Mayor De Blasio To Skip Hillary Clinton's Presidential Launch In NYC
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Mayor Bill de Blasio will not attend former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign kickoff -- even though it's happening in his city.
Clinton is expected to officially launch her campaign Saturday at the Franklin D. Roosevelt memorial on Roosevelt Island.
De Blasio's press secretary said Wednesday that he would not attend.
Mayor De Blasio To Skip Hillary Clinton's Presidential Launch In NYC
De Blasio has close ties to Clinton and managed her 2000 U.S. Senate campaign.
But he has so far declined to endorse Clinton, who's the front-runner for the Democratic 2016 presidential nomination.
De Blasio said he wants her to take a more liberal stance on issues like income inequality.
That's prompted critics to accuse de Blasio of putting himself ahead of his party.
Hunter College professor of Polictical Science Kenneth Sherill says it would be odd for de Blasio to come to what amounts to a Clinton campaign kick-off.
"I would read nothing into it," Sherill said. " I think the event is who shows up and how many people show up and what kind of people show up."
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