Here’s the invitation to congressional candidate David Weprin’s August 31 fund-raiser that will also feature NYS Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and retiring independent Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman. (For $2,500, attendees can get a photo with Lieberman.)
The event will be co-hosted by NORPAC, which says they are “the largest pro-Israel PAC.”
Along with raising money, the event is meant to further insulate Weprin from criticisms that he is not an ardent-enough supporter of Israel.
Weprin’s opponent, Republican Bob Turner, has tried appealing to Orthodox Jews in the district — with the help of Ed Koch. Turner has invoked the so-called “Ground Zero mosque,” and other issues, in an attempt to portray Weprin as someone unacceptable to the district’s small, but focused, group of Orthodox voters.
Weprin, for his part, did himself no favors, sounding somewhat sympathetic to an interviewer’s question about violations in state procedure when the State Senate voted to legalize same-sex marriage (which Weprin supported in the Assembly). City Hall News went as far to say that Weprin’s speech on the Assembly floor in support of same-sex marriage may be his biggest obstacle in the race.
The event is expected to raise a lot of money for Weprin. Some invitations sent out by NORPAC say to make checks payable to them. A spokeswoman told me all the money given to NORPAC at the event will go to Weprin’s campaign. “That’s how we get credit for raising money…it’s a contribution directed to the campaign,” said NORPAC spokeswoman Erin Pichahadze.
