Rep. Tim Bishop’s campaign is coming out swinging today against his GOP/Conservative opponent, Randy Altschuler, accusing the businessman-turned-politican of “outsourcing his dirty work to anonymous groups” that are now running attack ads against the Democratic congressman in NY-1.

At issue are two groups – the Virginia-based Alliance for America’s Future, which is one of several committees linked this cycle to Mary Cheney, daughter of former VP Dick Cheney; and 60-Plus Association – both of which are spending to boost Altschuler, and, thanks to the US Supreme Court’s decision in the Citizens United case, not required to disclose their donor lists.

Bishop spokeswoman Audrey Kubetin said Alliance for America’s Future has “a suspicious relationship” with Altschuler’s campaign, noting it has spent half a million dollars on ads in NY-1 and isn’t investing in any other House race, although it has played in other races across the country.

Kubetin said Altschuler “needs to come clean and demand that this group either disclose its donors or stop trying to buy this election,” adding: “This group could be funded by Altschuler’s outsourcing cronies or foreign donors or criminal organizations. We just don’t know.”

A recent Siena poll showed Bishop with a solid 12-point lead over Altschuler, but operatives on both sides of the aisle have questioned that finding, insisting the congressman is actually in trouble.

He’s about to get a visit from VP Joe Biden, the Obama administation’s cheerleader-in-chief this campaign season, and is so far the only New Yorker scheduled to do so.

UPDATE: Altschuler campaign spokesman Rob Ryan responds: “It obvious, Tim Bishop is desperate. He can’t defend his record and so he’s throwing mud. He’ll do or say anything to divert attention from the fact that he voted to raise taxes 125 times or that he voted with Nancy Pelosi and her big spending polices 97 percent of the time. The voters are on to his act and he will lose this race.”

Share|