Sheldon Whitehouse under fire for membership at all-white club
Category: News & Politics
Via: vic-eldred • 3 years ago • 53 commentsBy: Emily Jacobs (New York Post)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse is facing new scrutiny over his decades-long membership in an allegedly all-white private beach club, as he bills himself as a progressive and prominent critic of "systemic racism" — dismissing membership based on race as "a long tradition in Rhode Island."
The controversy began when Whitehouse (D-RI) was confronted Friday by a GoLocal Providence reporter, who published the video along with an article on Saturday detailing what occurred after asking about the senator's membership at Newport-based Bailey's Beach Club, part of the Spouting Rock Beach Association.
"I think the people who are running the place are still working on that and I'm sorry it hasn't happened yet," the progressive pol told the reporter after being asked of the club's lack of any diversity whatsoever.
Asked if such clubs should continue to exist at a time when the country is having a racial reckoning, Whitehouse replied, "It's a long tradition in Rhode Island, and there are many of them.
Newport-based Bailey's Beach Club is a part of the Spouting Rock Beach Association.LightRocket via Getty Images
"And I think we just need to work our way through the issues," he added before leaving the scene.
While Whitehouse appeared to dismiss the club's circumstances, his wife, Sandra Whitehouse, is one of the three largest shareholders in the club.
When the Rhode Island senator, who was first elected in 2006, initially ran for his office, he disavowed his membership and pledged to quit the club, GoLocal reported.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse bills himself as a progressive and prominent critic of "systemic racism" — but has a membership to an all-white private beach club in Rhode Island.Getty Images
Reached for comment by The Post, Whitehouse senior spokeswoman Meaghan McCabe said that the country club was not all-white, but declined to provide further information or proof.
"The club has no such restrictive policy. The club has had and has members of color," McCabe said, "The Senator has dedicated his entire career to promoting equity and protecting civil rights, as his record shows."
Efforts to reach management at Bailey's by phone were unsuccessful. The individual who answered refused to transfer the call and said the club was declining to comment.
While Whitehouse appeared to dismiss the club's circumstances, his wife, Sandra Whitehouse, is one of the three largest shareholders in the club.POOL/AFP via Getty Images
GoLocal pressed Whitehouse and his office over his membership multiple times in 2017, noting that more than a decade had passed since his unkept campaign promise was made.
After the lawmaker repeatedly declined requests for comment on his involvement in the club, a GoLocal reporter confronted Whitehouse at a Newport-based event in late August of that year.
"I think it would be nice if they changed a little bit, but it's not my position," the left-wing senator told the outlet.
Asked that same year if he intended to pressure the club to do better on diversity, Whitehouse replied, "I will take that up privately," before declining to comment on the matter further.
It is not clear if or how he has taken the matter up with his better half.
GoLocal reported back in August of that year that for both Sheldon and Sandra, membership in Bailey's "goes back generations."
"Their parents, both of them, and their children summered at the ultra-exclusive club and had access to socializing and building contacts with some of the wealthiest families whose ranks include multiple billionaires."
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Another progressive hack who used hate found to be a racist and a hypocrite.
The best excuse right wingers can mount for their own racism is "whataboutism".
To be fair, John, plenty of left wing partisans use the same "whataboutism" argument too. Actually your post is nothing more than passive aggressive whataboutism. Whitehouse is a hypocrite here plain and simple with his bullshit explanation that it's a Rhode Island "tradition". It's weak, very very weak.
And yet, not a soul has posted even a thing remotely close to defending anything.
You are just deflecting because it is a Democratic Senator.
One of the worst democratic senators.
The issue is not Whitehouse's hypocrisy, the issue is false equivalency on the part of the "conservatives".
The issue is clearly Whitehouse. The man who demonized so many decent human beings.
What do you imagine you are doing?
What false equivalency? That the white privilege that you're constantly droning on about doesn't apply to progressives only conservatives?
You do know what false equivalence means dont you Sean?
If someone has 100 dollars and another person has 10 dollars , and then a third person says that the first two each have numerous dollars, that is false equivalency.
In other words Whitehouse isn't as racist as others.
Thank God he's not on trial for his life with that kind of defense.
Where in the article does it compare this dirt bag to conservatives?
The article is about Whitehouse. Your posts are an example of deflection.
Compliments on the consistency. From what you are saying, I think you would agree that if actress Ellie Kemper was forced to apologize for the fact that, when she was 19, she was a pageant princess for an organization that had been desegrated decades before, Whitehouse can at least offer an apology for this.
I dont know whether he is racist or not. I personally would not argue that membership in an all white club is in and of itself proof of racism, although others might. It sounds to me like it was pointed out to him a few years ago that the club is all white and he has dragged his feet about quitting it. I have no idea whether this would hurt him politically in Rhode Island or not.
I wasnt aware that Elle Kemper was "forced" to apologize. I read her statement at the time and it looked to me like she wanted to.
I think Whitehouse should definitely say that either the club will accept non whites, more or less immediately, or he is leaving.
Rightwingers are constantly looking for information to create the illusion that liberals are as prejudiced as they are about race. It is one of their holy grails.
I lived 1 year in Rhode Island. There are places like Warwick where people vote on issues and there are places like Pawtucket where few speak English and the (D) following a name gets the vote. It is a unique state for sure. This should blow over. The national media won't turn on him unless they have to.
Doesn't his wife have a major ownership stake in that club?
A reminder to our readers: This is the man who lectured Amy Coney Barrett for 20 minutes,
Most progressives are worse that the old racists ever where.
Notice I used the word most. I'm not the one who generalized.
You missed all the bullying????
Amazing!
Bill Maher said it was the reason people hate democrats
The Kemper thing was stupid. I remarked on it to my girlfriend at the time the original article came out. Of course I had to ask her who she was... I don't think Kemper cares - It pretty much blew over faster than she could offer an apology. Kemper isn't going to be losing any jobs, or suffer much, because some progressive said something bad about her.
If Whitehouse called her out he's an ass too. That said he's probably safe in his little white Rhode Island enclave, unless his own party calls him out on his hypocrisy. They should considering what they did to Franken.
Believe it or not - AGREED ON ALL POINTS!
Whitehouse's response drips' with hypocrisy. Tradition is one of the cornerstones of racism. The guy needs to get into the 21st century.
Actually, "most" is a generalization too.
This is the sort of nonsense I am trying to point out when I say "false equivalency".
Most progressives are worse that the old racists ever where.
And I'm flat out telling you posting about equivalencies, instead of addressing the issues within your own party, is deflection and does nothing but excuse the wrongs done. This, "But they are worse!" is an excuse. It doesn't matter which party is trying to excuse harms done by racism. It's still wrong.
I am not excusing Sheldon Whitehouse. I couldnt care less what happens to Sheldon Whitehouse.
Rightwingers make a cottage industry of whataboutism. This is hardly a national secret.
This is the first comment on this seed
It is a false equivalency.
Right wingers have a tendency to hold a Democrat's feet to the fire over something that they give passes to for fellow Republicans.
It is called hypocrisy, and while it may also occur with the left, it has been perfected and elevated with the political right.
So, they are the ones that look like asses when they do it. Don't rise to the bait.
But that’s different!
Just googled Bailey's Beach Club. Seems to me that Sen. Whitehouse needs to choose whether he wants to be a member of the Senate or the club. That's up to his constituents though, not me.
I mean... if he we are saying he should quit groups because the membership statistically underrepresents African Americans then he'd have to take a look at his Senate membership as well.
ically underrepresents African Americans then he'd have to take a look at his Senate membership as well.
If white democrats practiced what they preached about "equity" and systemic racism, they'd all resign and demand Democratic governors appoint POC to replace them.
First, all senators are elected by their states so it's not the senate's fault that blacks are under-represented. If there's one black senator they're better represented in the senate than at the beach club.
Does the club have a white's only policy - or just few black members in an area that is only 5% black and has large racial income inequality and a very large annual membership fee. In that part of Rhode Island it could easily be either.
It is probably just as bad for Whitehouse that he is being exposed as an elitist. I can take him or leave him, although he did do a good job of interrogating some of the reprobates in the Trump administration in committee hearings.
Apparently the club has never admitted to such, though a long time member in 2003 interviewed by 'The New York Times' said on the subject, “Jewish, yes … Blacks, not really.” The club apparently has had black member in the past but the "not really" comment could be seen as at the minimum a lack of diversity in approving members. As Whitehouses spokesman said “The club has no such restrictive policy,” "“The club has had and has members of color " so apparently it's more like being a member of the Republican legislature, they are the least diverse political body but don't have an open policy of rejecting people of color and have had some members of color though very rarely. Out of the 50 Republican Senators, just one, Tim Scott, is black out of a total of three than are considered "non-white" of which Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio are their supposed diversity club. Seems like an essentially white club to me even if, like the Bailey's Beach Club, they don't have any official policy of exclusion. It can be said of the Republican Senate “Jewish, yes … Blacks, not really.”
My understanding is that membership is limited to 500 families and you pretty much have to inherit a membership or you won't get one.
Sadly that's not an excuse the Republican Senate can make for why they only have one black member...
There are currently 10 Jewish US Senators.
Zero of which are in the gop. That is telling!
Ya'll do understand what THIS article is about, right?
Right?
Doesn't seem so. So far it's been mainly deflection and an inane declaration of whataboutism and false equivalency. Go figure...
Progressives trying to see who can be the biggest hypocrite?
I will say it. The guy is an idiot.
What is the saying about having cake and eating it too.
Yes, groups or clubs that apparently exclude minorities like the GOP and Bailey's Beach Club. If this seed can claim that the Bailey Beach Club is "all-white" and question a Democrats membership even though they apparently do not have a "white-only" policy as they have had and do have black members it seems fair to point out the Republican "club" of US Senators is no better putting ALL of the Republican Senators in the same boat as Sheldon Whitehouse.
You must be outraged at that, as a champion of CRT. Despite making up about 4% of Democratic voters, 20% of Democratic Senators are Jewish. Thanks for pointing out the systematic racism of Democrats!
Just 4% of Democratic Senators are black, despite blacks providing about a quarter of Democratic votes. Shame on Democrats for stealing equity from blacks. I'm sure you and all the other CRT true believes will be working to rid the Senate Democratic Caucus of it's excess Jewish and white members.
Which is still double that of black Republican Senators...
hich is still double that of Republican Senators...p.
Nice deflection. Is math that hard? Black republicans have much better proportional representation in the Senate than black democrats, who are denied equity by the supposed champions of CRT.
Alot of work for CRT believers to bring the systematically racist Democratic party into line with CRT principles.
You don't appear to have a clue about how senators are elected.
Deflecting isn't making your argument on topic or relevant
I agree. It's like complaining that there aren't enough blacks living among the Inuits above the Arctic Circle.
Hardly any one can afford the dump and membership is so limited that the death of a member is usually the only way to join.
Many people have lived their entire rich enchanted lives on the waiting list.
Just another journalist looking for that 'gotcha' moment that might propel their career.
Reading that I could only think, a fool and his money.
If I was that rich I would say fuck that place and be in the Caribbean or the Mediterranean.