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

[edwarvir]

Clinton lost support of the Afro-American voters
and he is still smarting. So going against President Obama is just another
way of this good ole boy trying to get even.
It ain]t going to work.

[ngoron]

whoa, didn't Bill also attend a fundraiser for Gillibrand? Helloooo.
isn't Bill's wife part of the Obama team? why would he feel a need
to get back at Barack?

in our attempt to make something out of nothing.
chill people let's try and get along.

[twogunmojo]

the clintons never forget....­.

[standard]

" . . . isn't Bill's wife part of the Obama team?"

Well, Obama's her boss, for now, but will she be a team player in 2010 and 2012? That remains to be seen. This is a Clinton we're talking about, and loyalty has usually been a one-way street for them. Has that changed? Probably not: why would it? But, to be fair, it's also too soon to tell. We know a few things, though: Gillibrand is no progressive and Maloney suffers from neither humility nor charm.

If Maloney's camp (In particular) hadn't so viciously trashed Caroline Kennedy, Bill could now stick to golf and Ms. Maloney could be kept where it's always best to keep the petty and overly self-important: as far away from the Senate as possible.

[2Bfair]

The Clintons always plot to get even, but people see it now, and their Rove-style politics don't work.

[placpje]

"People" see it? No.

A few, bitter, irrelevant Clinton-h8ers see it.

Then again, they see all kinds of things.

[Boadicea]

What are we here, the Daily Mail?

[4real]

ZZZZZZZZZ.

[GeorgeP922]

I agree, this story is dumb.

First of all, activists will decide this primary, not Obama, and not Clinton.
Trust me, if we are independent and thats how it goes.
Plus you never know if someone else will challenge.

All we have here is lazy reporting, and people like me over reacting and Puma tr0lls who are tired of bloggin with the same 10 people on AlegresCorner and NoQuarter.

A shame this is what Bill Clinton's legacy has been reduced to.
It's time for him to really step it up and either get FULLY involved with our national party and activist and volunteers (ie MoveOn, the group founded to save him) or simply retire from politics.

And at some point he and his wife must condemn Mark Penn and the whole "PUMA" crowd that smear their good names.

[2Bfair]

Why would Clinton fuel a Demcratic primary rivalry that will WASTE money needed to defeat rRepublicans? Is he trying somehow to keep that Senate seat avaiable for Hillary?

[peaceonearth]

"But an aide to the former president said it would be a mistake to read any special significance into Clinton's attendance at the fund-raiser, which is part of a series of events he is participating in to thank supporters of Hillary Clinton for their hard work during the 2008 presidential campaign. The aide said, "The former president believes that Senator Gillibrand is doing a good job as senator and this type of thank-you event, and any other he may do, should not be read as an endorsement or un-endorse­ment."
This is a non-story. This kind of "news" comes from vultures.

[GeorgeP922]

Quoting from PUMA Amy Dugan's site?

Look we all love Bill here, time for you guys to stop humiliating him.

He's a Democrat, not some drunk wacked out living in a car PUMA.

[samjer]

How would you know if it was from a Puma site unless you read them? HMMMMMM what does that say about you?

[chriss0114]

Stop trying to make something out of nothing

"Both Maloney and Gillibrand supported Hillary Rodham Clinton's failed presidential bid"

So he is returning a favor

this does not necessarily mean he is supporting one over theother

"Bill Clinton also did a fundraising event for Gillibrand"

[brt929]

Why is that a snub to Obama? As long as the winner is a Dem, why should Obama care?

Maybe Maloney should rethink her run, some of the stupid things she said, and her idiotic attempt to 100% tax bonuses flew back in the face of Democrats and made us all look stupid. She is not the sharpest crayon in the box.

I don't think Gillibrand was a very impressive choice, and Patterson really blew that one. I think it's more of a snub to Patterson.

I wonder if Patterson is going to run for his own term?

[NationalTreasure]

Dear Bill Clinton:

Heard about the canidate you are backing to fill Hillary's Senate seat -- do you really want to go there?

Do you really want to try and show uo Barack Obama again? As you may fail to recall or perhaps you simply are in denial -- but the last time you backed canidates to oppose Barack Obama YOU LOST!!

[placpje]

Dear NationalTreasure:

Try reading it sloooooowwwly. He's not "backing a candidate to oppose Barack Obama". He's giving a fundraiser for both candidates.

[2Bfair]

The Clinton spin machine at work. Why doesn't Bill Clinton use his fundraising power to help Democrats defeat Republicans, instand of Democrats fight each?

The Clintons once again are trying to make trouble in the Democratic party? Why?

[glorialovelace]

He's not even "giving" a fundraiser. He's actually only showing up at it. The idea is that his presence attracts people who will pay money to be in the same room as he is.

[Coinyer101]

Good. I'm tired of centrists.

[Ponderus]

Ain't it the truth!

[LemonMeringue]

No guts.

[uglygnome]

Why is that a slap in the face to Obama? Come on.

[johnnynyc]

I don't understand it either.

Obama specifically remained neutral during the selection process.

He said something about having enough problems with Illinois politics, never mind getting involved in NY.

It seems the far right aren't the only ones to use the Clintons to rile up their base.

[akibo]

Agree. It's a reporter inventing conflict.

[Amy Dugan]

a Bill Clinton staffer has clarified this issue
http://adugan-billclintonblog.blogspot.com/

[GeorgeP922]

Always a staffer cleaning up Bill's messes, never himself.

Time for these Dinosaurs that keep embaressing us to go away.

Bill Clinton and Tom Dascle want nothing but to destroy the party from doing what they failed so miserably in.

Also I don't dig the flood of Pumas, what did NoQuarter shut down?

[placpje]

Why would he bother to comment on it? It's a non-issue.

"Embarassing US"?

Speak for yourself.

[GeorgeP922]

Amy Dugan, a well know PUMA and Clinton stalker.

Here is her REGULAR blog on a PUMA site
http://alegrescorner.soapblox.net/userDiary.do?personId=747

I support Bubba, but not these cheap opportunists who have some sick obsession with him.

Common Bill, come back to other side, you've got millions of friends on one side, and like 15 people on the other.

[ntmessage]

This is not a slap and the emotion is misplaced only meant to smear Bill Clinton. Did anyone forget who Obama’s first choice was? Plus Patterson put in this senator. Did not know it was a slow news day designed to make up stuff, I suppose.

[sandals]

I am surprised Bill isn't running!

[2Bfair]

Bill chases, he doesn't run/

[wreckdiver]

CDSers trying to be funny.

Like infants trying to drive a car.

[Fabienne]

Who's Bill Clinton?

[placpje]

He'd be the Democratic President who ended his two terms with the highest approval rating of any POTUS of either party ....... ever.

[DinSea]

because he was the smoothest talker - word parser ..... ever

[NationalTreasure]

he's the guy who helped convince millions of impressionable youth that "oral sex," is not really sex -- as a result the 1990's saw the largest numbers of young adults presenting with cases of orally transmitted sexual diseases in our nation's history

this facts and stats are available at the CDC website and also by reviwing data from all 50 state departments of health

[placpje]

Absolutely! If BC hadn't gotten a B J, all those kids would never have known about 0ral s e x.

BTW - Does that mean they would be pregnant instead?

[JFaye]

Good for Bill Clinton and Ms. Maloney ... Politics makes strange bedfellows and this is politics ...

[2Bfair]

interest choice of words, is Carolyn really Bill's type?

[2Bfair]

interesting*

[placpje]

Clinton-h8ers and their attempts at humor ....

... almost as bad as when Coulter does it.

[fratricide08]

Always reading too much into Bill's actions. If he's doing both fundraisers there's no snub. It's the essence of neutrality.

[2Bfair]

I agree, Bill is doing it for Bill, his only motive is self-interest.

[wreckdiver]

Really? Did he tell you this? Do you speak with him often?

Besides the time you spent with him at Renai$$ance Weekend, of course ...

(snicker)