As some of New York’s biggest bundlers buck Washington to back potential primary challenger Harold Ford, Jr., the top party brass is doing their best to encourage unity.
“Harold is terrific. I have invested five figures in his races,” said Democratic National Committee Treasurer Andrew Tobias in an e-mail to The Observer. “But I sure hope he decides not to make this one, because Senator Gillibrand is also terrific, and times are too tough to invest 20 million progressive dollars in a primary fight to replace one terrific Senator with another terrific Senator who holds the same views on almost everything – even LGBT equality, now that Harold has come our way.”
That’s a not-so-veiled reference to Mr. Ford’s much-discussed evolution on the issue. He’s gone from opposing gay marriage in 2006, to a more New York-friendly position that the federal Defense of Marriage Act should be overturned and the military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy should be revisited.
Mr. Tobias continued: “This is particularly true because NY has such a late primary. We run the risk of emerging September 6 with a bruised candidate and depleted coffers. It’s Republicans we should be raising money to fight, not our own sitting Senators.”