Obama Clears Field for Gillibrand

Worth Clicking: Blasts from the past wound Romney

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May 15, 2009

Obama Clears Field for Gillibrand

President Obama has cleared the Democratic primary field for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) by asking Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) not to challenge her in the primary, according to Politico.

"The move is Obama's clearest steps into the role of leader not just of the country but also of the Democratic Party, and also a sign of the growth of a muscular White House political operation."

Said Israel: "I spoke with President Obama today. He asked me that I not run for the U.S. Senate this year. The President asked me to continue my leadership in Congress, working closely with him to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and create new jobs through an intensified focus on renewable energy and green technology."

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Taegan D. Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country, including the Washington Post, USA Today, Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer and Christian Science Monitor.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

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May 15, 2009