The Democratic Senate hopeful decries Frank Castor's claim that Deutsch "talks trash" about his rival.
By ANITA KUMAR
Published August 5, 2004
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Peter Deutsch is asking his chief rival to apologize for stinging comments her son made about Deutsch after a televised debate Tuesday.
But Betty Castor stands by her son, though she said she would not have used his exact words.
Not good enough, Deutsch said.
"It is disturbing that Mr. Castor would resort to deeply personal attacks on Congressman Deutsch," said Roy Teicher, Deutsch campaign spokesman. "This was a childish schoolyard taunt similar to those found on the Castor Web site and not befitting a race of this magnitude."
Frank Castor, who is campaigning for his mother, sought out a St. Petersburg Times reporter after the debate to talk about Deutsch, even as his wife cautioned him about his language.
The younger Castor, a 34-year-old prosecutor working for the Palm Beach state attorney, said Deutsch was polite on TV but attacked Castor behind the scenes.
"He talks trash about Betty Castor behind her back," he said. "He's too much of a wimp to confront her and be a man. It just shows how desperate he is."
Before the debate, Deutsch's campaign released what it calls new evidence showing Castor's illegal coordination with EMILY's List, a national fundraising group, on TV ads.
Told Deutsch wanted an apology, Castor directed spokesman Matt Burgess to respond.
"Betty Castor is focusing her campaign on issues that matter to people all across Florida," Burgess said.
Polls show Castor leading Deutsch and Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas, but at least a fourth of Democratic voters are undecided four weeks before the winner-take-all Aug. 31 primary.
