Candidates In Tight AG Race Spar Over Terrorism

With the threat of new al Qaeda terrorist attacks hanging over the nation, the contenders in New York’s dead-heat race for state attorney general are locking horns on the issue after the NY Post pointed out that Democrat Eric Schneiderman voted against three anti-terror bills in the state Senate, including one that would criminalize possession of biological weapons weeks after 9-11.

“This startling revelation comes just days after our nation dodged a new terrorist threat with the uncovering the Yemini plot to send ‘parcel bombs’ aboard jetliners bound for the U.S. – and also while experts continue to warn that we are not out of the woods on this threat just yet,” said Virginia Lam, spokesperson for GOP candidate Dan Donovan.

Schneiderman spokesman James Freedland shot back: “The Republican head of homeland security for the entire state [Mike Balboni] crossed party lines to endorse Eric Schneiderman for Attorney General because he said that Eric would do a much better job keeping New Yorkers safe, and he praised Eric’s counter-terrorism plan while Mr. Donovan does not even have one.”

Freedland said Schneiderman voted for a later version of the chemical weapons bill in 2004 “along with dozens of other anti-terrorism bills, while Mr. Donovan has zero anti-terrorism record, and presided over soaring murder and rape rates in Staten Island …”

A Siena poll taken Oct. 27-30 found Schneiderman and Donovan tied at 44 percent each, with Schneiderman staying the same from Oct. 20 and Donovan gaining seven points. Undecided voters dropped from 19 percent to 12 percent.

UPDATE: After this post went live, Donovan’s campaign added another statement: "This [Schneiderman’s voting record] shows a stunning lack of understanding of the tools and resources prosecutors and our state’s top law enforcement officials need to keep us safe. Even then Senator Balboni who sponsored these bills said at the time- “Anyone who has sarin gas – they shouldn’t have that.” (Newsday, 10/16/2001).”