The Glue Man puts another New York Democrat on notice

Patrick Gaspard, Obama's behind-the-scenes clean up man in New York, warned a wavering Blue Dog Democrat to get in line during the health care debate.

Rep. Mike McMahon defied a high-level arm-twisting campaign to vote no on health care, leaving some White House aides furious with the Staten Island rookie.

The Daily News learned that President Obama's political director, Patrick Gaspard, dispatched a prominent New York donor last week to warn McMahon his campaign contributions would dry up if he sided with Republicans.

"The message was that a 'no' vote could cause you a problem in the fall, but the other side of it was we can help you raise money," said a knowledgeable source. The Tammany-style squeeze play was delivered at a Democratic Club lunch in Washington last Friday by Alfred E. Smith 4th, great-grandson of the former New York governor and 1928 Democratic presidential candidate.

McMahon later voted no, the only congressman from the New York delegation to do so. It was a rare loss for Gaspard who usually gets his way in the Empire State -- his fingerprints have been on everything from Kirsten Gillibrand's success to David Paterson's implosion. But in defying Gaspard, McMahon may have saved his political career. His Staten Island district is being targeted by Republicans this year.

The unions were also outraged at McMahon's decision. One unidentified union boss growled, "He's going to lose in November, and I'm going to enjoy helping make it happen."

On the trail of the Glue Man in New York

Patrick Gaspard, aka the Glue Man and the president's ACORN-linked political director, just won another battle in New York. Harold Ford, the very bright moderate Democrat who was considering challenging White House fembot Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in the Democratic primary, has dropped out.

"Many in the Democratic establishment backing Gillibrand, including the White House and New York Sen. Charles Schumer, sought to discourage Ford from running. In Ford's op-ed, he complained of the party's 'campaign to bully me out of the race,' claiming it showed Democrats are nervous.

Gillibrand, who was appointed to her seat last year when Hillary Rodham Clinton became U.S. secretary of state, ignored Ford when he first declared he was testing the waters. But after Ford began regularly challenging her, the race that was not yet a race quickly turned ugly.

Ford called Gillibrand various names, including a hypocrite, a liar, an unelected senator and a parakeet who takes positions based on whatever party leaders tell her to do."

Ford is right of course. Gillibrand is a lawyer who worked for tobacco companies who suddenly transformed into a strident leftist in the Senate at the behest of Obama.

The Glue Man's sticky fingerprints are all over this one. As a senator, Gillibrand has courted many of Gaspard's old community organizer allies, including the radical Working Families Party. She was also one of a small handful of votes against cutting off congressional funding to ACORN. Ford, who is pro-life and supports the Iraq war, wouldn't be nearly as compliant with Gaspard and his cronies. The final blow to Ford likely came last week when White House campaign czar David Plouffe was asked about the primary challenge. Plouffe refused to comment on Ford but praised Gillibrand profusely. Point taken. No doubt Ford got a couple calls from Gaspard himself, often called the "air traffic controller" of New York politics.

Meanwhile Gov. David Paterson, another politician who crossed the Working Families Party, continues to watch his career crash and burn thanks to more mysterious leaks. Wonder where those could have possibly come from.

Gaspard gets what he wants in New York

There's something strange going on in New York. Governor David Paterson announced that he won't be running for reelection today, besieged by scandals. This isn't bad news. Paterson was a staunch left-winger and a terrible governor. But celebrations aside, there may be something more twisted going on here, and it involves a head honcho at the White House.

Patrick Gaspard, Obama's ACORN-linked political director, is no fan of Paterson's. Last year Gaspard tried to convince Paterson not to run for reelection, supposedly because the governor was so unpopular. Paterson refused and hit back hard, telling the White House to stay out of the race. That wasn't going to happen -- Gaspard has deep roots in New York. He used to work for the SEIU, as well as the Working Families Party, a political arm of ACORN based in the Big Apple. During the contentious special election in New York's 23rd District last year, Gaspard was described as the "air traffic controller," maneuvering to make sure that Democrat Bill Owens won the race. Gaspard is no stranger to these assignments. He has been nicknamed the Glue Man for his ability to hold disparate leftist crackpots together.

Ever since Paterson refused Gaspard, he's faced one scandal after another. The most recent involves a New York Times report alleging that he covered up the abuse of a woman on his staff. Barely two weeks ago, Paterson was also under attack over rumors that he shacked up with women and did drugs in the governor's mansion. Paterson adamantly denied the rumors to the Associated Press.

"Paterson attributed the rumors to news outlets and blogs other than the Times. He said that three sources contacted reporters at the start of Sunday's Super Bowl to leak word that he was about to resign, which he said he never contemplated.

'It seems to be somewhat orchestrated,' Paterson said Tuesday of the rumors, on whose source he has declined to publicly speculate.

Could that orchestrated attack have come from the air traffic controller, the sinister Glue Man himself? All politicians have skeletons in their closets. But Paterson is the only one who watched all his dirty laundry aired in the New York press over the course of two weeks. It's just too much to be a coincidence.

But why is Paterson attacked? He may be unpopular, but he's still a slimy leftist like all of Obama's friends. The answer may lie in this article from the New York Daily News.

"As Gov. Paterson attempts a political comeback, there's one key constituency he so far isn't wooing: the Working Families Party.

Paterson hasn't met with the lefty, labor-backed party's leaders since he replaced Gov. Eliot Spitzer last year, a WFP source confirmed."

It looks like Gaspard is still using his influence on New York politics to play political puppeteer for the Working Families Party. Andrew Cuomo, the attorney general supported by the White House to replace Paterson, has refused to investigate the WFP's ethical problems. Kirsten Gillibrand, who replaced Hillary Clinton as New York's junior senator, is constantly sucking up to the WFP. One WFP hack even whined, "Kirsten Gillibrand is being more solicitous of us than the governor is."

Spurning WFP is unacceptable to the power-hungry Gaspard, who wants personal control over every political race in the Empire State. The White House has supported Cuomo and Gillibrand adamantly, but not Paterson. Did it orchestrate this vicious campaign against Paterson to destroy his political career?

Gillibrand calls in a favor from Obama

ObamaWatchNews has been carefully following Kirsten Gillibrand, Democratic senator from New York. As we've reported, she's transformed from a moderate Democrat to a progressive liberal in the mold of Obama. Gillibrand recently spoke on a panel with Van Jones, was one of a few votes against defunding ACORN, and sought out the endorsement of New York City's radical ACORN affiliate the Working Families Party. She's worked out a pretty sweet deal for herself. She defends the interests of the radical left to the hilt, and the radical left supports her with money and endorsements. This includes the ultimate radical ACORN leftist, Barack Obama.

Gillibrand is facing a potential primary threat from moderate Democrat Harold Ford this year. Enter Obama's political hack David Plouffe.

"Asked if there is a danger of a primary, especially with Ford, David Plouffe told NY1's Josh Robin, 'Well, we'll see. He'll let us know what he's gonna do. What we need to focus on is Sen. Gillibrand's, I think, record of accomplishment and her vision.'

Reverting back to elements of her political pedigree that were cited last year in why Paterson chose her, Plouffe added, 'I also happen to think she's a very, very strong candidate. She's run, and won, in a very very tough part of New York for Democrats.'

'I think she'd be a terrific candidate for us in the fall. So for two reasons. I think she is the best person to represent New York and help us build the strong economy we need for the future, and secondly, I think she'll be our strongest candidate.'"

Presidents usually stand above primary elections. But with an ACORN ally and Van Jones defender on the line, it looks like Obama has made his first political endorsement for 2010.