Congressman Bob Turner (Getty)

Republican Congressman Bob Turner rarely has nice things to say about the current administration, but today, he released a statement commending President Obama for leaving room for the possibility of taking military action against Iran if they obtain a nuclear weapons.

President Obama's tough talk on Iran came at a news conference following an Asia-Pacific economic summit today.

"We are not taking any options off the table. Iran with nuclear weapons would pose a threat not only to the region but also to the United States," President Obama said.

Congressman Turner praised the President for his willingness to potentially attack Iran.

"I commend President Obama for agreeing with what I and others in Congress have been saying all along. When dealing with the possibility of a nuclear Iran, all options must be left on the table." the Congressman said, adding, "I urge the President to be aggressive.”

Congressman Turner also reiterated his own views on Iran's nuclear program.

"Sworn enemies who have been outspoken about their discontent for America and our allies are less than a year away from developing a nuclear bomb. We must take advantage of any opportunities to work with the people of Iran who want freedom. We must make sure there is no option we will not consider when it comes to protecting our citizens," Congressman Turner said.

Iran's nuclear program is considered by many to be a grave threat to American and Israeli national security. Congressman Turner represents New York's 9th Congressional District. He won his seat in September's special election to replace disgraced Congressman Anthony Weiner largely thanks to the support of Jewish voters. Since then, Congressman Turner has remained vocal on a variety of issues important to the Jewish community.

• As they say in Vegas: This town wasn't built on winners.
• Hitting the jackpot: Wouldn't be the first time he made history in Queens.
• At least he's only gambling with his money.
• Many insiders are seeing his loss as yet another referendum by machines against those pulling on them.

And so on.

[Photo via jonathanlentz.]

fkamer@observer.com | @weareyourfek

Hotline on Call reports:

According to buy information obtained by Hotline On Call, the DCCC has made a $483,500 TV ad buy in the district, starting tomorrow through Monday. The broadcast TV buy will not air on September 11, the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The Democratic super PAC House Majority PAC has also bought advertising time in the district as well.

Hopefully, they'll have rethought their current television advertising strategy by then.

Correction: This post incorrectly inferred that the ad buy was made after the polling numbers and most recent anti-Turner ads were released; it was in fact reported yesterday afternoon, and was not in response to either.

fkamer@observer.com | @weareyourfek

According to a Sunday editorial in the DN:

[Weprin]  touted "a unique background and something to contribute, having a 20-year private-sector career in public finance as well as being the City Council chairman of the Finance Committee for eight years."

Soon after, the following exchange took place:

Daily News: "Right now, how big is the debt?"

Weprin: (Pause) "Trillions."

News: "But how many?"

Weprin: (Deer in headlights look.) "I got caught up on this once before," referring to his inability while running unsuccessfully for city controller in 2009 to state that office's budget.

News: "This is central to what is going on in Washington."

Weprin: "About 4 trillion."

News: "Four trillion is the debt?"

Weprin: "Right."

Well, he was off only by a $10 trillion order of magnitude. As has been reported far, wide and ad nauseam, the U.S. is burdened by a debt of roughly $14 trillion.

"The $14 trillion federal debt, and its drag on the U.S. economy, is the most significant issue in America today, and Mr. Weprin is totally unaware of it," said Turner. "It is unfathomable that someone who claims to have government finance experience is so uniformed about a crisis of this magnitude.  The $14 trillion in federal debt is the issue - it threatens our social safety network and the futures of tens of millions of young Americans.  If Mr. Weprin wants to keep running for higher offices, he ought to read a newspaper."

Turner, a Republican, and Weprin, a Democrat, are locked in a tight race to replace Anthony Weiner in Congress in a district that covers parts of Queens and Brooklyn.

We can imagine what the rejoinder from Weprin will be. That same editorial noted that Turner didn't seem to understand how the federal 9/11 health bill works, or that the government could not legally prevent a mosque from opening near Ground Zero:

Meanwhile, on the Republican side, Bob Turner (bottom photo), a retired television industry executive, said the city should use all its powers, including zoning regulation, to prevent a mosque from opening near Ground Zero.

Told that the U.S. Constitution would prohibit any official from using governmental powers against a religious or political group based on faith or position, Turner said the city should act nonetheless.

Turner also made news with a pronouncement about the federal James Zadroga act that will provide compensation and health care to 9/11 first responders.

While supporting help for police and firefighters, he questioned whether "volunteers" should be eligible for help because, possibly, they had been on the site only briefly.

Clearly, Turner did not understand that people who apply for Zadroga payments will have to prove when and where they were in the environs of Ground Zero and show that they consequently suffered documented illnesses.

Update:

The Weprin campaign passes along the following response:

Mayor Bloomberg Visits Department of Environmental Protection Crew Cleaning Storm Sewers in Preparation for Hurricane Irene August 25, 2011 (Photo Credit: Edward Reed)

2012: "[H]e's simply not relevant anymore, and really hasn't been for a while." [Steve Kornacki / Salon]

2012: Pataki not endorsing Perry Saturday. [Andrew Rafferty / NBC]

2012: Pataki's leaked website "embarrassing." [Glittarazzi]

2012: "The population of reporters who never say mean things about people is smaller than a George Pataki 2012 house party." [David Weigel / Slate]

NY-9: Weprin robos off Turner's refusal to back Zadroga bill for Ground Zero volunteers. [Celeste Katz / Daily News]

NY-9: Turner said same-sex marriage "should not be an issue in this campaign." [Anna Gustafson / Queens Chronicle]

NY-9: NARAL for Weprin. [Rick Karlin / Times Union]

NY-9: Turner keeps calling Weprin a "career politician." [Courtney Gross/ NY1]

NY-9: Weprin and Turner tried saying something nice about each other. [Howard Koplowitz / Queens Campaigner]

NY-9: "[O]ne can only imagine how former Congressman Weiner will cast his vote. I suspect he will vote for Weprin." [Henry Stern / Huffington Post]

Teacher Evaluations: Teacher reports can be released, court rules. [NY1]

Teacher Evaluations: UFT vows an appeal. [Sharon Otterman / New York Times]

Mortgage Probe: Americans for Financial Reform make the case for Schneiderman's resistance. [Jimmy Vielkind / Times Union]

Mortage Probe: Buffett will dump $5 billion into Bank of America. [Ben Protess and Susanne Craig / Deal Book]

Fund-Raising: Rep. Ackerman mocks a Republican for alligator-hunting. [Celeste Katz / Daily News]

Executive Pay: Cuomo task force seeks info from Medicaid and social service providers first. [Michael Johnson / Capital Tonight]

Executive Pay: The move could yield "unprecedented analysis that could shine a light on executives who take home an outsize share of their organization’s revenue." [Russ Buettner / New York Times]

#AskWeprin and #AskTurner are the hashtags I'm hoping people will use. #NY9debate is good too.

As Colby Hamilton noted, Weprin has been somewhat vague on policy specifics, namely, Hamilton argues, because he probably won't be in a position to do much. And Turner's policies -- protecting entitlement programs while somehow shrinking the deficit -- aren't really based in anything actionable.

Each have obvious vulnerabilities that could make for an interesting debate.

Weprin's nuanced position on same-sex marriage is a headache for some of his allies (especially those in the LGBT community who recently threw him a fund-raiser). And Turner walked away from the one policy position everyone in  the NY delegation seemed to agree on: universal support the Zadroga bill.

If it sounds like they're running for some big, powerful, national position with no real geographic root, it's because, in a way, the are.

Most of the debate in this race has revolved around national issues, and hardly around anything specific to the district, which covers a patchwork of blue collar neighborhoods in southern Queens and northern Brooklyn.

Thanks to redistricting, not many people expect the seat to exist in any recognizable form by next year; even advocates of independent redistricting say so.

So, I guess, feel free to ask them anything.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's girlfriend makes the front page. (via newseum.org)

2012: Opening line of story about Pataki's presidential bid is "Here we go again…" [Jimmy Vielkind / Times Union]

NY-25: "What I have to do, and it is a challenge, is to be a passionate advocate for a middle and pragmatic ground,' said Maffei. [Mark Weiner / Post-Standard]

NY-9: Headline: "Zadroga 9/11 health law shouldn't cover volunteers sickened at Ground Zero, GOP hopeful Turner says." [Alison Gendar / Daily News]

NY-9: "New York State Democratic Committee will spend well into the six figures" to help Weprin. [S.A. Miller and Carl Campanile / NY Post]

9/11: Former Giuliani aide said "I feel like America has lost its way," because Bloomberg didn't invite clergy to anniversary. [Michael Howard Saul / WSJ]

Sandra Lee: Racy outtakes could make her appear more likable. [Glenn Blain / Daily News]

Sandra Lee: Video removed from YouTube "due to a copyright claim by Diageo North America, Inc." [YouTube]

Mortgage Probe: Schneiderman "abruptly" removed from 50-state team negotiating with bank; could lower size of settlement. [Brady Dennis / Washington Post]

Mortgage Probe: Schneiderman spokesman said they are seeking justice. [Reuters]

Mortgage Probe: Editors encourage Schneiderman to hold firm. [Times Union]

DSK: Accuser should be deported because "she fraudulently got a green card," say editors. [NY Post]

Red Light Cameras: Bloomberg ally Marty Golden doesn't want them everywhere. [Erin Einhorn and Ken Lovett / Daily News]

Schools: Bronx borough president wants investigation into toxins at P.S. 51. [Rachel Monahan / Daily News]

Schools: Layoffs "unavoidable without union givebacks." [Yoav Gonen / NY Post]

Schools: "A spokesman for Mr. Bloomberg, Marc La Vorgna, placed the blame for the layoffs squarely on District Council 37 and the other six unions whose members will also be let go." [Fernanda Santos / New York Times]

Traffic: $80,000 to install, then remove, islands from Fort Hamilton Parkway. [Jennifer Fermino / NY Post]

And Scott Stringer's spokeswoman is back from vacation.

The Mayor kicked off this year’s television season at Steiner Studios at the Brooklyn Navy Yard on the set of Sony Pictures Television’s new series Pan Am, one of 8 new primetime episodic series being filmed in New York City. August 22, 2011 (Photo Credit: Edward Reed)

NY-9: "He's starting to lose races in which he's not even a candidate," Comedy Central says of Barack Obama and his impact on the race. [Dennis DiClaudio / IndecisionForever.com]

NY-9: "The protest announced yesterday drew just three attendees." [Colby Hamilton / WNYC]

NY-9: Turner gets endorsed by a newspaper that no longer publishes; "[W]hat we can imagine being the start of a revival of the Republican Party." [NY Sun]

NY-9: "In a grand tradition that dates back to 2009, every special House election has become a referendum on the president and national politics." [Noah Rothman / Ology]

NY-9: "Weprin has been going after Turner with the same game plan employed by national Democrats, pinning the Republican to the Tea Party movement and claiming that he intends to cut Medicare and Social Security." [Caitlin Huey-Burns / Real Clear Politics]

NY-23: NRCC ties Rep. Owens to Obama. [Liz Benjamin / Capital Tonight]

Same-Sex Marriage: Alesi, O'Donnell lead October 13 discussion in Albany. [Nick Reisman / Capital Tonight]

Red Lights Cameras: "I think we should have them on every corner," Bloomberg. said. [Rich Lamb / CBS]

Vacancy: Upstate Assembly Republican leaves for job at a Goldman Sachs-owned firm. [Casey Seiler / Times Union]

DSK: A history of bombshells. [Adam Martin / Atlantic]

DSK: Investigate leaks, urges Perkins. Dropping charges may deter future victims from coming forward. [Celeste Katz / Daily News]

DSK: “No one with half a brain would ever put her on the stand" lawyer in Vance's office reportedly said of accuser. [John Eligon / New York Times]

Defamation: Spitzer sued for $60 million over his Slate column. [NY Post]

Murphy is an aide to Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, and is looking to run against freshman Rep. Michael Grimm. So far, Grimm has more than $400,000 on hand in his campaign account, making him a formidable target to unseat.

Grimm is a former FBI agent and military veteran who ran an insurgent campaign, relying on a mix of support from Tea Party activists and high-profile endorsements from Rudy Giuliani and Sarah Palin. After a contentious primary, Grimm went on to knock off freshman Rep. Mike McMahon in 2010.

Since taking office, Grimm's record working undercover in the FBI has come under scrutiny -- particularly after the New Yorker detailed an altercation Grimm had where he reportedly pulled out his gun during a dispute near a night club years ago. Politically, Grimm has had some choice words for some of his hard-line Tea Party supporters, fracturing the alliance that propelled him to victory not long ago.

Murphy is the Staten Island representative for the Public Advocate. Before that, Murphy worked in the real estate industry in California. He now lives on Staten Island, and comes from a family that has resided there for generations.

The NY-13 district includes all of Staten Island and a portion of southern Brooklyn. It's unclear how much of Brooklyn -- or perhaps Manhattan -- will be drawn into the district after it is redrawn to reflect updated information from the latest census. New York is expected to lose 2 congressional seats, including, according to many observers, the nearby NY-9 seat formerly held by Anthony Weiner -- which covers Brooklyn and Queens.

Democrat David Weprin speaks to a supporter after getting endorsed by Uniformed Fire Officers Association (UFOA) and United Firefighters Association (UFA) in Forest Hills. (photo provided by Weprin campaign)

2012: Perry appointees make a lot of Perry donations. [Nicholas Confessore and Michael Luo / New York Times]

2012: Jeb Bush keeping Florida GOP neutral, for now. [William March / Tampa Tribune]

Detroit: Former Mayor Kilpatrick -- released from jail but facing 38 counts of corruption next year -- said he could win mayor's race. "I'm serious." [Andrew Goldman / New York Times]

Alternate History: If Hillary won, would there be a Tea Party? [Rebecca Traister / New York Times]

NY-9: Turner and wife ID themselves as couple who adopted child at center of high-profile AIDS case later made into a movie. [Mark Morales / Daily News]

NY-9: "The State Democratic Committee declined comment on how much it spent on the anti-Turner mailings." [Erik Kriss / NY Post]

9/11: Christie suggested Bloomberg "get over his stubbornness." [Josh Margolin / NY Post]

Ballot Access: Former Democratic elections commissioner kicked off ballot for failing to meet residency requirement for local council seat. [Patrick Lakamp / Buffalo News]

Redistricting: Long-time California congressmen drawn into the same district. [Ben Goad / Press-Enterprise]

DSK: Source says Manhattan DA will seek to drop charges. [Laura Italiano / NY Post]

DSK: Vance's re-election likely impacted, but not necessary derailed, from this case. [John Eligon / New York Times]

Probe: Manhattan DA investigating whether St. Vincent's operators drove hospital to bankruptcy so they could sell to a developer. [Brad Hamilton / NY Post]

Investigations: "[T]hreat of a lengthy sentence could give the feds leverage to question [Edul] Ahmad about [Rep. Gregory] Meeks and other Queens pols." [Isabel Vincent / NY Post]

Compensation: Six battalion chiefs earn thousands more than fire chief, in Niagara Falls. [Charlie Specht / Buffalo News]

Payouts: "Last year alone, the city shelled out $520.6 million in claims." [Haddon, Buiso and Vincent / NY Post]

Food Stamps: "[T]oo large and complex" Obama officials say in rejecting Bloomberg for preventing recipients from using food stamps to buy soda and sugary drinks. [Michael Saul / WSJ]

Reputations: Fred Siegel says take another look at Paterson.[Candice Giove / NY Post]

Fracking: Local bans may not stand up in court. [Glenn Coin / Post-Standard]

Military: Rep. Slaughter concerned about body armor quality. [Jerry Zremski / Buffalo News]

Vigilante: Journo helps Sliwa's Guardian Angels disrupt brawl in Coney Island. [Mark Morales / Daily News]

Bikes: " 'What're you doing in the pedestrian path?' the jogger called out, dodging aside. The biker responded with his middle finger." [Daily News]

Bikes: "Many cyclists are confused about their rights, which is where the new breed of bike lawyers comes in." [J. David Goodman / New York Times]

Animals: State officials didn't alert locals of "wild mountain lion" presence. [Brian Nearing / Times Union]

Surgery: Bloomberg's daughter Georgina hopes to be "pain-free for the first time in my life" after surgery. [Page Six / NY Post]