This article is from the archive of our partner .
Close campaigns have a tendency to become ugly campaigns. Ahead of tomorrow's special election, Republican Bob Turner looks poised to capture the vacant seat left by former Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner. The latest poll by Public Policy Polling has Turner leading Democrat David Weprin by a margin of 47-41. The unexpected GOP capture of a New York City seat is featuring some some slimy tactics. On Sunday, ThinkProgress's Tanya Somanader reported on a flier sent out by Turner's allies over the weekend taking advantage of the 10th anniversary of 9/11:
In anticipation of this somber day [the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks], the New York GOP sent out “a kitchen-sink mailer in the hotly-contested Queens congressional special election depicting a mosque superimposed over the scarred Ground Zero site on one side, and Democrat David Weprin alongside President Barack Obama on the other.”
The incendiary flier was sent out on behalf of Republican businessman Bob Turner who is seeking to take former Rep. Anthony Weiner’s (D) seat…. [T]he front of the flier features a gold-domed mosque rising out of the ruins of the World Trade Center site with a quote from Weprin stating “I support the right of the mosque to build.” The other side places Weprin next to Obama and reads “Weprin stands with Obama — and they stand together in support of the mosque at Ground Zero.”
Adding some helpful context to the attack ad, The Washington Monthly's Steve Benen notes "The Park51 project isn’t a mosque and it’s not at Ground Zero. David Weprin and President Obama, along with Mayor Michael Bloomberg and plenty of Republicans, were talking about a community center in Lower Manhattan, spearheaded by a Bush administration ally."