Michael Gaynor
New York GOP Senate hopefuls debate: Wendy Long made Father's Day Mother's Day
By Michael Gaynor
The New York Republican Party never has nominated a woman for either U.S. Senator or Governor and Long is offering her fellow Republicans the perfect opportunity to refute the Republican war on women charge by nominating her.
All three persons competing in the June 26 Republican United States Senate primary — unanimous Conservative Party nominee and former Justice Clarence Thomas law clerk Wendy Long, first-term Congressman Bob Turner and first-term Nassau County Comptroller Bob Maragos — wore dark suits for the debate broadcast on NY1 from 7 PM to 8 PM on Father's Day.
One of them is a woman — Long — and she proceeded to make Father's Day her day.
In her opening statement Long graciously praised her rivals as fine fathers and grandfathers.
Then Long proceeded to demonstrate throughout the debate that by intellect, character, education and experience as well as gender she is much better qualified to effectively contest New York's junior Senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, proud winner of independent National Journal's designation as most liberal United States Senator and an ardent feminist who claims that there's a Republican war on women.
While Turner rejected pledges and boasted of being "practical," Long demonstrated that she is principled, enthusiastically embracing constitutional fidelity and conservatism but rejecting both liberal and conservative judicial activism in favor of the rule of law and recognizing the limits of government and the possibilities of freedom.
Maragos appeared to be principled too, but the United States Senate is not the House of Representatives. Unlike Representatives, Senators consider judicial nominations and treaties and, unlike Maragos (and Turner) Long is an experienced attorney, a skilled advocate and a constitutional scholar who will be ready to do that on day one.
Long is not the first woman to receive the New York Conservative Party's U.S. Senate nomination. Barbara Keating got that nomination years ago.
In contrast, the New York Republican Party never has nominated a woman for either U.S. Senator or Governor and Long is offering her fellow Republicans the perfect opportunity to refute the Republican war on women charge by nominating her.
In her closing statement Long noted that both President Barack Obama and Gillibrand avoid "the real issues" — the economy, jobs, debt, taxes, and "overregulation" — by invoking a "phony war on women" and then said, "I think I'm the only person in this race who can take the gender issues off the table — and refocus this race on jobs and the economy."
That's true.
And, since Long already is the Conservative Party nominee, she is the one who can make it a one-on-one race with Gillibrand instead of the three-way race that would guarantee Gillibrand's reelection.
© Michael Gaynor
June 19, 2012
The New York Republican Party never has nominated a woman for either U.S. Senator or Governor and Long is offering her fellow Republicans the perfect opportunity to refute the Republican war on women charge by nominating her.
All three persons competing in the June 26 Republican United States Senate primary — unanimous Conservative Party nominee and former Justice Clarence Thomas law clerk Wendy Long, first-term Congressman Bob Turner and first-term Nassau County Comptroller Bob Maragos — wore dark suits for the debate broadcast on NY1 from 7 PM to 8 PM on Father's Day.
One of them is a woman — Long — and she proceeded to make Father's Day her day.
In her opening statement Long graciously praised her rivals as fine fathers and grandfathers.
Then Long proceeded to demonstrate throughout the debate that by intellect, character, education and experience as well as gender she is much better qualified to effectively contest New York's junior Senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, proud winner of independent National Journal's designation as most liberal United States Senator and an ardent feminist who claims that there's a Republican war on women.
While Turner rejected pledges and boasted of being "practical," Long demonstrated that she is principled, enthusiastically embracing constitutional fidelity and conservatism but rejecting both liberal and conservative judicial activism in favor of the rule of law and recognizing the limits of government and the possibilities of freedom.
Maragos appeared to be principled too, but the United States Senate is not the House of Representatives. Unlike Representatives, Senators consider judicial nominations and treaties and, unlike Maragos (and Turner) Long is an experienced attorney, a skilled advocate and a constitutional scholar who will be ready to do that on day one.
Long is not the first woman to receive the New York Conservative Party's U.S. Senate nomination. Barbara Keating got that nomination years ago.
In contrast, the New York Republican Party never has nominated a woman for either U.S. Senator or Governor and Long is offering her fellow Republicans the perfect opportunity to refute the Republican war on women charge by nominating her.
In her closing statement Long noted that both President Barack Obama and Gillibrand avoid "the real issues" — the economy, jobs, debt, taxes, and "overregulation" — by invoking a "phony war on women" and then said, "I think I'm the only person in this race who can take the gender issues off the table — and refocus this race on jobs and the economy."
That's true.
And, since Long already is the Conservative Party nominee, she is the one who can make it a one-on-one race with Gillibrand instead of the three-way race that would guarantee Gillibrand's reelection.
© Michael Gaynor
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