Updated at 6:55 p.m.
Republican Bob Turner is up with a shocking TV ad, reigniting the debate over the mosque near Ground Zero in his special election in New York's 9th District that will occur just two days after the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
"It's been ten short years. Everyone remembers," the narrator says, as images of the burning World Trade Center play across the screen. Some, though, want to commemorate the tragedy by building a mosque on Ground Zero. President Obama thinks that's a good idea. And so does Congressional candidate David Weprin."
Republican Bob Turner is up with a shocking TV ad, reigniting the debate over the mosque near Ground Zero in his special election in New York's 9th District that will occur just two days after the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
"It's been ten short years. Everyone remembers," the narrator says, as images of the burning World Trade Center play across the screen. Some, though, want to commemorate the tragedy by building a mosque on Ground Zero. President Obama thinks that's a good idea. And so does Congressional candidate David Weprin."
"Bob Turner says no. He knows Obama and Weprin are wrong," the ad says. "September 13th, send a message."
Turner was polling a surprisingly close six points below Weprin, the Democratic nominee, in a Siena poll released Wednesday. He touts the ad as "simple and factual" in his press release, although the proposed mosque wouldn't be on Ground Zero but is near the attack site.
Turner spokesperson Bill O'Reilly said they see the area around Ground Zero as all-encompassing, and that it's still a relevant debate as the group seeking to build there continues to seek funding.
"It's right there. That whole area was devastated," O'Reilly told Hotline On Call. "Ground Zero includes the area around the World Trade Center as far as we're concerned."
"As we approach the tenth anniversary of 9/11, it's shameful that Bob Turner is trying to use the tragedy for his own political gain," said Weprin in a statement. "I knew people who lost their lives that day and Bob Turner dishonors their memory by politicizing the attacks on New York."
O'Reilly said the ad, which he called "a significant buy within the district," will begin airing Monday. According to a Democratic source, it's a two day buy on Monday and Tuesday, worth $8,900, and will be on Timewarner Cable (NY1, MSNBC, and CNN).
"Every voter in the district will know about the ad," said O'Reilly.
Watch the ad after the jump.
Turner was polling a surprisingly close six points below Weprin, the Democratic nominee, in a Siena poll released Wednesday. He touts the ad as "simple and factual" in his press release, although the proposed mosque wouldn't be on Ground Zero but is near the attack site.
Turner spokesperson Bill O'Reilly said they see the area around Ground Zero as all-encompassing, and that it's still a relevant debate as the group seeking to build there continues to seek funding.
"It's right there. That whole area was devastated," O'Reilly told Hotline On Call. "Ground Zero includes the area around the World Trade Center as far as we're concerned."
"As we approach the tenth anniversary of 9/11, it's shameful that Bob Turner is trying to use the tragedy for his own political gain," said Weprin in a statement. "I knew people who lost their lives that day and Bob Turner dishonors their memory by politicizing the attacks on New York."
O'Reilly said the ad, which he called "a significant buy within the district," will begin airing Monday. According to a Democratic source, it's a two day buy on Monday and Tuesday, worth $8,900, and will be on Timewarner Cable (NY1, MSNBC, and CNN).
"Every voter in the district will know about the ad," said O'Reilly.
Watch the ad after the jump.