Grant Lally, a Republican candidate for New York's 3rd Congressional District, vowed on Tuesday to unseat Rep. Steve Israel, the Democratic incumbent, whom he calls "a political puppet master."
"We are going to beat him this year. We're running in a North Shore, Long Island district, a very good district [which] split two years ago 50-50 between Romney and Obama," Lally told "The Steve Malzberg Show" on
Newsmax TV on Tuesday.
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"We're getting great support, [Texas] Gov. Rick Perry was out a week and a half ago and gave us a great boost. [Former New York] Gov. [George] Pataki's out tonight, so we're going to win this."
Israel, head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, has held his seat since 2001 — a tenure Lally chalks up to his opponent's being "a very manipulative guy."
"He's a political puppet master and he tries to do favors for people, tries to use those to skate by," Lally said.
"I'm fighting really hard, we have all the lines united here in New York, and that's important and that's why we're going to win this year."
He labeled Israel "one of Obama's right-hand men."
"Steve Israel is Obama's Mini-me. He votes 100 percent with Obama or nearly 100 percent," Lally said.
"He goes around and raises money for Obama and Obama's candidates. Right now, Obama is very unpopular in the district.
"Steve Israel now for the first time is running around in the district . . . [saying] how he disagrees with Obama and how much he argues with Obama in the Oval Office. It's nonsense."
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