At issue: Statement on MSNBC talk show
Congressional hopeful Colin Schmitt last week used a sentence from a long MSNBC interview of Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney to accuse the latter of celebrating illegal drug use.
A Republican who’s now in the New York State Assembly, Schmitt wants to oust Maloney in the November election.
Maloney, a Philipstown resident, was a guest on the Morning Joe talk show on Feb. 17 in his capacity as chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Before he arrived, the Morning Joe panelists bantered about memorable years, music, movies and pastimes, including questionable behavior, of their youth.
When Maloney joined them, he was asked to contribute his recollections. He recalled 1986, when “I was at UVA [University of Virginia]. The MDMA [Ecstasy, an illegal hallucinogen] was really pure, and we enjoyed [the band] R.E.M., and I went to all kind of places.”
Schmitt, in a news release, claimed that “instead of setting an example for our children, Maloney is now appearing on national television and bragging about his use of hard drugs” and “has turned his back on the families he was elected to represent and become a caricature of what a member of Congress is supposed to be.”
Maloney on Ukraine
Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, whose district includes the Highlands, released a statement on Thursday (Feb. 24) on the Russian invasion of Ukraine:
“This invasion is part of a larger, dangerous pattern of Russian efforts to undermine democracies across Europe. As Russia’s advance into Crimea proved, if this invasion is allowed to proceed unchecked, Russia will continue its attacks and aggression. I support rushing further support to Ukraine and implementing severe sanctions on Russia, including sanctions which directly target [President Vladimir] Putin, his financial institutions, and his oligarch supporters.
“I spent the past week in Europe as a member of the U.S. delegation to the Munich Security Conference. After many discussions with our allies, I am confident in the strength of the transatlantic partnership and certain that the best path forward is working cooperatively with them in this moment of crisis.”
Schmitt also faulted Maloney’s comments on inflation, saying “Joe Biden and Sean Maloney’s failed leadership has made everyday items more expensive across the board.”
On the show, Maloney advised political leaders to focus on the basics. “Talk about the price of a gallon of milk. Talk about the price of a gallon of gas. What’s a pound of hamburger cost? And if you don’t get the cost of groceries and gas down — yeah, it’s a problem. And there’s no excuse when you’re in power. So we’ve got to do something about that.”
Mia Ehrenberg, Maloney’s press secretary, said Thursday (Feb. 24) that “the Maloney team opted to not comment” on Schmitt’s news release.
Why use a click-bait headline to drive internet traffic while burying Maloney’s important statement regarding Ukraine in the middle of the article? Please stick to covering substantive issues rather than manufacturing silly scandals. Thank you. [via Facebook]