Recently, my opponent Vito Fossella published a piece of campaign literature featuring a picture of myself beside a photo of Osama bin Laden. A vote for Steve Harrison, he claimed, means you support Osama bin Laden and terrorism. Just this week, new literature was released citing an article in the Staten Island Advance, quoting me as rejecting unconstitutional NSA programs because "they violate the rights of terrorists."
Not only are these claims untrue, but they are purposeful distortions. Vito Fossella has crossed the line past "playing politics," and moved into telling lies. This was noted in the Staten Island Advance on November 2nd when they stated, "Once again, the apparently desperate Fossella campaign has shamelessly distorted his opponent's reasonable position, and lied about the source of the fabrication by attributing it to the Advance."
In another of Fossella's campaign advertisements, appears the quote, "I'm going to raise your taxes." It is attributed to Stephen Harrison at the Pleasant Plains/Prince's Bay Civic Association Debate from October 10th. This debate is posted on my campaign website, www.harrison06.com, in its entirety. Can you find where I said this line? The answer is that you can't, because it isn't there.
These are not isolated instances. For years, Vito Fossella has played games to hide his record from the people of the 13th District. In 2002, he appeared on CNN's Crossfire and voiced his support for President Bush's plans to privatize Social Security. But in 2005, he wrote a letter to his constituents claiming, "I do not support the privatization of Social Security. I never have and I never will."
I am outraged at these horrendous ploys, and we all should be. I am a proud American, I am a patriot, I am a strong fighter for this community, and I will not tolerate these fabrications about my candidacy.
Ask yourself: If you can't trust your Congressman to tell you the truth, how can you vote for him?
It's time for a Congressman with integrity and with a plan. It's time to bring back ethics to this district and to Washington. On November 7th, I urge you to stand up to the distortions of the Republican Party, and vote for change.