To the Editor:

My old friend and former next-door neighbor recently wrote a letter to the editor in support of Anthony Constantino for Congress, largely because the millionaire businessman is funding his own campaign instead of fundraising from thousands of donors.

It takes some mental gymnastics to consider this a good thing. Rich men using their millions to buy power generally doesn’t result in good representation. If Republicans are against fund-raising by political candidates, that would be news to Elon Musk and the other oligarchs funding Republican candidates this year.

Blake Gendebien is a moderate Democrat. Mr. Gruneisen is misinformed if he thinks the Democratic candidate is seeking to profit from congressional service. In a former time, it wouldn’t have been unusual to see a small businessman like him on the Republican ticket.

Before the Trumpican takeover of the GOP, people like Governor George Pataki who were sensible and competent could be New York Republicans. It used to be ok for Republicans to be humanitarians—remember George Bush Sr. and “a thousand points of light”? No longer—cruelty to the poor and weak is the Trumpican creed.

Constantino owes his nomination to endorsement by one man—Donald Trump. All the county Republican committees in the district opposed his nomination with good reason. As a Trump minion he must ascribe to the entire MAGA loony bin: election denial, climate change denial, “hang Mike Pence”, tariffs on everything, trillion dollar deficits, make Canada our enemy, coddle Vladimir Putin. If you think we’re best served by that insanity, he’s your man.

John Dewar
Potsdam