June 12, 2008 - 17:33
News: Arizona

Napolitano not fazed by inclusion on 'traitor list'

Despite her inclusion on at least one Clinton supporter's list of personae non gratae, Gov. Janet Napolitano, who backed U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) against U.S. [img_assist|nid=1467|title=Gov. Janet Napolitano|desc=Getty Images Photo|link=none|align=middle|width=420|height=284]Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) early in the presidential primary process, sees no reason for alarm, according to her spokeswoman.

"The person keeping the list is certainly within her rights to do so," said Jeanine L'Ecuyer, Napolitano's press secretary.

A report by the New York Times Wednesday revealed numerous of Clinton's intimates and big-time backers had developed lists of "traitors" or "enemies" who either refused to support Sen. Clinton's nomination or initially backed her but switched to Obama. Susie Tomkins Buell, who founded the Esprit clothing line, has included Gov. Napolitano on her list.

From the New York Times:

"'I won't forget these people,' said Susie Tompkins Buell, a co-founder of the Esprit clothing company and a longtime friend of the Clintons who describes herself as 'a soul sister' to Hillary Clinton.

When asked to name 'these people,' Buell specifies 'all the women who sold out Hillary.' She declined to volunteer names on her list but answered 'all of the above' when read a roster of prominent women supporting Obama that includes Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Governor Janet Napolitano of Arizona and Governor Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas."

Buell has contributed $2,000 to the Arizona Democratic Party over the past two election cycles, and donated $50,000 to the National Democratic Committee's non-federal program in 2001, some of which went to Democrats in Arizona.

Buell is and advisory board member of Emerge America, an organization dedicated to electing Democratic women. Napolitano sits on the advisory board of Emerge Arizona, one of its state operations.

L'Ecuyer was clear that there had been no discussions regarding another list: the list of presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama's list of vice presidential candidates.

"There have been no conversations at all, through staff or directly with her" between Napolitano and the Obama campaign.


ord = Math.random() * 10000000000000000; document.write('<' + '/' + 'script>'); if ((!document.images && navigator.userAgent.indexOf('Mozilla/2.') >= 0)|| navigator.userAgent.indexOf('WebTV') >= 0){ document.write(''); } -->CORRECTION: This story originally claimed Emerge America was co-founded by Susie Tompkins Buell, which is not the case; Emerge America was co-founded by Andrea Dew Steele, who was the executive director of Buell's charitable foundation.

Evan Brown is a PolitickerAZ.com Reporter and can be reached via email at noreply@politicker.com.

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