These parody O'Connell mailers are from Bouldin over at Daily Gotham. Maureen O'Connell is running in the Feb 6 special election for an open State Senate seat in northwesten Nassau County, and the parody is of an over-the-top O'Connell mailer that features a doctored insignia for the New York State Office of Homeland Security and pictures of Deputy Secretary for Public Safety Mike Balboni and Osama Bin Laden. Here it is, Maureen O'Connell in her own words:

It didn't take long for everyone to call bullshit.

1. O'Connell says "Maureen O'Connell has spent years working with New York State's Homeland Security Chief, Senator Mike Balboni to protect our planes, trains and shores."

The truth is, Balboni has rebuked O'Connell for this mailer and hasn't endorsed her.

What's more, when O'Connell had the chance to actually work with Balboni, she said no. Then-Senator Mike Balboni voted against a 2003 Pataki veto that cut funding for the New York State National Guard. O'Connell snubbed Balboni and voted to uphold Pataki's veto, even though the veto weakened New York's ability to respond to terrorist attacks.

2. O'Connell used a doctored insignia to make her mailer look official.

The truth is, the State Office of Homeland Security has rebuked O'Connell for using the faked insignia, saying "such actions are arguably illegal" and:

"It is completely inappropriate for a political candidate [Maureen O'Connell] to use a falsified seal in the context of a political campaign. Politicizing security issues is inappropriate and trivializes the law enforcement efforts of New York's Office of Homeland Security."

Mike Balboni added, "To the extent that it implies that there is a governmental agency supporting the candidacy of anybody, that is incorrect and inappropriate."

3. O'Connell says the terror level in the district is "High."

The truth is, the terror level in the district is "Elevated." Now the threat level in New York City is "High" - maybe O'Connell forgot where she was running for office?

4. O'Connell says the terror level is set by the Department of Homeland Security.

The truth is, the terror level is set by the State Office of Homeland Security, not the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Look, this is basic stuff, if O'Connell doesn't know what the terror level is or who sets it then she shouldn't pretend this is an issue that she cares about.

5. O'Connell says that Tel Aviv will be put at risk if she's not elected State Senator.

Now that just doesn't make sense any way you look at it. Here's what the National Jewish Democratic Council's New York Director Marcia Dickstein Sudolsky had to say:

"NJDC is deeply disappointed by Maureen O'Connell's most recent direct mail piece . . . suggesting that New Yorkers will be safer with her in the State Senate. . . . It is egotistical at best, however, to suggest that Israel's continued existence hinges on O'Connell's defeat of Craig Johnson, a committed Jewish community activist.

At a time when the American Jewish community - regardless of political affiliation - stands united behind Israel, Maureen O'Connell is making an eleventh hour attempt to use the Jewish state as a political wedge issue. It is both desperate and shameful. Even more, it comes right out of the Republican National Committee's 2006 playbook - from a game that they overwhelmingly lost just a few short months ago."

WNBC has more coverage.

Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi probably has the most spot on piece of analysis, so I'll give him the last word: "It's a clear sign that they are in trouble because it's the most laughable piece of garbage I've ever seen."

Steve Perez works in the Working Families Party Communications Department, handling online communications including WFP email, the WFP web site and writing the WFP Blog. He got his start in politics volunteering for Bill Clinton's presidential campaign in 1992, and has switched back and forth between political campaigns and issue work ever since, except for a brief break building satelite data management systems for Raytheon in the late 90s (don't ask). He has been doing online work going on seven years. He is a fucking concrete mixer.