Republican Bob Turner and Democrat David Weprin sparred over everything from the Ground Zero mosque to taxes and even their own residences in a bare-knuckled debate yesterday in the race to succeed disgraced ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner.
As the candidates went at it in the studios of cable-TV channel NY 1, panicked Democrats sent out a Mayday alert to help prop up Weprin in the closely contested race in what was once considered a safe Democratic seat. Voters go to polls Tuesday.
Among the developments:
* House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spent $480,000 on a hard-hitting TV ad attacking Turner’s damaging “I never met a tax loophole I didn’t like’’ quip.
* New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand sent an e-mail to supporters in Weiner’s old Queens-Brooklyn district that’s up for grabs, urging them to kick in campaign contributions to Weprin before Tuesday’s election.
* Rumors circulated that Siena College will release a poll today showing Turner leading Weprin. Siena declined comment.
* The Washington-based Rothenberg report yesterday rated the Turner-Weprin race a toss-up.
Three days before the 10th anniversary of 9/11, Turner and Weprin clashed over the proposed mosque and Islamic center near Ground Zero.
Turner defended his cable-TV ad that shows images of the burning towers as well as him opposing the mosque and blasting Weprin’s purported support.
The proposed center “is very insensitive to the [9/11] families. That should be moved somewhere else,’’ Turner said.
Weprin said the using the ad for political purposes was “despicable.’’
The Democratic assemblyman rapped Turner for distorting his position, saying the Park 51 organization has the legal right to build an Islamic center near the trade center site, though he preferred a compromise to move it elsewhere.
“The Constitution supports it,” Weprin said.
NY1’s Errol Louis gave the candidates an opportunity to ask each other questions.
Turner zeroed in on the fact that Weprin doesn’t even live in the district. Weprin’s home is in Hollis, Queens, a few blocks outside the boundary.
“Next Tuesday, I will vote. I live in the district. What are you going to do?” Turner asked sarcastically.
Weprin shot back, “You live in an isolated area of the district.’’
Turner resides in a gated enclave in Breezy Point, Queens, on the Rockaway peninsula.
“I have no apologies to make for this community. It is what it is,’’ the Republican said.
Weprin asked Turner if he knew how much New York receives in federal education aid.
Turner said he didn’t know, but called the US Department of Education a “monstrous bureaucracy’’ that educates “no one.’’
Weprin split with President Obama over the commander-in-chief’s Israel policy.
Weprin said the president was “mistaken’’ for leaning hard on Israel to make “unilateral concessions’’ to the Palestinians over its 1967 borders.
Turner said voters should elect him to send Obama a message on Israel.
Turner said he supported a “tax holiday’’ or new temporary lower corporate income taxes to encourage corporations to invest their overseas profits in the United States to create jobs.
Weprin said he wanted to end corporate loopholes and “take away the incentive to export jobs overseas’’ before addressing corporate tax breaks.