonathan McConnell said in a statement: “Richard Shelby’s willingness to give President Obama’s liberal agenda a blank check in return for a few votes reveals just how out of touch he has become with the values and priorities of Alabamians in his 37 years in Washington, D.C.. This Omnibus bill does nothing to defund Planned Parenthood or ObamaCare, allows Obama’s executive amnesty to continue, and does nothing to ensure the refugees soon arriving from the Middle East are being sufficiently vetted.”
McConnell continued, “In the stroke of a pen today Shelby proved two things: He no longer has a grasp on the precarious nature of our foreign policy relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has shown a growing inclination to give aide to the terrorist state of Iran, and he is willing to rubber stamp over $1 trillion in federal spending, including all of President Obama’s liberal pet projects, over a few sentences he hopes will buy him some votes.”
Senator Shelby released a statement expressing his opposition to the compromise omnibus spending bill: “While I support the inclusion of several conservative priorities and key provisions critical to Alabama in this year’s omnibus bill, I oppose the overall bill because it gives a blank check to President Obama to continue his dangerous Syrian refugee resettlement plan. During this increasingly uncertain time in our nation, we simply cannot allow the President – who is more focused on gun control and climate change than national security – to unilaterally determine who can enter our country.”
McConnell, age 33, is a former Captain in the United States Marine Corps and served in the Iraq War. McConnell owns his own security company which places former soldiers as guards on merchant ships to protect against pirates.
Senator Shelby also has opposition from his political left. Following Tuesday’s Republican Presidential debate on CNN, Democratic Senate Candidate Charles Nana released a statement critical of the GOP Presidential candidates: “Yesterday, we got a real display of what the Republican party has in store for the nation. A bunch of reckless, irrational and confused individuals who were way over their head in foreign policy and national security issues. We even had one candidate advocating carpet bombing of a city without having a clue what carpet bombing really meant!!! None of the candidates addressed domestic terrorism which is one of the most pressing issues facing our nation today: People who shouldn’t be having guns are allowed to have as many as they desire, Attacks on Planned Parenthood clinics…infringing on women’s rights, Brutal and insensitive police practices in African American communities that has led to the senseless killing … execution style of young black men.”
Nana was born in Cameroon. He migrated to the United States in the 80’s where he obtained a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from Howard University, a Master’s degree in Biomedical engineering from Catholic University of America, and an International MBA from the University of Chicago, Graduate School of business with emphasis on entrepreneurship and strategic management. Charles is married to Florence and they have three sons, Nanda, Wanci and Kedy, He is also a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt.
Nana faces marijuana advocate, Ron Crumpton in the March 1, Democratic Primary. McConnell and Shelby will face off in the Republican Primary on the same day. Former State Senator Shadrack McGill (R-Jackson County), John Martin and Marcus Bowman are also running in the Republican primary.
The winner of each major party primary will face off in the general election next November.
