Posted on 01/19/2004 3:40:24 PM PST by hsmomx3
Arizona Democratic Party chairman Jim Pederson will accompany former president Bill Clinton to upcoming international economic conferences in Saudi Arabia and Switzerland.
Pederson and Clinton will attend the Jeddah Economic Forum in Saudi Arabia and the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, said state Democratic party executive director Paul Hegarty. They will also make a stop in Germany.
Pederson will join Clinton and a delegation of American business and political leaders attending the events in Europe and the Middle East.
Pederson has stayed neutral in the tight primary race for president but has close ties to the former president and U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Pederson, a top Valley real estate developer, hosted a fund-raiser for Sen. Clinton earlier this month at his Phoenix home.
Pederson's financial contributions and support of the party were essential in Janet Napolitano's narrow victory over Republican Matt Salmon in the 2002 governor's race.
That, coupled with the Clinton's win in Arizona in 1996, has meant the Republicans are not taking the state for granted this year.
President George W. Bush won Arizona in 2000. He is scheduled to be back in the state on Wednesday as part of a national tour to promote his State of the Union address.
Pederson's stature in the Democratic party has grown in recent years, thanks to his chairmanship of the Arizona party and campaign contributions.
He could be in line to run for U.S. Senate or governor, depending on what Napolitano does in the future.
© 2004 American City Business Journals Inc.
Oh, Lord. Just what we need, more corrupt people running Arizona into the ground.
Business leaders? Gasp! Dems associate with Big Business?! Oh, no, say it isn't so!!
Wonder who they are....
"A typical Bill Clinton speech cost $125,000, such as those delivered to such disparate audiences as the University of Judaism in Universal City, California, and the Women and Children's Hospital in Adelaide, Australia. Some groups paid more, including the Dabbagh Group, which offered $300,000 each for speeches to the Jeddah Economic Forum in Saudi Arabia and to STARS at Dubai, United Arab Emirates."
You can't overemphasize this sentence. He bought the election for Napolitano in the face of a weak bid by Salmon. This guy is more dangerous than Napolitano. They are going after Renzi and state seats. I don't think McCain is good for six years. His seat could easily go Dem.
Jon Kyl would be nominated/approved to the US Supreme Court, Napolitano would appoint herself to take over Kyl's senate seat, and she would appoint Pederson governor.
Pederson is probably too identified with unions to ever be elected on his own.
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