Peter Vallone yesterday stepped on the accelerator of his campaign, stumping with singer Tony Bennett, making a surprise appearance with the teachers-union boss, and taking the wraps off a new commercial smacking his opponents.
Bennett – who grew up in Vallone’s Astoria neighborhood – joined the candidate at two Queens senior-citizen centers.
The crooner said he decided to help Vallone because the council speaker had helped open a new school in Queens named after Frank Sinatra – Bennett’s “best friend in the whole world.”
“It’s a thrilling dream come true,” said Bennett, who lives in Midtown.
“Nobody believed me that he was coming,” said an awestruck Susan Simonetti, director of the Glen Ridge Senior Center – speaking of Bennett, not Vallone.
At a hastily arranged appearance later in the day, United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten praised Vallone – five days before the Democratic mayoral primary in which she’s backing another candidate, Alan Hevesi.
Weingarten insisted her standing together with Vallone wasn’t “political,” but was aimed at averting school cuts.
Vallone offered a “guarantee” that the City Council would restore the needed funding – which is about $60 million to $100 million – if Levy backed off.
“Peter Vallone’s word is his bond and I would take it to the bank,” Weingarten said.
Sources said Weingarten got a go-ahead from Hevesi’s camp to “do what you need to do” to get more money for the schools system.
But the timing raised some eyebrows, even among Vallone allies.
“I’d be pretty upset if Lee Saunders [the District Council 37 union leader who has backed Vallone] was standing next to someone else today,” said one Vallone loyalist.
Vallone, trailing rivals Mark Green and Fernando Ferrer, also unveiled a new TV ad – the first one anywhere in the campaign that rips into opponents.
Vallone says in the ad that he’s got what “the others” don’t, referring to plans for kids’ health insurance and prescription drugs for the elderly – and an endorsement from the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association.
The ad says, “One candidate is endorsed by New York City’s police officers. The others haven’t earned their trust.”
Meanwhile, Hevesi, in an upbeat mood despite lagging poll numbers, stumped in Greenwich Village before heading to the headquarters of Teamsters Local 810.
Hevesi even tossed a half-compliment to Mayor Giuliani – whom Hevesi’s been attacking in ads – saying, “The city’s been moving quite dramatically in the right direction.”
He quickly qualified that by adding, “But not for everybody.”