Espada is not next in line to the Governor’s mansion: there has been an agreement the Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is temporarily Lieutenant Governor, but that is pending a legal challenge. Thus Espada’s likely self-pardon would end up in court for three years, but I don’t believe that he will be able to get away with that.

I am not suggesting at all that this is a “non-endorsement endorsement” but here are other ways in which this can be newsworthy. The one fact we know: Clinton is headlining a fundraiser at a time other Democrats are openly expressing displeasure. That’s not an endorsement, but it does much harder for a narrative of an isolated and lonely Maloney to take hold and should ease the pressure that recent press stories have put on her. And none of this requires any assumption into Clinton’s motivations.

NYer, as long as there is no evidence that Republicans will have a credible candidate in this race, it’s hard to see why this primary would bring joy to their hearts.

Bill Clinton’s appearance for Maloney is ill-timed. But to imply, as you do, that this is a “non-endorsement-endorsement” is just plain wrong. He did the same for Kirsten Gillibrand, after she’d been appointed to the Senate.

Did you wonder why Maloney put off her Senatorial primary announcement? (She’d signaled earlier she’d announce July 4th.)
Did Clinton want this as a condition of his appearance? It’s a nice piece of maneuvering by Maloney, but it could backfire if she continues to suggest that Clinton’s being there means more than it does. She seems to be pushing him hard into her corner; he can’t appreciate that.

No it’s not. You are reading way too much into all of this. The Clintons have a long history with Gillibrand, but in Hillary’s current position, she cannot campaign. Bill is not going to insert himself into the race in a way that will distract her work, and if he made a big statement and withdrew, he would do just that. You’re making all kinds of assumptions that are only that assumptions. He has done fundraisers for all her supporters–this is an IOU–that’s it. Maloney, of course, is spinning it to her advantage–and so are you.

That Maloney would sacrifice her House seniority and committee assignments is both bizarre and sad. Perhaps common sense will prevail and she will spare New Yorkers a nasty, costly and divisive primary which can only bring joy to the hearts of the Republicans.

This is not an endorsement, yes. I said that in my write-up. I also did say that it was a thank you tour for his wife’s supporters. But it’s disingenuous to suggest that this is all there is to it given how hard Democrats like Schumer are working to isolate Maloney, for instance ensuring that party consultants don’t work for her. The mere fact that Clinton isn’t anti-Maloney is newsworthy and it will help the congresswoman halt the wave of stories about how lonely she is.

The fact of the matter is that it’s clear that these funds will go to a Senate race, and Clinton could very well have used that to break his engagement. After all, he is not going anywhere near Joe Sestak (like the rest of the party establishment), even though Sestak also campaigned for his wife last year.

As for the polls. (1) Polls that are this early are not “meaningless,” they just have to be read very differently than those conducted in the last month. I’m only using the 38-37 match-up to draw two conclusions: The match-up is competitive and the increase in Gillibrand’s name recognition is for now not coinciding with an improvement in her numbers. After all, that belief in Gillibrand’s natural growth underlies your own comment. (2) I don’t buy the argument that people are confusing the Carolyns, nor have I ever heard that before; neither has enough name recognition to make that a factor. (3) Yes, McCarthy has dialed down the volume of her attacks and she had a constructive sit-down with Gillibrand, but she is still expected to endorse Maloney if she jumps in.