POLITICS
Clerics urge end to mudslinging
Religious leaders issued a plea Sunday for an end to personal attacks in political campaigns, especially in the Assembly primary race between incumbent Sam Hoyt and Barbra A. Kavanaugh.
“We’ve become increasingly distressed at the personal tone of the campaigns,” said Rabbi Drorah Setel of Temple Beth El in Niagara Falls.
She was joined by three other religious leaders at Niagara Square who called for a more civil debate that focuses on the issues.
“We are appealing to the heart and conscience of the city to denounce this distasteful and destructive use of personal struggles for political office. It takes a community to draw the line and, as religious leaders, we’re representing the conscience of the community,” said the Rev. Tom Yorty, senior pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church.
As is usually the case in politics, there has been a fair share of mudslinging in many of this election season’s campaigns. But the Hoyt-Kavanaugh race has degenerated into one of the nastiest contests in recent memory.
Hoyt faces a primary election Tuesday against former Common Council Member Kavanaugh. The Assembly’s Ethics Committee has begun an investigation into an affair Hoyt had in 2003 with a woman who reportedly was an intern for another Assembly member at the time. Hoyt has admitted to being unfaithful to his wife but has denied breaking any Assembly rules or laws.
Kavanaugh has not mentioned Hoyt’s problems in her campaign. But Responsible New York, a political committee headed by Buffalo Sabres owner gB. Thomas Golisano, has endorsed Kavanaugh and has filled 144th District mailboxes with anti-Hoyt political fliers referring to the affair.
“I’m also disturbed about the way the campaign has gone,” said Kavanaugh.
“Responsible New York has contributed to the nastiness. I regret that because it is not me,” she said.
However, Kavanaugh defended herself, saying her own campaign material has remained positive, while Hoyt’s has not.
“I’ve kept my promise to keep it on the high road, and Sam has put out nothing but attack mailings,” she said.
The Hoyt campaign sees things differently.
“Considering the depth of the personal attacks against Sam and his family, we could easily have responded with our own personal attacks. Sam has had enough control over his campaign that that never happened,” said Jeremy Toth, a Hoyt spokesman.
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