Charlotte Clinton Mezvinsky may be only four days old, but she’s already influencing politics. After all, her grandparents Hillary and Bill Clinton lightened their political schedules this week to spend more time with the newest member of the family.
The former secretary of state —and proud grandmother — canceled a planned appearance Tuesday at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s Public Policy Conference in Washington, D.C., “due to recent family events,” according to a spokesperson for the group.
She also canceled a fundraiser planned Tuesday in Washington for New Hampshire State Sen. Lou D’Allesandro, his office confirmed to msnbc. Given that D’Allesandro comes from an early presidential primary state, the fundraiser was seen as another indicator that Clinton is leaning heavily towards running for president in 2016.
Also up in the air is Clinton’s plan to attend a fundraiser Tuesday night for Maryland gubernatorial candidate Anthony Brown in suburban Washington. Spokespeople for Clinton and the Brown campaign did not immediately return inquiries about whether she would still be attending. Brown is currently the lieutenant governor under Martin O’Malley, another likely Democratic presidential candidate in 2016, who was also scheduled to appear at the event.
Democrats in New York, where Chelsea Clinton’s baby was born Friday, however, were luckier than those in Washington.
At the Le Parker Meridien hotel in Manhattan Monday, the former first lady appeared at a high-dollar fundraising luncheon for Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. For a legal maximum donation of $32,400, guests could receive two tickets and a photo opportunity, according to an invitation obtained by msnbc. A $10,000 donation bought one ticket and one photo.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and DCCC Chairman Steve Israel also attended the luncheon, but Clinton was the main draw.
After the lunch, Clinton appeared with Pelosi and Israel at a reception to raise money for 10 congressional candidates from New York and New Jersey, including three sitting members of Congress. Tickets for that event, held at the same hotel, were $1,000 for the “host” level and $500 for the “guest” tier, according to a separate invitation obtained by msnbc.
It’s one of the first political fundraisers Clinton has attended since her appearance at the Iowa Steak Fry, a major Democratic event, earlier this month. Meanwhile, Bill Clinton canceled an appearance planned for Saturday at a Denver fundraiser for Colorado Sen. Mark Udall. The former president is still on for a series of rallies next week for Democrats in his native Arkansas, though. Later this week, Hillary Clinton is scheduled to head to Florida for a book signing and speech. She also plans to campaign for Republican-turned-Democrat Charlie Crist, who is running for governor in Florida, which is also critical in presidential elections. Bill Clinton campaigned for Crist earlier this month. The League of Conservative Voters, a deep-pocketed environmental group, also announced on Monday that Clinton would keynote their annual fundraising dinner on December 1 in New York City.
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