The Wilmington Star-News has highlighted a taxpayer-funded European trip taken by U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre, a Democrat representing the 7th Congressional District, with his wife that happened to coincide with their 29th wedding anniversary:
U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre was criticized last week for a 10-day trip to Europe at taxpayer expense, but the Democrat from Lumberton said the trip was about “economic and military security.”
The trip wasn’t about celebrating his 29th anniversary with his wife, Dee, McIntyre said in a phone interview from Lithuania on Wednesday night. His wife made the trip with the congressman, but McIntyre has said he was covering her expenses.
A recent article in “The Huffington Post” was critical of the trip, highlighting a blurb about the McIntyres’ wedding anniversary that appeared on the trip itinerary. McIntyre said it was a coincidence that his anniversary fell during the trip and said the mention of the anniversary was just a “courtesy notation” on the schedule.
“That had nothing to do with it, and that’s being entirely misconstrued,” McIntyre said.
…
Republican Ilario Pantano, a potential opponent to McIntyre in 2012, made light of the trip in statements sent out during the week. He said his father moved from Italy to the United States and that he would be willing to give McIntyre a free Italian lesson “when he returns from spending our money overseas.”
“Pantano will also be happy to share with the Congressman what he heard from his fellow citizens of Southeastern North Carolina about their concerns over unemployment, the debt and out of control federal spending, which has ballooned over his opponent’s 14 years in Washington living high on the hog,” Pantano’s campaign said.
