Serrano lashes out at White House

Rep. Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.) is inserting his name into the Kirsten Gillibrand primary sweepstakes in a big way.

Serrano got on the phone today with the New York Daily News’s Elizabeth Benjamin, and unleashed a series of whoppers, including comparing the White House to Tammany Hall – the infamous Democratic political machine in New York City.

President Obama called Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) on Friday after Israel made it clear he was preparing to challenger Gillibrand. Within hours, Israel said he would not run.

In the week since, Gillibrand’s campaign has unleashed a lengthy list of endorsements from New York Democratic officials, in hopes that other Democrats would be discouraged.

A couple Serrano quotes from Benjamin’s conversation:

-“There is discontent and anger at the White House getting involved in sort of the old Tammany Hall way – you know, ‘The boss is going to call.’ “

-“I’m not saying I’m doing this. … But that a White House, where a man made history as president, would play a role in forcing out of the box a candidate who could possibly make history in New York, it troubles me personally.”

– “At the end of the day, I’m just a name that’s mentioned. The bigger issue here is everything that’s gone on as to how (Gillibrand) was selected, who was passed over, who’s making phone calls now, who’s calling from the White House and why they won’t just leave us alone in New York to work it out.”

-“If the president, with his backbone and who he is, tells me I have his commitment that she will now at least treat immigrants as human beings, then that’s OK, right? It might be OK” and I might not run.

-Aaron Blake