Eliot Spitzer's plan to visit Elmira made
today's New York Times. A report of the actual visit is now
posted on the Elmira Star-Gazette site. The Times story points out that Kuhl is the New York congressman on the receiving end of the biggest media barrage, with TV, radio and robo-calls. At the press conference, Spitzer's remarks were similar to those made frequently by Massa in the past: Congressional health insurance is the best around, and S-CHIP could be funded by a few days of the cost of the war in Iraq.
The Hornell Evening Tribune
carries a back-and-forth between Eric Massa and Randy Kuhl in yesterday's edition. The disagreement begins with S-CHIP and the role of the tobacco lobby, moves on to the MoveOn.org ad on General Petraeus, and finishes the question of whether Kuhl is going to declare his candidacy.
Comments
Randy does seem to be grasping at straws. The piece makes him look hapless: Kraft is in his district and its parent company supports him because of the farm bill? But the tobacco company that owns Kraft apparently has no interest in how he votes on S-CHIP. The tax on tobacco products wouldn't affect the tobacco companies, but he believes that they would loose sales.
Massa, though, sounds pretty sharp.
His defense on the tobacco lobby charge is pretty thin stuff. His remark in today's NYT is also pretty telling (Bush hasn't offered an alternative). Of course, even though Bush hasn't offered an alternative, Kuhl has one: break with the President.
I'll be surprised if that "no alternative" quote isn't part of the Massa campaign's next press release or press conference. It helps advance the rubber stamp charge.
Do you think it's a stage-setter for Kuhl actually BREAKING with the White House on this? I am surprised he has gone as far as he did with this "Times" quote.
It would be hard for him to say all the negative things he's said about S-CHIP and then turn around and vote to override, especially when his vote probably wouldn't alter the outcome.