When New York's Democratic Committee, led by Governor Andrew Cuomo (D), released an ad suggesting that his GOP challenger Rob Astorino wanted guns in classrooms, Mrs. Astorino had had enough.
In a new online video, Sheila Astorino skewers Cuomo for the misleading attacks on her husband:
“You’ve really gone too far for this mom and schoolteacher. Telling people my husband wants guns in classrooms. Guns in classrooms? You can’t be serious,” she says. “You used an extra curriculum rifle-safety program in a rural upstate county to make it sound like Rob would threaten the safety of school children. How dare you.”
Powerful stuff from Astorino, who is a schoolteacher herself. She said her children can’t even watch TV anymore without seeing their father attacked by the governor.
In the misleading Cuomo ad in question, it is likely referring Astorino’s support of school marksmanship programs in upstate New York. But, Astorino is adamant about using guns responsibly and he insisted that the Second Amendment is not something that should be threatened by those few who use firearms for the wrong reasons:
"Fishing and hunting has always been a part of our culture in America and very strongly here in New York. And because some bad people do some very bad things with guns doesn't mean we should change our whole society and way of life," said Astorino.
Cuomo may still have a 22-point lead in the polls overall, but a recent survey revealed that Astorino has come within 4 points of the governor in Central New York. This is largely due to Cuomo’s unpopular “SAFE Act” gun control bill, which banned the sale of AR-15s and changed former gun possession misdemeanors into felonies.
Cuomo has also lost some support thanks to his disbanding of the ethics committee the Moreland Commission when it seemed to get too close to his campaign. This is a scandal the New York Times did not shy away from reporting. What’s more, this Monday the New York Post “heartily endorsed” Astorino.
Oh yeah, and joking that people under Ebola quarantine should “read his book” certainly won’t win him any votes.
With six days to go, however, perhaps Cuomo can afford to make a few gaffes.