On Tuesday, Representative Elise M. Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, was endorsed for re-election by the former Secretary of the Army and Republican north country representative, John M. McHugh.
Mr. McHugh served as the Representative for the north country from 1993 to 2009. During that time, he was a member of the House Armed Services Committee and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, two committees on which Rep. Stefanik now sits.
“(Elise Stefanik’s) leadership as a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, to counter foreign aggression from China and Russia, along with her prioritization of force protection and military readiness has made our troops at Fort Drum safer and better prepared,” Mr. McHugh said. “Her focus on military families and spousal support has made our community stronger and makes her the clear choice for re-election to continue serving the north country.”
In his statement, Mr. McHugh also lauded Rep. Stefanik for her hand in designating Fort Drum as the preferred site for the East Coast Missile Defense Site, a project that was initiated by Mr. McHugh during his time in Congress.
(25) comments
So, a Republican endorsed a Republican. Big deal.
The bigger issue is, maybe McHugh needs to be asked about the Bounties and comments of Losers and Suckers. Does he endorse that too? I've met John McHugh many times...right at my home. He's a relative of my inlaws. Nice guy, but certainly a staunch Republican.
McHugh was made Secretary of the Army by Obama which I presume has led to a successful career as a lobbyist since the swamp didn’t get truly drained. Considering how disrespectful Stefanik has been toward Obama it seems like McHugh could’ve just held onto his endorsement. I suppose he’s 100%Trumper, tho.
I was surprised when I saw this. After thinking about it I wondered if he was encouraged to give her an endorsement. After all, he is still doing business in DC. He kept it pretty tightly focused.
Nice, Mr. McHugh, that Elise Stefanik advanced you and your pet project-- the East Coast Missile Defense Site. You feel you owe her one?
What her constituents, the troops, Fort Drum, the Army and the nation are not owed is her silence on matters affecting troop-safety and national security.
For example, her silence on Russia's plan to pay Taliban militants to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan, Trump's knowledge of it, and his failure to divulge and address it. Her silence on the report that Trump sought China's help during his re-election. Her silence when Trump called for Russia's re-admittance to the G7. Her silence on these matters and more speak volumes about the depth of her commitment to troop-safety and national security. They are repeatedly overshadowed and compromised by her commitment and loyalty to inept Trump.
Quite frankly, I am saddened that your endorsement of Stefanik is through the lens of your present position-- Secretary of the Army. For many years, as our Representative and a north country native, you were one of us. You know the north country intimately and in its entirety, yet your endorsement is myopically military concerns/Fort Drum. In your endorsement-musings, it seems you forgot your long political and personal association with the north country. Had you remembered, it might have inclined you to learn, think and care about the "Stefanik-effect" on the entire 21st district, not just Fort Drum. Increasingly, the effect is divisive, vicious, and partisan. Securing her positions on matters is a disrespectful game of hide-and-seek. Her campaign tactics involve childish name-calling and relentless fear-mongering. She lied at the Republican National Convention. Among the folks she distances and demonizes are the local press, and her Democratic and Independent constituents. Etc.
In your endorsement-musings, I wish you had asked yourself whether Elise Stefanik is someone your beloved north country, and your former constituents and neighbors, deserve?
Excuse me. Correction. Former, not present, Secretary of the Army.
how does this article not mention that mchugh is a republican?
That's an oversight on our part. We'll fix it. Thank you for pointing this out.
Jerry Moore
Editorial page editor
Watertown Daily Times
315-661-2369
jmoore@wdt.net
letters@wdt.net
cheers, jerry!
Many articles have missing information, hermit. For instance, the editorial today entitled, "Cooler heads must now prevail", talks of "some" who have hijacked the "legitimate purpose" of BLM. Are they identified as left wing? No. One paragraph later there is mention of right wing extremists and white supremacists, clear labels that do more to vilify one side than the other. We conservatives have sadly become used to this one sided treatment. Apparently, you have gotten instant results from Mr. Moore.
omg this is ridiculous, a perfect testament to the grievance culture running rampant on the right. when a former politician endorses a candidate, it is always directly relevant which party s/he belongs to do. while i think it's worth reporting that mchugh is making this endorsement, there's nothing particularly newsworthy about one member of a party endorsing another, and readers ought to be provided that information. there's no analog in the editorial you're referring too.
Pitbull:
"Republican" is more than just a "clear label." It's a formal political party to which John McHugh willingly joined. So it's proper for us to mention this in the information we present to our readers.
The editorial you referred to was written by the Star Tribune in Minneapolis; it wasn't original content from us. But you certainly are free to comment on this issue underneath the editorial, if you wish. Thank you.
Jerry Moore
Editorial page editor
Watertown Daily Times
315-661-2369
jmoore@wdt.net
letters@wdt.net
and to go further (the opinion piece you're referencing appears online as "Editorial — Star Tribune: Rage is out of control in America"), how do you know those people hijacking the purpose of blm are left wing? the answer is that you don't. i mean, maybe they are, but who knows? maybe it's a wide mix of people, or people who don't even identify themselves on a left-right axis. during the george floyd protests, there are a lot of reports of looting being fomented by right-wing interlopers. if it's a question of social media accounts, then how do you know the accounts are even legit? we know that russia has an active program of setting up fake accounts to sew discord. that editorial is actually very careful in its language; note that when there's a reference to right-wing extremists and white supremacists, there's a report to back it up.
Obama made him Secretary of the Army. Can anyone see Trump putting a Dem politician in any cabinet spot? He can’t even keep Republicans in them.
If I didn't have anything to do for a couple of hours I would research to see how many articles describing Barrak Obama's endorsement of Biden said he was "Democrat Barrak Obama". This is hair splitting and I stand by my previous comment. OBTW, if there is a victim culture out there it most certainly resides mostly among politically correct liberal democrats playing the race, gender, sexual orientation, and other cards. Cmon man!
yet another completely absurd comparison. my god, how many people in the country don't know that obama is a democrat? how many people don't know that biden was his vice president? in all seriousness, please do search for articles reporting obama's endorsement of biden that don't mention the latter fact. good luck finding any! the case of mchugh is completely different; congressional representatives have much lower name id, especially when they've been out of office for over a decade. and this is what i mean about the culture of grievance and victimization on the right. conservatives swear up and down that they're treated so unfairly, but virtually all of it is founded on specious examples like this.
Pitbull:
Some of the phrasing in your comment is oddly interesting. You wrote: "Are they identified as left wing? No. One paragraph later there is mention of right wing extremists and white supremacists, clear labels that do more to vilify one side than the other. We conservatives have sadly become used to this one sided treatment."
The potential for violence from right wing extremist and white supremacist groups has been documented (including by the Trump administration) as being among the gravest threats faced by Americans today. Are you suggesting such individuals reside within the mainstream conservative movement? Just curious.
Jerry Moore
Editorial page editor
Watertown Daily Times
315-661-2369
jmoore@wdt.net
letters@wdt.net
playing the race, gender, sexual orientation, and other cards
Those who are White, male, Christian and heterosexual haven’t faced discrimination. Your statement minimizes the struggles for equality faced by people in those groups.
And it’s Barack Obama. You know, the Kenyan born president who was forced to show his papers.
What I'm alleging, Mr. Moore, is that while there is far more violence being leveled against our society by left wing extremists, the media has glommed onto this idea that right wing extremists are half the problem or even more than half. Look at your television tonight. Lots of right wingers trying to burn down Louisville, KY. Lots of right wing extremists in Portland, too. Lots of right wingers storming Mitch McConnell house. Cmon man!
I also think that it would be more appropriate to have an impartial referee of this forum rather than one who picks a side.
I didn’t pick a side, Pitbull. I asked a question about the curious phrasing of your comment. Along the way, I documented a few facts. From a decidedly not-left wing media outlet, here is this:
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/sep/23/chad-wolf-white-supremacists-pose-lethal-threat/
Krobbins, I'm not going to let you get away with saying that because a human being is white, male, Christian, and heterosexual, that he has never faced discrimination. I have personally. Your statement is just plain weird and wrong. You have no idea of the trials faced by the people you have never even met. Its arrogant to pretend you do. I will add this: Yes, Jerry, by questioning my "curious wording" or however you put it, you are scrutinizing my point of view more than those of the liberals on this forum. Did you challenge the absurd allegation I just criticized above by krobbins or any other absurdities I read every day in this forum? We need an impartial referee!
Countering foreign aggression with sycophancy towards a president in the pocket of the president of Russia? It’s really mutually beneficial tho. Trump does all he can to destroy the US. Putin keeps whatever dirt he has on Trump under wraps and keeps the money flowing to prop up Trump’s failing businesses.
Tedra
Tedra -14
Healthcare lost Republicans the House in 2018. It’s going to lose them more of the House in 2020. Get ready to hear a lot about ACA.
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