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Maloney calls Cuomo's remarks 'stupid' but gets what he meant to say

Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney, who is running in the September 13th Democratic primary for Attorney General, spoke at an informal town hall meeting at a beer hall in Albany Thursday evening.
Karen DeWitt
Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney, who is running in the September 13th Democratic primary for Attorney General, spoke at an informal town hall meeting at a beer hall in Albany Thursday evening.

Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney, who is running in the September 13th Democratic primary for Attorney General, spoke at an informal town hall meeting at a beer hall in Albany Thursday evening.
Credit Karen DeWitt
Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney, who is running in the September 13th Democratic primary for Attorney General, spoke at an informal town hall meeting at a beer hall in Albany Thursday evening.

New York Congressman from the Hudson Valley , Sean Patrick Maloney, who is also a candidate in the Democratic primary for attorney general, is weighing in on Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s controversial statement that America “was never that great.”

Cuomo took on President Donald Trump’s slogan “make America great again,” by saying there’s no need to do so because the country was “never that great.”  The governor, in a speech Wednesday, went on to say that the nation has not yet reached its full potential because of inequalities that exist.  

A spokeswoman for Cuomo later clarified that Cuomo does believe that America "is great."

Maloney, who was in downtown Albany for a town hall meeting, says Cuomo expressed himself inelegantly.

“It was a pretty stupid thing to say,” said Maloney. “But I think we know what he meant.”

And Maloney, who is married to a same-sex partner, says he gives Cuomo credit for taking steps as governor to further civil rights.

“I have watched this governor contribute to making America greater by passing marriage equality in New York,” said Maloney. “And I give him a lot of credit for that.”

Republicans, including the GOP candidate for governor  Marc Molinaro, and Senate Leader John Flanagan, have demanded that Cuomo apologize.

Maloney says people should give the governor some slack.

“I think he misspoke,” he said.

Copyright 2018 WXXI News

Karen DeWitt is Capitol Bureau Chief for New York State Public Radio, a network of 10 public radio stations in New York State. She has covered state government and politics for the network since 1990.