Attack ads come out aimed at candidates

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - The Conservative Party joins Carl Paladino's "Mad As Hell" campaign as new attack ads are launched against him.

The state's Conservative Party has given its nomination to Republican Carl Paladino. The Buffalo developer was interviewed by Conservative leaders before a public vote earlier on Wednesday. That's the latest development in a day of fast moving jabs and punches.

A blistering attack ad from Pro-Choice New York is taking aim at Republican Carl Paladino for his position on abortion.

The ad says, "Carl Paladino has one word when it comes to a woman's right to choose: "No." If Carl Paladino had his way, abortion would be a crime, and women would be treated like criminals."

The abortion rights group behind the ad endorsed to Paladino's Democratic opponent, Andrew Cuomo. The Paladino camp put out this statement in response to the ad: "More ridiculous exaggeration from another Cuomo surrogate group. Carl's position on abortion is exactly the position of the millions of members of the Roman Catholic Church, nothing more."

Meanwhile, the state GOP committee is playing hardball with this ad, describing Cuomo as "more of the same."

"Democrat leaders in Albany are destroying the promise of New York. Their solution? More of the same," the ad states.

The punches keep coming. Cuomo's running mate, Rochester Mayor and Lt. governor candidate Robert Duffy is taking a whack at some of Paladino's aides in the wake of a New York Times story. Duffy says Paladino is showing voters that he lacks the judgment to be governor.

According to the article, campaign manager Michael Caputo failed to pay nearly $53,000 in federal taxes over the last few years. The Times also says Paladino's driver, Rus Thompson, was charged with driving under the influence and had served jail time in connection with the charges in Arizona.

The Times also reports that Paladino's chairwoman Nancy Naples didn't seek re-election as Erie County comptroller in 2005 after the Buffalo News reported that she had directed 80 percent of the county's bond business to one of her campaign donors.

Here's the Paladino campaign response: "Unproven allegations, 20-year-old DUI's and a tax debt that's a tiny fraction of Mayor Robert Duffy's own overtime padding and double-dipping won't stir the voters. Come out of the closet and on to the issues in debate, Mr. Mayor, or pay the price on November 2nd."