PRESS RELEASE
PENN YAN—Reiterating that it was “inappropriate” for Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY23rd) to speculate about who vandalized his Corning headquarters without any information from Corning City Police regarding an investigation or evidence, Democratic candidate Tracy Mitrano has called on—and has faith in—Mayor Bill Boland and Corning police to do a thorough investigation of the August 25 incident and bring the perpetrator to justice.
Reed says the brick that smashed his office window was thrown by extremists. His campaign spokesman called it “another sad example of the radicalism we see every day from our opponents and the far left.” During her weekly press call, Mitrano repeated her condemnation of vandalism and accused Reed of invoking “left-wing extremists” as a straw man, and a way to tar her with the same brush.
“This is McCarthy-like stuff,” Mitrano declared. “We would expect that a congressman would not stoop to such tactics. It was beneath the dignity of his office to make such statements, without any evidence or facts behind them.”
But then, she added, it’s of a piece with what today’s GOP is all about, starting at the top. “We all know this president has an extreme propensity to speak mistruths and utter blatant lies in the face of obvious evidence and facts. It’s not a surprise, but it does continue to dismay.”
Mitrano said the Democratic and Republican national conventions brought that propensity to lie into sharp focus.
“I understand that part of politics is to create a narrative about who you are and what you represent, and it sometimes leads to exaggeration or misleading information,” she said. “I recognize both parties do this.” The striking thing, when comparing the two conventions, “is how much more plain lying went on at the Republican National Convention.”
As examples, Mitrano cited the oft-repeated lie that Democrats are socialists, and that they want to invalidate the Second Amendment and defund law enforcement.
“In every instance, the truth lies in the opposite,” she said. “Democrats want a vibrant economy based on fair taxes, to protect all Constitutional Amendments, and to fund law enforcement so they have the support they need and want to protect and serve their communities.
“This congressman has used the same tactic against me, telling bold and blatant lies about me and my positions,” Mitrano said. “As a politician, I may not be perfect, but I will dedicate myself to facts. I will never make a claim about Tom Reed without substantiation. I challenge him to do the same.”
