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Maness: Cassidy Would Be 'Weaker Opponent' Against Landrieu in Runoff

Maness also cited Cassidy’s agreement with the statement that health care is a “fundamental right” as a reason for conservatives to oppose him.
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Tea Party candidate Rob Maness says Republican Bill Cassidy would be “the weaker opponent” against Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu.

Maness is running in the state’s “jungle primary” on Election Day. If no candidate gets to 50 percent, the top two vote-getters will advance to a runoff election December 6, a likely scenario based on recent polling. But Maness, who describes himself as a constitutional conservative, is running a distant third to both Landrieu and Cassidy.

Asked by NBC’s Chuck Todd whether he believes Cassidy is a better pick than Landrieu for the seat if Maness is eliminated from the contest next Tuesday, he replied “I don’t know yet, I haven’t seen enough information to know that.”

Maness also cited Cassidy’s agreement with the statement that health care is a “fundamental right” as a reason for conservatives to oppose him.

“As a constitutional conservative, I don’t believe health care is a right,” he said. “If something is a right, then a right is something that doesn’t have to be taken from someone else and given to someone.”

In the interview, Maness also reiterated his opposition to a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, although he did not say if he supports any kind of legalization program.

“[Y]ou can’t come in and break our laws and then expect to get the rights of a citizen of the United States of America,” he said.