'Phony moderate' closer to losing swing seat than GOP wants to admit: columnist

A Republican vying to keep his seat in a swing district is closer to losing it than the GOP would like to admit, according to a columnist.In a Friday article for The Contrarian, Jennifer Rubin wrote that Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), the Trump-endorsed incumbent in the race for New York's 17th congressional district, appears isolated, stressed (frequently hurrying down a hallway to avoid reporters), and dour.Rubin also touted the credentials of his opponent, Cait Conley, and described her biographical details as beyond impressive because she's the daughter of a working class Hudson Valley family, a military veteran with three Bronze Stars, who served 16 years in the Army, and has degrees from West Point, Harvard and MIT. Lawler, however, conveys a near desperation to save himself from his own record of spinelessness, stuck justifying why his voting is indistinguishable from that of MAGA members from the Deep South, Rubin wrote, summing him up as a phony moderate.Rubin asked readers to think of Lawler as the Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) of the House — always concerned, but never courageous because his voting record never took a hard stance against Trump when it mattered.Had he cast hard 'no' votes against Trump when they mattered...he might have convinced voters he still had a moral pulse, Rubin wrote. But, given his track record, it is safe to assume that if voters reward him with another two years in Congress, he will keep bending the knee to Trump.Conley is undaunted, Rubin wrote, adding that Lawler seems more outmatched in the race for NY-17 than most people realize.The seat is ranked as a toss-up, Rubin continued. But the national political environment, the advantage in candidate quality, and Conley's effective three-fold attack on Lawler suggest this is more akin to a 'lean Democratic' seat.