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Public Advocate Dems Debate Like the Job's Worth Fighting For
By
Billy Parker
Published Sep 9, 2009
Modified Sep 9, 2009
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By
Billy Parker
Published Sep 9, 2009
Modified Sep 9, 2009
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Last night was the second debate for what might be the sleeper race in the city-wide elections this fall, the four-way contest for public advocate. While the first debate wound up being a Mark Green pile on, this one saw mud being slung in every which direction after the recent momentum and attention gained by the biggest fund raiser and endorsement-getter, Bill de Blasio. The candidates showed they were hungry for the second highest elected position in the city, a job Councilman Simcha Fielder recently suggested should be done away with.
City Councilman Eric Gioia came out swinging and immediately lumped de Blasio in with Green as a political insider. But then Gioia quickly had his legs taken out from under him by Norman Siegel, who called him and fellow Councilman de Blasio out for allowing corruption via slush funds. Siegel didn't let Green off the hook either, saying of the original public advocate, "He's been on NY1 as a Wiseguy. He writes books. Mark, stay on New York One, write your books, give your sermons and let some new blood become the public advocate."
Green meanwhile continues to run on his longstanding name recognition, last night bringing up that “forty-seven percent of the city said they wanted me to be mayor.” Green currently doubles de Blasio in the latest polls and is hoping to avoid a run-off if he can win more than 40% of the vote in Tuesday's primary.
Props to NY1's Dominic Carter for mixing up the format of the final televised debate and tossing in a lightning round. In the impromptu finale, we learned that de Blasio would not go on record in endorsing Governor Paterson in a Democratic primary, Mark Green is the only candidate to never call the 311 service he claims to have invented and no candidate knows who Lady Gaga is, unless someone has a top notch Poker Face.
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bill de blasio
democratic primary
Dominic Carter
election 2009
eric gioia
lady gaga
mark green
norman siegel
public advocate
Billy Parker
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