Letters-to-the-Editor & Commentary

Mike Lawler Does Have Principles

Published 2 months ago2m ago • Bookmarks: 8

January 19, 2026

In the words of Groucho Marx “Those are my principles and if you don’t like ‘em I have others”.

Mike Lawler often describes himself as a man of principle. He claims to be guided by his faith, his pragmatism, and his supposed commitment to bipartisanship. But when you compare his record to his rhetoric, it’s clear his “principles” shift easily with the passing winds of the President.

Moral principles like integrity, justice, and beneficence require consistency. Lawler once said that if Trump were convicted of a crime, he “should not be running for public office: period.” But now he excuses and defends that same convicted felon. And when the felon releases more and more felons from jail, that’s not integrity, it’s hypocrisy.

Support our Sponsors

A person with a sense of justice would condemn the horrendous abuses of ICE against citizens, law abiding immigrants, peaceful protesters, and children. Justice applies to everyone, not just to those whose votes you cherish. That’s not justice, it’s injustice.

Even Lawler’s self-proclaimed “bipartisanship” rings hollow. He touts his membership in the Problem Solvers Caucus, but when push comes to shove, he falls in line with the very MAGA faction he once criticized. Lawler consistently prioritizes political calculation over compassion or fairness. That’s not beneficence, it’s maleficence.

Lawler has abandoned his original principles for ‘I have others’. He offers nothing in the way of integrity, justice, and beneficence. He falls back on buzzwords that disguise policies favoring the wealthy, enabling discrimination, and eroding democratic norms.

The Golden Rule is not complicated, but it does require conviction. Lawler can no longer claim that foundational principle, because his record tells a different story. Voters in the Hudson Valley should look past his polished slogans and ask: who really benefits from his version of “principled” politics?

Groucho was funny. Lawler isn’t.

Mark A. Lieberman

Yorktown, NY

Read or leave a comment on this story...

Support our Sponsors