It's good to have friends in high places.
President Barack Obama is paving the way for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand to get elected to the seat she was appointed to when Hillary Clinton became Secretary of State. Obama picked up the phone, called her primary contestant Long Island Rep. Steve Israel and asked him to back off, according to The New York Daily News.
Israel had been Gillibrand's most well-funded opponent in the 2010 Democratic primary. The fifth-term Congressman was within days of announcing his intention to run for the senate seat, a source close to Israel told the Daily News, but bowed out when Obama reached out to him and suggested a run on his part would damage party unity.
"This is a tough, heartfelt decision for me," Israel said in a statement. "But in the interest of providing New York and our country with a united front for progressive change, I have decided to continue my efforts in Congress."
Israel mentioned that he had spoken with Sen. Charles Schumer, a robust Gillibrand supporter, about running. Rumor has it Schumer was the one who gave the White House the heads up and asked Obama to call Israel off. The president's side-choosing will also make it harder for Reps. Carolyn McCarthy and Carolyn Maloney to run for the seat. Neither McCarthy's nor Maloney's offices commented on Obama's call to Israel.
Gillibrand had $2.3 million in campaign money. The conservative Democrat was hoping to scare off opponents from the left, according to the Daily News. Israel had $1.7 million.
