We're still waiting for the Republican line to be decided but the counting of the absentee ballots has begun and we should know the results no later than Thursday. Currently, my opponent and I are only separated by about a dozen votes but we continue to be optimistic as we targeted absentee voters at the time the ballots were sent out.
Even though our campaign will continue on and we will be on the ballot this November, I see winning the Republican line as an important step towards having a unified and true fiscally conservative voice when we challenge Eliot Engel and his political machine this fall.
However, I want to take this opportunity to apologize to the 17th district. I am apologizing because this primary is closer than it should have been. Over the last few months, I have been concerned about taking the high road, but I know now that in politics, the high road usually does not get you too far when your opponents have no regard for morals or personal integrity. So starting today, I am going to call it as I see it. This does not mean that I am going to sacrifice my values or personal integrity, or resort to outright lies or harassment, as Mr. Mele resorted to in the primary by deliberately misleading voters about our stance on abortion by outright lying both in writing and verbally or by tampering with ballots and intimidating polling workers at a polling station. From now on, I am not going to be afraid to respond with the truth, even if the truth is ugly. The 17th district deserves a Congressman that will stand up for what is right, and our country deserves leaders that will stand up for what is right. I am that candidate, I am that man to lead and I have a little over a month to prove it to you.
Throughout this campaign I have been out in our district, talking about the issues and my solutions. This will not change. Even today, as absentee ballots are being counted, I will be out in our community, talking with voters, and hopefully earning their support, regardless of how, or if, they voted last Tuesday.
I will be talking about our desperate need for controls on government spending as our current Congress has spent money with a careless disregard of the consequences, bringing our national debt to $13,487,930,721,446 as of this letter. I will be talking about our need for tax relief and why the Bush tax cuts must be made permanent, in their entirety. I will be talking about overturning national healthcare as it is an infringement of our rights and just another recipe for economic disaster. I will be talking about creating real jobs, not just creating a stop gap that trumps underemployment as successful job creation. I will be talking about immigration and border security and my opposition to amnesty in any form. I will be talking about foreign policy and our need to win in Afghanistan so we can bring our men and women home and our need to stand up for our friends and allies across the world, including Israel.
I will also be talking about how we, as citizens, deserve better from government. We need leaders that will be accountable to the voters, not special interest and the political machines that maintain their power. We need leaders who will debate legislation on the merits instead of those who limit and hide from discussion. We also need leaders that will listen and leaders that will call out those who have not lived up to their roles as public servants and those who seek public office solely for personal gain.
Our country is facing serious issues and we need serious people to provide solutions. Mr. Engel and his solutions have failed and exacerbated our current situation and Mr. Mele has offered no solutions of his own, he has only run against my ideas with the same old tired rhetoric. It is time for new leadership and new solutions, and Mr. Engel and Mr. Mele, your time is up.
Thank you for your support of my candidacy and I hope to continue to earn your support so we can make real difference in Washington.
Follow York's campaign at www.YorkforCongress.com and www.YorkKleinhandler.com
York Kleinhandler is a candidate for the United States House of Representatives (NY-17)
