New York Senate hopeful John Spencer blasted his opponent, Hillary Clinton, on Monday for criticizing President Bush's terrorist surveillance program, saying it shows she's weak on national security.
"Senator Clinton has repeatedly said that the greatest responsibility she bears is the protection of American lives from terrorist attack," Spencer noted, in quotes picked up by the Associated Press.
"It's incredible that Senator Clinton would attack the National Security Agency program that protected New York," the Vietnam combat veteran-turned-Yonkers Republican added.
As first reported by NewsMax two weeks ago, Mrs. Clinton complained about the Bush surveillance program in a Dec. 30 fundraising letter, where she pledged to "keep speaking out about my disagreements with this administration" - including "a secret program that spies on Americans!"
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"The values that made America in the 20th century not just the economic leader of the world, but the moral leader of the world are under attack today," the former first lady added.
Spencer called the comments "blatantly political," and charged that Mrs. Clinton is "politicizing national security to raise campaign money."
In an interview with NewsMax last week, Spencer said he intended to make Mrs. Clinton's record on terrorism, including her role as the second most influential policy advisor in her husband's administration, a central issue in the Senate race.
"I will take on the Clinton presidency," Spencer said. "Sept. 11 didn't happen overnight. There was a build-up to that day throughout the 1990s."
Spencer blamed Sen. Clinton for too often siding "with the weak, appeasing side that quite frankly, in my humble opinion, caused us to have the problems we had on Sept. 11."
"I believe that displays weakness," he added. "And I believe these liberal Democrats, like Hillary, are harmful to our nation."