Hillary Clinton and Rick Lazio Exchange Blows in Heated New York Senate Race
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: As election 2000 heads into its final busy hours, we turn to another high-profile race for a U.S. Senate seat in New York. In a daylong blitz through traditionally Republican upstate New York, GOP challenger Rick Lazio hopes it's still friendly territory on Tuesday, of course. At stops from Syracuse to Niagara Falls, Lazio continued hammering Hillary Rodham Clinton over a campaign donation from a Muslim organization that was ultimately returned. Mrs. Clinton has countered Lazio's criticism with a campaign ad of her own. And as CNN's Kelly Wallace reports, she brought her husband along yesterday to help get out the vote.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MUSICIANS: Vote for Hillary, because she's the one that will fight for us.</s>KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With a retooled Latin favorite blasting, Bronx Democrats rallied for the first lady without her but with her biggest booster.</s>UNIDENTIFIED CITIZENS: We want Bill! We want Bill!</s>WALLACE: From there, Harlem, where the president urged voters to go to the polls for Democrats, including his wife.</s>WILLIAM J. CLINTON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If you want to keep building one America, you just have one choice, Al Gore, Joe Lieberman, Hillary and Charlie Rangel.</s>WALLACE: His wife's race has gotten nasty. Republican Rick Lazio continues attacking Mrs. Clinton for receiving a $50,000 donation from and sending a thank you note to the American Muslim Alliance, some of those members defend the use of violence against Israel.</s>UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: She invited a leader of the group to the White House. Here he is at a rally last week, supporting a terrorist group.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MUSLIM: I wish they added that I am also a supporter of Hezbollah. Anybody supports Hezbollah here?</s>WALLACE: The first lady fired back with an ad featuring former New York City Mayor Ed Koch. (</s>BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON CAMPAIGN AD) ED KOCH, FMR. MAYOR OF NEW YORK: Have you seen this? It's garbage. Rick, stop with the sleaze already. This guy gave money to George W. Bush and to Hillary and they both returned it. So what?</s>WALLACE: In the final days, both candidates are getting some help on the stump. Political observers say the first lady needs to overwhelmingly win New York City, Lazio needs a double digit lead upstate.</s>MAURICE CARROLL, QUINNIPIAC COLLEGE: Can Mrs. Clinton turn out black voters? You know, black voters are the most loyal Democrats there are.</s>WALLACE (on camera): The minority vote may be the deciding factor for Mrs. Clinton. It may also mean the difference between victory or defeat for Al Gore, and that is why the President is heading to his home state of Arkansas on Sunday for his final get out the vote rallies before Election Day. Kelly Wallace, CNN, Harlem.