Rep. Charles Rangel defended colleague Carolyn Maloney's right to take on Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and lashed out anew at President Obama for butting into New York's Democratic primary. "I really cannot say anything negative about a senior member who wants to run and whose polls, at this point in time, appear to be in her favor," Rangel, dean of the New York House delegation, told the Daily News.Rangel stood up for Maloney while the state's senior senator, Chuck Schumer, and the Democratic establishment are rallying around Gillibrand. "Nobody can challenge that she's not a hardworking member of Congress," Rangel said of Maloney, citing her work on behalf of 9/11 victims and her landmark legislation protecting credit card holders.
"She is certainly one of our most active members," he said.
In May, President Obama phoned Long Island Rep. Steve Israel to nudge him away from a challenge - a move that also prompted Rangel to criticize the President. Last month, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said publicly Team Obama favored Gillibrand. "I really don't understand why President Obama got involved in our primary," Rangel said. "I don't want to use the word wrong, but it doesn't seem like the astute political thing to do," he said.
Rangel said he hasn't yet decided between Maloney and Gillibrand, who was named by Gov. Paterson in January to replace Hillary Clinton. "I would have to really think hard for me wanting to remove her from her office that she has been duly appointed," he said of Gillibrand.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for former President Bill Clinton said Thursday the ex-President will not take sides in the primary. Clinton headlined a fund-raiser for Gillibrand earlier this year and is scheduled to headline a cash bash for Maloney on July 20. A Clinton spokesman said he is keeping his promise to help Democratic lawmakers who supported his wife's presidential bid.