Mon May 18, 2009 at 12:30:00 PM EDT
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From the Albany Project, we get comments from Senator Menendez about the decision of Congressman Steve Israel not to seek the seat currently held by Seantor Kirsten Gillibrand:"Steve Israel is a terrific Congressman, and the people of Long Island are lucky to have him as their fierce advocate in Washington. New Yorkers have one of the strongest Congressional delegations in the country and clearly Senator Gillibrand is making them proud as their new Senator. She's working around the clock, traveling the state, delivering for New York, and given her strong track record thus far, looks to be well-positioned for 2010. The DSCC looks forward to continuing working with her to make sure she well-prepared for her race." They read a little more into the Senator's statement and what it might mean for the race going forward:But there are plenty of interesting tidbits in that statement from Menendez that pertains to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who benefited greatly from Israel deciding not to run yesterday. Sen. Menendez saying that Gillibrand is "well-positioned for 2010" and that the DSCC "looks forward to continuing working with her" shows that the DSCC might be hoping to avoid a primary. Israel's decision not to run came at the request of the President himself:"The president asked me to continue my leadership in Congress" and "not run for the U.S. Senate this year," the five-term Long Island congressman said in a written statement.
The field-clearing overture in New York is Obama's first known foray into the Democrats' candidate selection process for the 2010 congressional elections, and indicates that the White House is prepared to take an aggressive stand to protect the party's majorities in Congress. Reports say that, the President got inolved at the urging of Senators Menendez and Schumer. They have apparently expressed concern that a tough primary could make the seat vulnerable to a Republican takeover bid in 2010. Menendez is going to have his hands full with the Senate races across the country this cycle. |
| Jason Springer :: Menendez reacts to Israel not challenging Gillibrand in NY |
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