City Hall News, which is fast becoming the go-to outlet for politicians who threaten to run primary campaigns against Kirsten Gillibrand, reported today that Representative Carolyn Maloney had made yet another serious-looking gesture about her own possible Senate bid by hiring consultant Josh Isay.
Isay managed Caroline Kennedy's bid to win appointment to Hillary Clinton's Senate seat, and more recently advised the Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer on his publicity-winning non-challenge to Gillibrand.
One fun passage from the report:
"She is taking the president's signing of her Credit Card Holder's Bill of Rights legislation almost as a sign of encouragement, noting that only two pens were given out at the signing-one to her and one to Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd-and she was the only one to receive a kiss from the president."
Which is something. (Although it might have been more, not less, noteworthy if Dodd had gotten a kiss too.)
Maloney has been interested in the Senate seat since long before it was clear that Hillary Clinton was going anywhere, and she has arguably been the most outspoken of the passed-over congresspeople in her criticism of David Paterson's eventual selection.
Even before this most recent development–or reported development; Isay's company, somewhat strangely, won't confirm or deny that he's agreed to work for Maloney, and says he's traveling and not available for comment–Maloney's supporters have been working it.
Above is a picture Azi took of Carolyn Maloney at the New York State Democratic Party’s meeting in Westchester this weekend.
One supporter of hers, local Democratic activist Trudy Mason, told him that Maloney would announce her Senate campaign was getting underway in about two weeks. Unlike other potential challengers, Maloney's people haven’t gotten a cease-and-desist call from the White House.
When Azi asked her if she was preparing to make an announcement, she said, “Well, right now I’m just focusing on being at this conference,” before listing legislation she hopes to pass in Congress soon.
When he asked again about making a campaign announcement, she said she’d talk later. As she walked away, she turned to him and said, “I’m working, honey.”
Here's a button Mason gave him.
