Joe DioGuardi on Principles & Values

Gillibrand had a 2-year tryout; now give me a 2-year tryout

The two are competing to fill out the two years remaining on the Senate term of Hillary Clinton. "Sen. Gillibrand has had her two-year tryout and I believe she has flunked,'' DioGuardi said. "It's time to give Joe DioGuardi a two-year tryout.''

Accused of making deals in a $1.7 billion Ponzi scheme

"This is a complete fabrication & a misrepresentation of who I am," DioGuardi said. DioGuardi insisted he was merely a bit player in the deal described by a Gillibrand ad as a "Madoff-style $1.7 billion Ponzi scheme."

He returned fire by highlighting defense work Gillibrand did as an attorney for tobacco giant Philip Morris in the 1990s. "She was actually the architect of everything that company did to try to hide the fact that cigarettes cause cancer," he said.

"Your arguments are absolutely fantasy," Gillibrand scoffed. The senator characterized her tobacc work as something she got stuck with when she was "a junior associate in a big firm."

She pointed out that DioGuardi, too, had represented Big Tobacco, as an accountant. DioGuardi objected, and she shot back: "Oh, so you didn't choose your clients?"