Lawler’s comments on Democrats draw fire; RFK Jr. knocked off NY ballot

Rep. Mike Lawler’s late-July speech at a Donald Trump fundraiser before a crowd of big money Republicans in Deal, New Jersey shined a light on the tightrope he walks as the 4th most bipartisan member of Congress.
My story on the speech, based on a recording of the talk we obtained, detailed how Lawler, R-Pearl River, spoke freely to the Republican audience regarding his beliefs about Democrats – all Democrats.
“This election is a choice,” said Lawler. “A choice between a candidate for president who loves this country, who cares about this country, who believes in this country, versus a party that hates this country.”
It came on an evening when Trump used a broad brush to paint Democrats as haters of Israel and the Jewish people, according to Jewish Insider. His audience included many Syrian Jewish real estate developers who do business in New Jersey.
When asked about the comments, Lawler’s spokesman Chris Russell said that Lawler regretted his remarks. He said that the federal lawmaker actually meant those Democrats on the fringes who supported the cause of Palestinians in Gaza, and disrupted college campuses during the spring with anti-Semitic chants.
Lawler’s comments, and subsequent retrenchment, came as the race for the 17th Congressional District ramped up with less than three months until Election Day. His opponent, former Rep. Mondaire Jones, D-Sleepy Hollow, said the remarks raised questions about Lawler’s commitment to bipartisanship in Washington, DC.
Russell’s response also raised questions about comments he said Jones had made about law enforcement and the Republican Party. Jones had criticized federal immigration policies in 2021 during an uptick in its deportation program. At the time, he called the agency “a racist institution.”
He also characterized the Republican Party as a “fascist institution,” based on Trump’s attempt to overthrow the 2020 presidential election.
My colleague Chris McKenna reported on the court case involving Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. the independent presidential candidate and former Westchester environmental lawyer who collected signatures to appear on the presidential ballot in November.
Kennedy claimed an address at a friend’s home in Katonah, where he said he had a room and received some mail.
Testimony in Albany found that Kennedy had slept there once – not much for a place you called your home. Meanwhile, Kennedy and his wife own a $6 million home in Los Angeles.
That leaves Kennedy off the ballot in New York as he continues his Quixotic candidacy.
I love to hear from readers with tips or feedback. You can reach me at [email protected]