Bill Clinton To Fundraise For Gillibrand Challenger Carolyn Maloney

WASHINGTON — In a slap at President Barack Obama, former President Bill Clinton will headline a fundraiser for a New York congresswoman challenging White House-backed Sen. Kristen Gillibrand in the state's Democratic primary.

Clinton has not endorsed in the race, but his efforts to help Rep. Carolyn Maloney could be seen as a snub to Gillibrand and the Obama White House. Matt McKenna, a spokesman for Clinton, said he will be attending a July 20 fundraiser in New York.

The White House has played an active role in clearing the field for Gillibrand, who was appointed earlier this year to fill the seat vacated when Obama tapped Hillary Rodham Clinton to be his secretary of state. Obama asked Rep. Steve Israel not to challenge Gillibrand, a request he honored. Just days ago, Vice President Joe Biden called Maloney to discuss the race, a clear sign that the White House didn't want a primary fight next year.

Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel told reporters last week that the White House would help Gillibrand's re-election bid.

McKenna disputed any suggestions that Clinton is taking sides in the race, and said Clinton's attendance at past or future fundraisers should not be perceived as an endorsement.

"We agreed to this event some time ago as a way of saying 'thank you' to Congresswoman Maloney for her efforts on his wife's behalf last year," McKenna said.

Bill Clinton also did a fundraising event for Gillibrand, but word of the Maloney event comes as the congresswoman moves toward formally announcing her candidacy. An adviser said this week she is running.

Both Maloney and Gillibrand supported Hillary Rodham Clinton's failed presidential bid, and Bill Clinton had made a point of thanking supporters.

During the Democratic primaries last year, Bill Clinton publicly criticized Obama as untested and unready for the job of president. Hillary Rodham Clinton engaged in a grueling and ultimately losing battle with Obama for the party's nomination. Bill Clinton and Obama made amends and the former president campaigned for the Democratic nominee.

Comments

[MNmommy]

Not a New Yorker, I prefer Maloney (or McCarthy) over Gillebrand.

Go Bill!

(sounds like he's helping everyone though)

I'm pretty tired of Rahm and his obsession for BlueDogs.

[JackND]

I've no qualm with Blue Dogs...cen­trists are half of the Democratic Party...th­ey actually most closely fit my own politics.

I do have a problem with attempts to subvert democracy with strongarming tactics from the Napoleon running the White House.

[k6007]

Well. That does it for me, I'll support KG.

[AliveInNYC]

wow, if you're swayed that easily, please relinquish your right to vote/

[harriscrl3]

Amen me too. Bloomberg supports her and now Clinton thats all I NEED to know that Gillibrand is my candidate.

[claudiam]

You go Bill. If these so-called Blue Dogs are going to continue to hinder the Dem agenda we need to vote them out of office. I wish Maloney luck. claudiatucsonaz

[glorialovelace]

"If these so-called Blue Dogs are going to continue to hinder the Dem agenda we need to vote them out of office."

Senator Gillibrand has totally supported President Obama's agenda. That "Blue Dog" meme is a distortion of her record by Maloney and her supporters. You need to compare Gillibrand's actual voting record with Maloney's before you make a decision based upon that slogan.

[twogunmojo]

we can only hope that bill clinton endorses maloney...­it worked out well for terry mcAuliffe.­..

[lbicomber]

Yeah, .... THAT was the reason McAuliffe lost.

But hey, let's extend that logic. BC campaigned for Obama in the GE.

Guess that's the reason Obama won, huh?

[2Bfair]

Bill Clinton waited until Obama was well ahead on the polls and the likely winner to even appear with him. When Bill and Hillary campaigned for Obama it was about THEM, stepping into the limelight and trying to repair their reputations after their Rove-style dishonest, divisive primary campaign.

Bill Clinton would do the candidates he intends to endorse, the Democratic party and the nation a big FAVOR by just staying out of the primaries, keeping quiet and focusing on what he does best (wink wink).

[nightslider]

well nannny mouse is here, must be shift change at the huffy post.

[nightslider]

The progressive wing has got to realize that all democrats don't ascribe to their fealty to Obama, this centrist sure as hell don't and won't, Even though I voted for him he has capitulated to the Corporations and their enablers, He has much distance to go before he has my trust and he's not doing himself any favor's either by backing off on his campaign promises, to the gays and non prosecution of the Cable that littered the constitution with their illegal acts against the country at large.

[NevaforLeadership]

He has ALWAYS been very clear about his position on gays.

If you didn't catch that, then you didn't read his platform or listen to what he had to say during his campaigns.

Good luck with the creationists and Sarah Palin over on the other side. You think Obama didn't keep campaign promises to the gays. I can assure the Republicans will.

[Areyoume2]

I'm thinking Mahoney helped Bill in the ban assault rifle years (I'm thinking she came to politics by way of a gun attack on her family). In any case, seems more like a thank you than a slap to the powers that be. People are people, as well as political parties. I give him credit for standing on 'what I think' are his principles. An ex Prez shouldn't have to march to anybody's drum but his own.

[JHJ]

That's Carolyn McCarthy (Long Island), not Maloney (Upper East Side).

[glorialovelace]

A lot of people are confusing Carolyn Maloney with Carolyn McCarthy -- and that has unquestionably affected the polls, because the public has a soft spot for widows and orphans.

Clinton himself has said -- very specifically -- this is not an endorsement of Maloney. It is merely long-promised payback for Maloney's support of Hillary Clinton during the Presidential Primary.

If Maloney continues to spin this as something other than what it actually is, she might cause Bill to drop out of the fundraiser.

[Boron]

The reporter, Hefling, got an olive in her drink from the Republicans and started seeing sh*t.

[Maezeppa]

Oh, please - Gillebrand had to have been Hillary's choice to replace herself.

[riverhouse]

No, actually Gillebrand was Paterson choice. Hillary did not have a voice in this. Maloney is my choice for the seat, so I'm pleased to see Clinton come out against the dimwitted establishment.

[Beelzebufo]

"Hillary didn't have a voice in this"?? Hillary all of a sudden became mousy and indifferent to Democrat politics?? I got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.

[glorialovelace]

You're right. She was. Hillary and Gillibrand became friends during the time that Gillibrand was working at HUD under Andrew Cuomo.

[aikbay]

Maybe we can take the response from Clinton's spokesman at face value. I mean, hello, Gillibrand worked for Clinton in his administration. Personally I prefer Maloney over Gillibrand. It would be nice to have a non Wall Streeter as a NY Senator.

[glorialovelace]

"Personally I prefer Maloney over Gillibrand. It would be nice to have a non Wall Streeter as a NY Senator."

You know, of course, that Carolyn Maloney is the wife of Wall Streeter Clifton Maloney, who made his vast fortune at Goldman Sachs and now runs a hedge fund -- or something like that.

As the wife of a quintessential Wall Streeter, Carolyn Maloney is one of the richest people in elective poltiics.

You could look it up, to quote the late, great Casey Stengel.

If you don't like Wall Streeters, then don't support Maloney.

[JackNasty]

Will there be a candidate from the Democratic wing of the party? Or can only Conserva-Dems run?

[disgusted48]

Wasn't Gillibrand was Hillary's choice?

[barackobama4prez]

Does not matter who Barack or Bill want. Who do New Yorkers want?

[hotwire]

Whomever Obama tells them they want.

[riverhouse]

As a NYer I prefer Maloney to Gillebrand. Gillebrand is a light weight no know nothing. Maloney has the chops to represent NY. We have Senatorial standards here and Gillebrand does not meet those standards.

[twogunmojo]

new york city is not new york state....

[2Bfair]

the lobbyists own Maloney.

[glorialovelace]

Maloney is a law school dropout who has a mediocre degree from a jerkwater college in the South. She is an indifferent, boring public speaker. Look at some of her videos on YouTube. She has spent her years in congress occupied mostly with teeny weeny neighborhood issues.

Gillibrand was Summa c um Laude at Dartmouth, a lawyer with a top-flight, white shoe law firm, who was talented enough to get a clerkship with a federal judge. As an expert on Asian affairs, she speaks Mandarin Chinese.

So who's actuallfy the "lightweight?" And who fails to meet your "Senatorial standards?"

[2Bfair]

Let's hope they want CHANGE, and that is not Congressional veteran Maloney who loves the lobbyists.

[placpje]

As opposed to who? The POTUS, who promised to ban them from his administration?

Oh wait ...

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/promise/240/tougher-rules-against-revolving-door-for-lobbyists/

Forget it.

Lobbyists are fine now.

[larmarch5]

Hello thank You

[truegreen]

the author this article claims Clinton support of Maloney is a slap in the face to Obama. How is that so? HRC was privately pushing Gillibrand as her senate successor before she became SOS.

[blueskybigstar]

Promises are made in order to secure votes. Obama told others not to challenge this candidate.

Hmmmm. I wonder.

Haven't heard anything from Hillary lately. There was that joke that Obama made about her returning from Mexico and the kiss she gave him. There are all kinds of investigations going on. Hmmmm.

And then there is this:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/07/obama-plane-forced-to-mak_n_111211.html

The air craft with Obama in it was on loan from Hillary right after she conceded defeat.

Remember her comments about Rob Kennedy.

It looks like John John was going to run for her senate seat before his unfortunate, perhaps, accident.

[samjer]

That RFK statement she made was about how long the campaigns lasts not about his death. JEEEEEZ read the comment before you write silly things about it.

[felisa11]

it's just the repugs trying to stir up controversy where there is none,.

[glorialovelace]

Bill Clinton is not supporting Maloney. He is honoring a very old promise to support the Congressional candidacies of those congresspersons who supported Hillary in the primary.

If Maloney tries to twist this into something else, I predict that Bill will drop out of this fundraiser.

The article is nonsense, and the AP reporter ought to be ashamed of herself for presenting speculation -- ignorant speculation in this case -- as "news."

[jeffp26]

I voted for Obama, and I am voting for Maloney in the primary.

Gillebrand is a lightweight, scarily like Palin.

No one from Chicago tells anyone from New York what to do. Axelrod should know better.

[WilliamRC]

I don't think you could vote for Gillebrand anyway because it's Gillibrand who is actually running. She is not a lightweight either but a graduate of Darmouth and UCLA. Nothing like Palin. She also represents the more moderate views of New York Democrats like myself.

[riverhouse]

She is the lightest of lightweights.

[LeftLeanWing]

But people from New York will listen to someone from Arkansas. ~!

[twogunmojo]

hahahahaha­ha....

[2Bfair]

too funny

[lbicomber]

Too stupid. Clinton isn't endorsing anyone.