Campaign Corner

By Sun Staff Reporters

May 19, 2005

Despite styling himself an ideas driven, outside-the-box underdog,

mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner has tapped into the national Democratic

Party establishment for one of his top aides, announcing yesterday that

he had hired a former Clinton-Gore consultant, Michael Whouley, to

oversee his campaign's field operations.

The Weiner team also added a local consultant, Mark Benoit, as campaign

manager. Mr. Benoit has worked on the campaigns of, among others, the

New York City public advocate, Betsy Gotbaum, and Mayor Dinkins.

In recruiting Mr. Whouley, the Queens-Brooklyn congressman said, he made

"a winning addition to a winning campaign." Most recently, Mr. Whouley

was the general election director at the Democratic National Committee

during Senator Kerry's frustrated bid for the presidency last year.

During the 2000 presidential race the consultant was an adviser to Vice

President Gore's campaign.

A Democratic consultant in the city, Hank Sheinkopf, labeled Mr.

Weiner's recruitment of Mr.Whouley "brilliant." Going with a big-name

national figure, Mr. Sheinkopf said, was an unexpected move. "Usually,

New York guys think they can put their own field operations together,"

he said.

Mr. Weiner said the addition to his staff of a figure from the

Democratic establishment would not alter his distinctive campaign-trail

persona, characterized by off-the-cuff commentary and a willingness to

spar verbally with opponents and voters at speaking engagements. Mr.

Whouley, the candidate stressed, was part of his "field operation," not

the communications team.

Mr. Weiner also cautioned against making too much of the additions to

his staff. "The big news of my campaign," he said, "is me."