Hurt seniors? Not my man, Bob!
That’s the message Republican candidate Bob Turner’s wife has for the elderly — and anyone else voting in tomorrow’s special election to fill the congressional seat left vacant by Anthony Weiner.
Peggy Turner says her hubby will help protect seniors — not hurt them, as his rival, Assemblyman David Weprin, and Democratic officials claim.
“I would never be married to a man who would hurt helpless people,” she said.
Peggy Turner knows a lot about helping the sick and needy.
After raising five children, the nurse worked at the hospice unit of St. Mary’s Hospital in Queens, caring for dying kids.
Peggy, 67, now monitors foster-care services for the St. Vincent’s child-care agency in Brooklyn, which includes placing youths stricken with cancer and other serious illnesses.
“The children are wonderful. No matter how sick they are, they still play. Anything you can do to make it better for them is really rewarding,” she said.
She spoke to the Post as another poll showed her husband leading by 6 points. The survey, by Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling, showed Turner with 47 percent to a floundering Weprin’s 41 percent.
A Siena poll released Friday also showed Turner ahead by 6 points, 50-44.
Meanwhile, the Turners will celebrate their 48th anniversary in November, and Bob says he supported his wife’s work every step of the way.
“Peggy is a great combination of compassion and spiritual toughness, which you need for this kind of work,” the retired TV exec said.
Peggy said she’s speaking out now because Weprin and Democratic Party leaders are running attack ads claiming her husband wants to “destroy” the Medicare program.
Bob Turner has said Medicare has to be restructured to preserve it and prevent bankruptcy — a position similar to President Obama’s.
But he insists no one over 55 would be affected by any changes.
“Bob wants to help save Medicare and Social Security,” Peggy said. “If the government keeps spending like this, how are they going to keep the programs? They’ll go bankrupt. It’s annoying. They’re not telling the truth.’’
An independent watchdog group said the Turners have a right to gripe.
“ ‘Panicked’ Dems Run False Ad in NYC,’’ said an analysis by the Annenberg Foundation’s Web site FactCheck.org.
A TV ad financed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee “goes too far in claiming Turner explicitly favors cutting Social Security benefits for gray-haired senior citizens, which is not true,’’ the analysis said.
The DCCC insisted the ad was accurate.
Showdowns
Aside from the contest between Bob Turner and David Weprin, there will be four other elections taking place tomorrow to fill vacancies in the state Assembly.
Manhattan:
* Daniel Quart (D) and Paul Niehaus (R) face off in the 73rd District on the Upper East Side.
Queens:
* Phillip Goldfeder (D) and Jane Deacy (R) vie to replace Audrey Pheffer in the 23rd District.
* In the 27th, it’s a contest between Michael Simanowitz (D), Marco Desena (R) and New Yorkers for Reform candidate Justin Wax Jacobs.
Brooklyn:
* In the 54th, Rafael Espinal (D), Working Families candidate Jesus Gonzalez and Community First candidate Deidra Towns face off.
* There are also several party primaries for judgeships