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Saturday Morning News

New York Senate Race Gets Uglier

Aired November 4, 2000 - 9:11 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

MILES O'BRIEN, ANCHOR: Well, it is by far the most talked-about Senate race of all, the contest between Hillary Rodham Clinton and Republican rival Rick Lazio.

CNN's Kelly Wallace is in New York City with the latest on the battle between the congressman and the first lady.

Good morning, Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Miles.

With polls showing this race a dead heat, it is probably no surprise that things are getting a bit nasty here in New York City. The latest chapter has Republican Congressman Rick Lazio in a new ad linking Mrs. Clinton to a group which is -- urges violence against Israel. At issue is $50,000 that Mrs. Clinton raised last year at an event sponsored in part by the American Muslim Alliance.

The first lady has since returned those donations after it was disclosed that the group had been a sponsor of that in event.

Now, Mrs. Clinton is accus -- calling Rick Lazio's accusations, quote, "disgraceful" and is fighting back with an ad of her own a talking -- attacking Lazio for not denouncing phone calls made by the state Republican Party linking her to that terrorist attack on the U.S.S. "Cole." Yesterday Congressman Lazio said that he did not agree with those phone calls, and he said he communicated that to the state party privately.

Well, what's behind all this? It is the Jewish vote. Jewish voters make up about 12 percent of the New York vote, Rick Lazio hoping to woo enough Jewish voters to defeat Mrs. Clinton.

Now, today Mrs. Clinton will get some help from someone who is enormously popular in New York City, and that is her husband. The president just wrapped up a two-day swing through California, where polls show Al Gore's lead over George W. Bush has narrowed a bit. The president will be coming to New York, attending get-out-the-vote rallies in Harlem, the Bronx, and Brooklyn, trying to urge city voters, in particular minorities, to go to the polls on election day.

Analysts say that the five boroughs are crucial for Mrs. Clinton, that she needs to win by about 70 percent in New York City to counter traditional Republican strengths in the suburbs and upstate New York. As for Congressman Lazio, on this day he will be campaigning upstate. Analysts again say upstate is crucial for Rick Lazio, saying he needs to win by at least 10 points up there in order to defeat Mrs. Clinton's strength in New York City area -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Kelly Wallace in New York City this morning. Thanks much.

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