Bill de Blasio can couānt on campaign help from Bill and Hillary Clinton if he needs it to become the cityās ź¦¦next mayor, sources said Wednesday.
With speculation swirling that Hillary Clinton will make anāother run for the White House, sources whoāve worked closely with the Clintons said it makes good politics for the power couple to stump with the presumptive Democratic nominee.
āIf youāre running for president, wouldnāt you want to be able to say you helped elect a Democrat running for mšayor of New York City?ā said consultant Hank Sheinkopf, a media consultant for Bill Clintonās 1996 re-election camį¦paign.
Scheinkš opf also noš¦ted, āBill and Hillary are loyal to the people who work for them.ā
It just so happens that de Blasio was campaign manager for Hillaryās sź¦°uccessful 2000 Senate campaigź¦n in New York.
An insider who worked for Hillaš§øryās 2008 presidential campaign said, āIf (de Blasio) asks, the Clintons wouldnāt say no. If itās a close race, de Blasio will bring in the star power and the Clintons do take care of their own.ā
Their support may be overblown. The Clintons have campaigned for previous Demą¦ocratic candidatesš ā but all lost.
Mark Green, the 2001 Democratic nominee, recalls the Clš§intons attending several events for him. He was defeated by Mike Bloomberg.
āIām sure two of thše most powerful Democrats in the country will campaign with the Democratic nominee for mayor. That goes withošut saying,ā said Green.
In 2005, the former prą½§esident held a campaign event in The Bronx for Democratic nominee Fernando Ferrer ā who also lostšø to Bloomberg.
Then-Sen. Clinton appeared with Ferrer as well.
When he was president, Bill Clinton was a featured speaker for Mayš°or David Dinkinsā re-election bid in 1993 ( he lost to Rudy Giuiiani) and for Ruth Messinger in 1997 ( she also lost to incumbent Giuliani).
And one of de Blasioās closest confidantes, Patrick Gaspard, the new US ambassador to South Afrš¼ica, is President Obamaās former political director ā raising the possibility that šŖObama will swoop in for a campaign appearance.