Looking to capitalize on news of an Ebola diagnosis in New York City, Republican Senate candidate Scott Brown issued a statement Friday criticizing his Democratic opponent Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., for "waffling" on a travel ban.
In the statement, Brown noted that New York City is the largest city in the U.S. and less than 300 miles from New Hampshire.
Brown claimed that the Ebola patient exposed countless others to the disease by riding the subway, taking a taxi and going bowling even after passing through enhanced screening at the airport.
The patient, identified as Craig Spencer, is a doctor who recently returned to the U.S. after treating Ebola patients in West Africa.
"The way to stop mass infection is by swift and decisive action, including a travel ban and quarantining health workers returning from countries where Ebola is prevalent," Brown said.
He added, "This is not a time for political correctness; it's a time for common-sense prevention mechanisms."
President Barack Obama has thus far resisted calls for a travel ban, noting that experts in the field have told him that a ban is less effective than current measures involving passenger screening.
Some officials have suggested that a travel ban could actually make the problem worse, with CDC Director Tom Frieden warning that a ban could prevent aid workers from getting to West Africa to help treat the outbreak.
During a debate between the two candidates Thursday night, Shaheen accused Brown of "fear-mongering" over the Ebola crisis.
Brown shot back, however, telling the audience, "She calls it fear-mongering; I call it rational fear. The citizens of New Hampshire and this country have a rational fear that this is real."
The former Massachusetts Senator also raised eyebrows by suggesting that the Ebola threat would be minimized if Republican Mitt Romney had been elected president.
"Had he been president, I feel he would have had a clear and concise plan," Brown said. "He would have reassured the American people."
A CNN/ORC International poll released Thursday showed Shaheen leading Brown by 49 percent to 47 percent, although the two-point advantage is well within the poll's margin of error.
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