The state Conservative Party is all in for its gubernatorial designee, Rick Lazio, releasing a TV ad that features the candidate challenging the Democratic frontrunner, Andrew Cuomo, over the mosque proposed for construction near Ground Zero.

The spot features Lazio standing in front of iconic footage of the smoldering remains of Ground Zero in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. Lazio included similar images in a Web ad released yesterday morning – a move that drew criticism from TPM‘s Josh Marshall, who dubbed the former Long Island congressman “Sleazy Rick.”

Maggie Haberman expressed shock yesterday over Lazio’s blatant use of such graphic images, which were considered political off-limits for a long time.

I’m not sure when the statute of limitations is on this, but it does strike me as a little hypocritical to argue that the mosque is an affront to the 9/11 survivors and victims’ relatives and then force them to re-live the tragedy over and over in a campaign ad.

This is the Conservative Party’s second mosque-related ad. The first one mentioned Lazio, saying the party agreed with him on his opposition to the mosque, but did not feature him. It also called on viewers to contact ConEd and ask that it not sell its building to the project’s developers.

Lazio, who has just over $600,000 on hand, has yet to release an ad of his own. Cuomo has so far aired two (well, actually, the property tax relief series was three region-specific spots and then there was that anti-Albany spot released right after Rep. Charlie Rangel’s fundraiser birthday party).

“New Yorkers have been through enough. Now a terrorist-sympathizing imam wants to build a $100 million mosque near Ground Zero. Where’s this money coming from? Who’s really behind it.”

“Incredibly, Andrew Cuomo defends it, even through this imam said America was an accessory to 9/11. Andrew Cuomo is very, very wrong. Call Andrew Cuomo and tell him a Ground Zero mosque is wrong.”

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