Candidates assume CD 9 special election attack mode

The mercury isn’t the only thing rising as a political rivalry heats up in August.
Ire between political rivals Bob Turner and Assemblymember David Weprin hit new highs recently as both candidates went into attack mode heading into the September 13 special election for the Congressional District 9 seat.
Turner called Weprin a “career politician” who has “sought four separate political offices in the last two years.” Turner also said that Weprin had received contributions from Richard Lipsky, a lobbyist who is awaiting federal trial on bribery charges.
Weprin’s campaign fired back and said that Lipsky contributed those funds when he was a small business advocate in 2003 and 2007, years before these bribery accusations came to light.
“Bob Turner’s doing anything he can to distract voters from his plan to end Medicare as we know it, which would cost seniors in Brooklyn and Queens an extra $6,400 every year,” said Elizabeth Kerr, spokesperson for Weprin’s campaign.
The Turner campaign fired back, stating that the Republican candidate aims to protect Social Security and Medicare.
“Career politicians like David Weprin have taxed and spent this country into a crisis. They have jeopardized the entire social safety network by irresponsibly borrowing 40 cents of every dollar we spend,” said Turner spokesperson William O’Reilly. “Businessman Bob Turner is running to protect Social Security and Medicare for every American over 55 years old and to put those essential programs on a sustainable path for everybody younger than that.”
On the heels of the news that Standard & Poor’s had downgraded the country’s credit rating because of fiscal uncertainty, Weprin’s campaign charged that “Republican Tea Party extremists” facilitated this unenviable situation with its “irresponsible demands.”
“They held the world economy hostage to their demands to end Medicare and Social Security and this downgrade is the consequence of their dangerous game that played chicken with the world economy,” said Weprin. Now, middle class families could pay the price in higher interest rates on student loans, car payments and home mortgages, as well as potentially higher unemployment.”