So much for all that talk of bad blood between city Democrats and Rep. Mike McMahon over the freshman’s “No” vote on health care reform.
On Wednesday night, Rep. Anthony Weiner — as loud a “Yes” vote on the measure as McMahon was a “No” vote — was the keynote speaker at a $250- to $1,000-per-plate fundraiser for McMahon’s re-election.
The event also brought out a slate of Democratic politicians to the tony Woolworth Tower Kitchen in Manhattan, America’s official congressional ATM.
Weiner (D-Sheepshead Bay) co-hosted the event with Councilmen Vince Gentile (D-Bay Ridge) and Domenic Recchia (D-Bensonhurst).
Weiner was subbing for Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who dropped out after McMahon voted against the measure on March 23.
Unlike Quinn, Weiner said that McMahon’s vote did not require him to be drummed out of the Democratic party.
“He [McMahon] asked me to come and speak and I was glad to do it,” Weiner said. “He’s going to be around a long time. I think he’s a good congressman, even though we drew different conclusions about this vote.”
McMahon has said that he voted against the reform bill because he believed it would result in cuts to hospitals in his district. Weiner disagreed, supporting the bill because it would cut costs.
“There are times he and I are going to disagree,” Weiner said, “but overall, he’s doing a good job.”
Weiner is being more understanding than the Working Families Party and a handful of labor unions, which pulled support from McMahon in the wake of the health-care vote. The Working Families Party says it will seek a progressive Democrat to run against the centrist McMahon.
On the other flank, two GOP candidates are fighting to take on McMahon in November: Policy adviser Michael Allegretti and former FBI agent and Gulf War vet Michael Grimm.
For now, neither has raised enough money to dent McMahon’s $1-million-plus war chest — a stash of cash that will get still bigger on Wednesday night, thanks to the help of some Democratic friends.
