By James McCarten
THE CANADIAN PRESS
WASHINGTON - New York's political leaders called for civility in America's political discourse Wednesday as Democrats and progressives across the country were on guard against a rash of attempted bombings that appear to be targeting the critics and rivals of U.S. President Donald Trump.
One such attempt unfolded on live TV throughout the morning as a suspicious package sent to CNN and addressed to former CIA director John Brennan prompted the evacuation of the Time Warner Center in downtown Manhattan.
``This is a very painful time in our nation; people are feeling a lot of hatred in the air,'' said New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who described the incident as an ``act of terror.''
``The vast majority of Americans, the vast majority of New Yorkers, are good people, trying to live in peace with each other ... it is imperative that we act as the good and decent people that we are.''
The CNN incident came after the U.S. Secret Service intercepted similar packages addressed to former President Barack Obama's personal residence in Washington, ex-presidential challenger Hillary Clinton in Chappaqua, N.Y. and billionaire Democratic philanthropist George Soros.
Within hours, it ceased to be the latest.
A device meant for Eric Holder, who served as attorney general in Obama's administration, turned up at the Florida offices of U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz by way of a fraudulent return address.
And New York Gov. Mario Cuomo was in the midst of the Manhattan news conference when he disclosed that his office had also received a suspicious package _ news he appeared to learn just moments before when a handler leaned in to give him a message.
``We are at a boiling point,'' Cuomo said.
``Keeping the debate and the dialogue civil is very, very important _ and for elected leaders, who in many ways set the tone, it is especially important.''
Brennan, who ran the CIA under Obama, made headlines in July after Trump's news conference with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, which he called ``nothing short of treasonous'' and beyond the threshold of ``high crimes and misdemeanours.''
CNN, too, is a popular target for the president, who likes to accuse the network _ among other media outlets _ as being a purveyor of what he calls ``fake news.''
Clinton, who was campaigning Wednesday in Miami on behalf of congressional hopeful Donna Shalala, expressed her gratitude for law enforcement as she acknowledged the likelihood that the would-be bomber is politically motivated.
``It is a troubling time, isn't it,'' Clinton said. ``It's a time of deep divisions and we have to do everything we can to bring our country together.''
Vice-President Mike Pence tweeted his thanks to law enforcement officials, characterizing the attempted attacks as cowardly and despicable and vowing to see the perpetrators brought to justice.
Trump, who was expected to address the situation later Wednesday, had by midday said nothing publicly beyond retweeting his vice-president, with the message, ``I agree wholeheartedly!''