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21st candidates continue Russia conversation

The three candidates to represent New York's 21st Congressional District are incumbent U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, a Republican who calls Willsboro home; Lynn Kahn of Schroon Lake, running on the Green Party line; and Tedra Cobb, a Democrat from Canton. (Photos provided)

The congressional candidates for New York’s 21st District share opposition of President Donald Trump’s comments on the intelligence community following his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as his friendship with the leader and his country, but each say they will bring a different kind of expertise in how they address that opposition.

After meeting alone with the Russian leader in Helsinki, Trump gave a 45-minute joint press conference next to Putin, praising him, casting doubt on U.S. intelligence agencies and continuing to criticize a federal investigation into alleged collusion between the two leaders in the 2016 election.

To learn more about this meeting, read the Wednesday Enterprise article “Stefanik criticizes Trump; Cobb criticizes Stefanik.”

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Republican against Russia

Stefanik, a member of the House Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, said she will continue to oppose Trump’s ideas that Russia is a country to befriend, that North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a bad deal for the U.S. and that Russia did not meddle in the 2016 election.

“I am one of the most hawkish members when it comes to viewing Russia as an adversary, both legislatively and rhetorically,” Stefanik said. “I have the strongest record in this district and one of the strongest records in the country when it comes to countering Russian aggression.”

Stefanik was an early Republican to speak out disagreeing with Trump, and was quoted in several national articles.

She said she disagreed with Trump’s statement, in which he sided with Putin over his intelligence community’s assessment that Russia meddled in the 2016 election. She also disagrees with Trump’s strategy of building a cordial relationship with the country and its leader, repeatedly referring to Russia as an adversary and saying that NATO allies are critical in countering Russian aggression. She said that it is in the country’s interest to support relationships with NATO.

When asked if Trump’s disparaging of NATO would make strengthening alliances difficult, Stefanik said it is Congress’ role to show support for NATO allies, and invest in the international relationships.

When she was asked about the adjustments and backpedaling Trump has done over the days following his summit with Putin, Stefanik said she hopes the administration will be a partner in Congress’ bills to counter Russian aggression.

Asked about if the U.S. is becoming isolationist, given Trump’s aggressive rhetoric toward the European Union, France and Canada, some of our strongest allies, Stefanik said that the country has been isolationist for a while.

She said former president Barack Obama had been isolationist and created a “leadership void” in not helping Ukraine financially or with military aid when Russia occupied the country and annexed Crimea.

“Some of the consequences of the failed Obama [Russia reset] has put this administration in a challenging position when you consider Russia’s role in Syria, for example,” Stefanik said. “[Russia] really filled the void as the U.S. took more of an isolationist approach. Putin certainly sowed discord because of the weak leadership from the Obama administration.”

She commended Trump’s administration on now sending aid to Ukraine, which she calls an ally.

Putin is not the first controversial foreign leader that Trump has praised. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Chinese President Xi Jinping have also been extolled by the U.S. president in person, in tweets and in interviews.

“I disagree with the president praising dictators,” Stefanik said.

Despite this concern over his words, she spoke highly of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, whom she said she knows personally.

“I have faith in President Trump’s very strong national security team,” Stefanik said.

She also gave her support of Special Council Robert Mueller’s investigation into collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government in the 2016 election. She had been disappointed in the House Intelligence Committee’s investigation, which she said became politicized due to leaks, and said she believes the Mueller investigation is best way to get the apolitical truth. When asked about what she thought about Republican Congresspeople and politicians who oppose the Mueller investigation and consider it a “witch hunt,” she said, “I’m not going to comment on my colleagues with whom I disagree.”

Stefanik is one of the original cosponsors of an omnibus bill package by Maryland Congressman Steny Hoyer, named “The Secure America from Russian Interference Act of 2018,” and on Thursday sent a letter with Democratic U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice to Trump, urging him to appoint an Election Security Coordinator.

Stefanik said she has been highly involved in international politics for years, and is specifically knowledgeable about Russia and the threat it poses to America.

“My opponent [Cobb] is incredibly weak when it comes to her understanding of national security issues,” Stefanik said.

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Words vs. actions

Cobb believes that it is not about what knowledge a candidate has, but what action they will take.

“Elise Stefanik is weak. Her actions show her weakness,” Cobb said. “Her actions show her inability to stand up to her own party, to stand up to this administration, to stand up for northern New York.”

Cobb said that Trump’s pattern of breaking down relationships with ally countries and befriending hostile nations has put the U.S. in danger. She said he is not putting the nation first.

Again, she believes that actions, not words, are the only way to solve the problem, which is why she does not use the phrase “treason.”

She said she thinks the “traitor” label is hyperbolic, and that it is not the the words that matter, it is the damage on international relationships.

Cobb said three things should drive politics: patriotism, the Constitution and the law. She said that political party has overridden those in recent years, and that she believes the House Intelligence Committee has been compromised by partisanship.

The release of California Rep. Devin Nunes’ memo alleging FBI misconduct, suppression of the Democratic response memo and the shutting down of the committee’s investigation into the 2016 election back in May are all examples of partisanship.

Cobb said she thinks Stefanik’s explanation for closing the investigation — to release its findings before the 2018 midterm election — was disingenuous.

“It only indicates to me that what she’s thinking about is the midterm election, before the Constitution and the law, and the work of her job on that committee,” Cobb said.

Cobb said she would act on Stefanik’s promise to protect Mueller’s investigation by pushing for the passage of the “Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act,” which sets terms for removing an Attorney General.

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Trouble with a capital “T”

Though Kahn was working on a farming story at the time, she issued a statement after the press conference stating her experience and saying that from what she saw, “We are all in trouble.”

On Thursday Kahn went into detail on what “trouble” means.

“I think we’re in trouble when our national leadership is constantly attacking each other, attacking the media, attacking justice and law enforcement and intelligence professionals, in the context of poor understanding of history and diplomacy,” Kahn said.

With 23 years of experience working as an organizational psychologist for the Federal Aviation Administration, including on 9/11, Kahn said she believes she has a strong understanding of foreign policy issues.

She said she has been working on a doctrine for foreign policy that she would like to introduce to the legislative and executive branches.

She stated that she wants a strong military, meaning a well-trained and equipped one, as well as internal strength, meaning less partisan fighting in the country. Kahn said if the purpose of the military is to defend the homeland, the purpose of foreign policy is to build peace

“Building peace does not mean being stupid. It does mean seeking to verify agreements,” Kahn said. “I don’t think you can really sweet talk bullies and it’s pretty impossible to negotiate with violent psychopaths. We have to be wise about how we go about building peace.”

To make wise decisions, she said leaders must be urged to take a wide range of points of view on foreign policy decisions for history and context.

She said if the Trump administration wants to build peace abroad, it must first work to build peace in Washington D.C.

“I do not believe this administration understands multi-lateral negotiations,” Kahn said.

She believes that as a third-party candidate she is situated best to have her ideas listened to and implemented.

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