NYC Mayoral Candidates Apologize For Vicious One-on-One Attacks That Turned Incendiary and Punching Bowl
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NEW YORK, NY (NNPA) – At the brutal last debate for the Democratic Mayoral candidates, attorney Fernando Ferrer called City Council Speaker Christine Quinn a “liar” and a “horse with pants on fire.” Many took issue with his language, but some felt it was necessary in order to point out his historic similarities with her political path.
The candidates squared off Tuesday at NYU Law School with Hillary Clinton as moderator.
In a foreign policy discussion, Quinn said that the United States was the sponsor of the worst human rights abuses since the Holocaust, which was immediately blasted by the inflammatory attacks by Ferrer and former public advocate Mark Green.
Green pointed to Quinn’s over 30 years in City Council, and added, “All the while you’ve never seen a bill drafted and signed by the United States government.”
Green said that the previous City Council speaker, Gifford Miller, had filled out comments cards, also referencing her previous record of supporting gay marriage, pro-choice legislation and opposing a police officer’s chokehold on Ramarley Graham, an unarmed 18-year-old black man who was shot in the Bronx.
“I didn’t need to wait for three decades of experience in New York City government for an opportunity to attack a blatantly untrue ad,” he said.
“Christine Quinn is running a man-made dynasty with no debate. She and David Dinkins had a fantastic run of winning elections in 1990, 2001 and 2005.”
Dinkins responded to the challenge. “Let me just say again I had a good run.”
U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, who has been caught up in a sexting scandal, was standing with Quinn when Green began his attack and joked, “He’s a woman.”
The debate, where only one of the candidates to date, Bill de Blasio, was notably silent, heated throughout, with the candidates recycling constant insults back and forth.
“Fernando Ferrer cannot beat [Christine Quinn], so he is trying to create as many inaccuracies and untruths about her as he can because he doesn’t have a message,” said Chris Lehane, a leading Democratic strategist, and former Clinton adviser.
“I think this format was very useful to all four of the candidates because it showed their differences on several issues. No matter how it played out, it was unquestionably aggressive and straight-forward. Ferrer said it best: ‘Quinn is ready to do anything.’ ”
Panelist Larry Kramer, a law professor and prominent Democratic thinker, said, “I thought the tone was very negative, but it was very very informative. Ferrer has to keep these lines out of his mouth. They’re biting, but they’re telling,”
The evening’s moderators, ABC reporter Rick Kaplan and journalist Jonathan Allen, posed ten questions to each candidate focusing on healthcare, crime, racial divides and the inevitability of tax increases.
Michael Bloomberg was absent from the debate.
