Ghoulish!
If you already thought Mayoral hopeful Fernando Ferrer was a bad guy for lying about sending his kids to public school, you might not want to hear that he was the only one of the four major Mayoral candidates to campaign yesterday, the fourth anniversary of Sept. 11, as the Post breathlessly reports:
Fernando Ferrer was ripped by families of 9/11 victims and others yesterday when he broke from tradition — by becoming the only mayoral candidate to campaign on the somber fourth anniversary of the terror attacks.
On a day when the other candidates declined to talk about politics out of respect for those killed on Sept. 11, 2001, the Democratic primary front-runner not only publicly met with the Rev. Al Sharpton to crow about winning his endorsement, but blatantly criticized main foe Anthony Weiner.
With a media horde in tow, Ferrer and Sharpton appeared together at the popular Amy Ruth’s restaurant in Harlem to discuss the minister’s 11th-hour endorsement of Ferrer. The primary election is tomorrow.
But critics — including incensed relatives of 9/11 victims — blasted the politicking as disgraceful on a day when the nation honored the 3,000 people killed on 9/11.
(Of course, there’s always the chance that the Reverend Sharpton was helping the other candidates . . .)
For his part, Ferrer responded by noting that he was eating dinner with two relatives of 9/11 victims:
Ferrer all but admitted the awkward situation in accepting Sharpton’s backing yesterday.
“I’m extremely pleased getting Rev. Sharpton’s endorsement and help. But this is not a day to talk about campaigns and tactics. It’s a day to remember what the city endured four years ago,” he said.
Sharpton said he and Ferrer were not ignoring the tragedy.
He noted that two of the young people who dined with them lost parents on 9/11, and other events they attended yesterday were in memory of the attacks.
Ferrer then went on to attack Anthony Weiner, his closest competitor, for the Congressman’s vote on the Iraq War. Weiner, who while not campaigning at a Harlem church, refused to respond to Ferrer’s comments, instead affirming that even though Sept. 11 is two days from the primary, there is something sacred about the date:
“This is Sept 11. If there is one day on the calendar that we can suspend politics, it should be today,” said Weiner, who attended a church in Harlem. “I don’t think it’s a day for politics.”
Although I’m sure the churchgoers he met on Sunday appreciate anyone praying with them, they may or may not realize that Weiner is Jewish and they may or may not have perceived his visit as campaigning. I’m just saying, is all.
Posted: September 12th, 2005 | Filed under: Political