The Fighting 29th

All about New York's 29th Congressional District

There were three other reporters on the line from local papers at the lengthy Massa news conference today.  A huge number of topics of national and local interest were covered, with a bunch of skeptical questions.  In other words, reporters did what reporters are supposed to do.
Massa led off with a statement that covered the recent stories on the National Intelligence Estimate which says that Iran has ceased its nuclear weapons program. Noting that it was prepared in August but released yesterday, Massa said:

Since [August], the President has threatened World War III. [...] Yesterday, he denied that he knew anything about it.  This is what Karl Rove has taught the administration to do: to make it up.  [...]  It's done great harm to this nation here and around the world.

Massa then mentioned Kuhl's trip to Brazil, and his response that Massa is "ignorant". 

If I'm so ignorant, then we all are.  So please tell us about this trip.  [...]  What does visiting waterfalls at Iguazu tell us about ethanol? [...]  There is no sugarcane being grown at the base of Christ the Redeemer statue on Ipanema beach. 

If Randy Kuhl thinks it's appropriate to take a trip to Brazil for six days funded by the taxpayer, and completely distort the facts, it's because he's learned well from the person he supports, George W. Bush.  They simply can't tell the truth.  There was no reason for Randy Kuhl to be on that trip.  That trip was sponsored by the Foreign Relations Committee.  He's not on that committee. 

Massa then added a new take on the trip:

By calling me ignorant in the newspaper, Randy Kuhl clearly wants this trip to become the central issue in this election.  I want to talk about the economy, health care for children, how we fund home heating assistance. Randy Kuhl wants to talk about this trip because he won't answer simple questions.

Massa got some skeptical questions on these statements  Rick Miller of the Olean paper asked whether it wasn't Massa who's making it an issue.  Massa pointed to an example from Corning, where the city council was "excoriated" by the Corning Leader because they took a trip to Albany to meet other city councils.  They stayed two to a room and drove four to a car, yet there was significant controversy.  He contrasted that trip with Kuhl's first-class visit.  Massa pointed to a recent press release where he asked a number of questions on the trip.  'If it's not an issue, let him answer the questions."

Another set of concerns was raised by another reporter on the call, either Denise Champaign of the Fairport-East Rochester Messenger, or Cathy Ross of the Wellsville Daily reporter.  She asked what Massa would do to study energy efficiency.  Massa says he's been doing it for years, and went through an explanation similar to that from the last press conference, noting the research he's done at Cornell.  He also noted that he heated his house with a pellet stove that used compressed switchgrass.

More broadly, Massa said that the real issue is an energy bill "that stops rewarding oil companies."  When asked whether he thought study at Cornell was sufficient, he also pointed to a number of papers available at the USDA website.  "Both of these are cost-effective ways to begin the study of ethanol."

The same reporter gave the example of Petrobras, which is the most successful company distributing ethanol in the world.  Isn't that worth a study trip?  And isn't Brazil constantly held up as the best example of successful use of ethanol?

Massa noted that the oil company would probably have been happy to meet with Kuhl in Washington.  He also said:

I don't have a problem with flying to Brazil and having a meeting on ethanol.  But that doesn't answer the other five days.  I happen to believe there's a heck of a lot better ways to spend the taxpayers' money.

The ethanol discussion morphed into a general discussion on energy, and Massa noted that raising the CAFE (fleet fuel efficiency) standard was vitally important, as is new bill to remove the subsidies given to oil companies.

The Iran issue sparked a discussion on Iraq.  Massa said "fundamentally, the surge has failed".  Rick Miller countered that a number of people, including Democrats, are saying that's not the case.  Massa countered:

Don't tell me what Democrats are saying, I don't go by political party, I go by what the President said.  The goal was [a functional Iraqi government].  The reason we've failed to do that is that we're forcing a democracy on a country [that fundamentally doesn't want it.]  

Another reporter countered that casualties are down:

With all due respect to others saying otherwise, I don't consider 37 American soldiers killed in Iraq a success.  We should not be there.  The longer we are there, the worse it will be for the Iraqi people and ourselves.

The discussion circled back to Bush's NIE announcement.  When asked if Bush lied, Massa said, "I do not believe he was telling the truth."  So, the reporter wondered, was Massa calling for impeachment.  Massa said he was calling for a full investigation of the facts around the NIE.  But, the reporter asked, wouldn't that tie up Congress when it has more important things to do?

The House of Representatives passed all the appropriations bills this Summer.  It's not like the Democratic leaders aren't getting things done.  President Bush is vetoing all this legislation. 

There's nothing more important in the US Congress than the security of our country.  [...]  When the President of the United States takes us to the brink of war in Iran over blatant misuse of intelligence information, I consider that an issue.

The final part of the conference focused on the Presidential race.  While not officially endorsing any Democrat, Massa said that "I'm a New Yorker, and I anticipate that I'll be voting for a New Yorker, and it won't be Rudy Guliani."