Flap's photo finish; Boro prez wants to move on
by Celeste Katz
New York Daily News
July 13, 2005

Manhattan Borough President and Democratic mayoral hopeful Virginia Fields said yesterday she wants to put the flap about doctored campaign pictures behind her. Despite accusations to the contrary, she said, "My credibility is not under question."

Fields' problems began when a direct-mail firm retouched a photo of her at a news conference to give the impression of a multicultural rainbow of supporters backing her.

It wasn't the case, the campaign had to admit. The photo was a composite, or collage, that was meant to represent the kind of multiethnic support Fields has culled.

Fields ended up firing the mailing firm, Winning Directions, as well as campaign consultant Joseph Mercurio - who firmly shot back that Fields and other staff members knew precisely what was going on with the images.

Asked yesterday at an uptown news conference whether she believes fellow Democrats should be worried that her campaign has lost focus because of the issue, Fields said no.

"We're continuing to do what we have been doing - outreach to voters, talking to voters, continuing to raise money, continuing to implement plans that we have to implement," she said.

Speaking under a broiling afternoon sun at the 169th St. and St. Nicholas Ave. subway stop, Fields accused Mayor Bloomberg of revving up his security rhetoric only after the London bombings, not 9/11.

Fields said New Yorkers simply "have no idea" what they're supposed to do in the event of a subway attack - and those with no command of English are in particular peril.

She suggested a multipronged plan, including providing emergency instructions in Spanish, Chinese and Korean in addition to English and translating announcements into those languages.

Fields said she also backs staffing station booths, making sure cell phones and pay phones work in the stations and expanding the use of security cameras.

Bloomberg's campaign responded icily to Fields' London critique.

"Although we usually correct the record when politicians distort the mayor's remarks, we aren't going to respond to someone playing politics with terrorism," said Bloomberg campaign spokesman Stu Loeser.

Originally published on July 13, 2005