New York City mayoral race heating up with attacks, endorsements

NEW YORK (WABC) -- The gloves are already coming off in the race for New York City mayor, some six weeks before the general election.

Republican Joe Lhota is raising questions about the past of Democratic challenger Bill de Blasio, who just picked up an endorsement from the commander in chief.

At a fundraiser in Manhattan Tuesday night, President Barack Obama introduced de Blasio as the "next mayor of New York City."

Obama also introduced de Blasio's son, Dante, who joined his father at the Waldorf Astoria event, where 250 people paid between $5,000 and $32,400 to attend the event. Obama also complemented Dante on his afro, saying it was the same hairdo he had in 1970, though he conceded Dante's looked better.

Obama is the latest national Democrat to endorse de Blasio after he became the party's nominee.

In the past week, the public advocate was backed by former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and both of New York's senators.

Lhota tackled his own packed schedule meeting with voters, going on the offensive to challenge his opponent's leadership.

Lhota ripped de Blasio for honeymooning in communist Cuba in 1991 and for doing humanitarian work in socialist Nicaragua in the 1980s.

"I never said what he did in the past was dangerous," Lhota said. "What I said is his philosophies are dangerous, what he wants to do in government is dangerous."

"I'm not going to stoop to Joe Lhota's level here," de Blasio responded. "This is clearly, it's just classic Republican tactics."

The first mayoral debate is set for Tuesday, October 15th at 7:00 p.m. in the Channel 7 Studios on the Upper West Side.

For more information on the debate schedule please visit: http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/politics&id=9259726

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new york city politics, bill de blasio, joe lhota, politics & elections

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