GOP blasts candidates' stance

WASHINGTON — The National Republican Congressional Committee Friday bashed the "failed" federal economic stimulus that its own candidate for the 23rd Congressional District, Dierdre K. Scozzafava, has openly supported.

In a press release, the NRCC attacked Democratic candidate William L. Owens for supporting the stimulus bill as part of President Barack Obama's "big government agenda."

It cited a fundraising e-mail from Mr. Obama to Democrats in which the president praised Mr. Owens for supporting the administration's agenda, particularly its efforts to reform health insurance.

Ms. Scozzafava told north country labor leaders Oct. 7, "I would have voted for the stimulus and when I explain why I would have voted for the stimulus, I think the most important thing that could have happened was money went to different infrastructure projects. When you look around the communities here in the north country and throughout the 23rd Congressional District, you've just about got every town and every village that has a water and sewer plant that's failing."

She voted against the state budget in Albany because she feared stimulus money would be spent irresponsibly, she said.

No House Republicans, including former Rep. John M. McHugh, R-Pierrepont Manor, voted for the stimulus bill.