Owens, Doheny, Greene agree on payroll tax cut

Savor this moment while you can: Rep. Bill Owens, Matt Doheny and Kellie Greene agree.

The three north country residents — Democratic, Republican and Republican, in order — told the Times yesterday that while they would have preferred offsets to federal spending that would have covered the cost of extending a payroll tax, they would vote (or would have voted) for the bill anyway.

It's not the first time and won't be the last time that all sides are in agreement on an issue, but I suspect it won't come up all that much as the north country's congressional race heats up.

Mr. Doheny and Ms. Greene are vying for the Republican and Conservative nods (Mr. Doheny includes the Independence nod, too) to take on Mr. Owens, D-Plattsburgh, in the November election. A primary between Mr. Doheny and Ms. Greene would take place on June 26, barring an agreement in Albany to change it.

Here is the full story on their positions, which includes contributions from Marc Heller in Washington and the Associated Press.