John McCain endorsed by high-profile (and very rich) Hillary Clinton fundraiser

(UPDATE: Updated information attached below.)

Among ardent Hillary Clinton supporters, one of those who most vocally declined to follow the candidate's lead and line up behind Barack Obama was Lynn Forester de Rothschild (born in New Jersey, she married into the famed British banking family in 2000).

Back in early July, as Obama and Clinton briefly worked the fundraising circuit together, de Rothschild made clear she would have none of the push for party unity. At the time, she told CNN that "frankly I don't like [Obama]. I feel like he is an elitist. I feel like he has not given me reason to trust him."

Nothing has changed for her since then, and today she formally announced her support for John McCain. In a statement released by his campaign, de Rothschild said:

In an election as important at this, we must choose the candidate who has a proven record of bipartisanship and reforming government, and that's John McCain. We can't afford a president who lacks experience and judgment and has never crossed party lines to work for meaningful reform.

Amid tough economic times and foreign policy concerns, we need someone who is ready to lead. Although I am a Democrat, I recognize that it's more important to put country ahead of party and that's why I support John McCain.

A lawyer and wealthy entrepreneur in her own right who splits her time between New York and a country estate in England, de Rothschild raised scads of money for Clinton and is a member of the Democratic National Committee's Platform Committee (though perhaps not for long).

The statement from the McCain campaign says she plans to campaign for him through election day. Probably not, however, among the lunch-bucket crowd in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and elsewhere.

(UPDATE: In an appearance this afternoon on CNN, de Rothschild told Wolf Blitzer she had resigned from the platform panel, effective today. Quizzed by Blitzer whether, as a supporter of abortion rights, she was concerned that a McCain administration could result in a Supeme Court that overturns the Roe vs. Wade decision that established abortion as federally protected, de Rothschild said she was not.

(Noting that she is a graduate of Columbia Law School, she argued that abortion rights are protected by the Constitution and that she was confident a future high court would not rule otherwise. She also zinged the Democratic Party for, in her view, using abortion and other social topics, such as gay rights, as "wedge" issues to divide voters.)

-- Don Frederick

Photo credit: CafePress.com

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Comments

[jeanvaljean]

During the Napoleanic Wars the Rothchilds had Banks in England, France and Germany. 'Nuff said.

[Rick]

I guess Ms. de Rothschild only backs losers?

peace, Rick

[Dave]

Think she makes over $250,000/year and falls within Obama's range for taxation of the wealthy? Hmm I wonder...

[P J Evans]

She has no business talking about Obama being 'elitist'.
She's a member of the elite: wealthy, married into a title, managing a telecom company. What does she know about the 300 million of us, including Obama and Biden, who *aren't* like her?

[Mike d]

I guess a Rothschild would know an elitist when she sees it. When your in the most powerful family in the world you can afford 4 years of McCain. Most people, however, can't.

[David]

It's less likely that she truly endorses McCain and more likely this is her infantile way of getting back at Obama. Bitter people often use immature tactics to take out their frustrations when they don't get their way.

[Dorian]

You can't really call yourself a democrat if you support John McCain since since all of his policies are...hmm, i don't know....basically the complete opposite of everything "democrats" stand for.

This whole notion of Hillary supporters voting for John McCain is just so ludicrous unless the only reason they were supporting her was because she was a woman.

If you honestly supported anything that Hillary believed in how can you possibly reconcile that into a vote for a party that thinks she is wrong on every issue?

Nobody is forcing you to vote if you don't support the candidate chosen for your party, but voting for the opposite party out of some misguided notion of justice or simply spite just smacks of immaturity. "I didn't get what I want so I'll do everything I can to punish those who did."

[Gerald]

This woman raised money for Mrs. Clinton simply to see a woman in the white house. Now she supports McCain because he had an unqualified nepotist right wing female nominated to be a heartbeat away from the most powerful position on the planet. I'd like to know how being a community organizer in a poor section of Chicago makes Obama an 'elitist' The only elitist is this woman who married into Baron Rothchild's family. She is both elitist and royalist, and furthermore, regressive!
She is parroting the Republican Propaganda machine's malicious slander and has zero credibility.'

[S.L.]

You forgot to mention that Lady de Rothchild, who brags that she hasn't worked in 15 years (since marrying a banking magnate and British Lord 23 years her senior) thinks Obama is an "elitist....who can't connect to average Americans."
That's right in there with Guliani criticizing Obama for being too cosmopolitan and Romney calling Obama an East Coast elitist.
She says she's a Democrat but she'll fit right in with her new friends.

[Maezeppa]

That's a shame. McCain has not worked for much, if any, meaningful bipartisan legislation. I think de Rothchild hopes for a one-termer who will be easy for her candidate to beat in 2012.

[James]

Now that is one of the most level-headed quotes from someone I've heard during this whole election frenzy; someone that is willing to put their 'party' aside for the sake of the country.

[Whatever]

So another clueless rich old heiress supports McCain. Apparently she had no idea why she supported Hillary in the first place, because it certainly wasn't on the issues. Maybe she's like other old people who can't trust someone with a different skin tone?

[Tal213]

De Rothschild claims that "Although I am a Democrat" she will support the supposed Republican moderate "maverick" - even though he abandoned the moderates and ran to the far right, mending fences with the ultra conservatives in order to get the Republican nomination. And she says she can't "trust Obama"? Does she trust McCain to run back to the middle after he takes the oath of office, setting fire to the bridges to the radical right? She is as naive as she is confused. Can she honestly claim that she can make the distinction between committing to a political ideology and selecting the most fashionable designer to wear to the inaugural ball?

[Anh Le]

McCain commitee
Eight months as president
George Bush led to 9/11

Bush is the worst in history
No. Bush invented WMD

McCain is worse than Bush
As he invented Blackberry

Bush kills Americans and the economy
No. Mainly Iraqis
McCain is weaker than Bush
His commitee would kill Americans and the economy

[Loretta Paraguassu]

I am amazed. How could someone who values Hillary Clinton's positions possibly line up behind McCain who is pandering to the conservative right and Palin who is jumping on any bandwagon that will get her attention -- without seeming to understand the consequences? Has she had a lobotomy? I know she can afford one, but still...really a mistake.

[David Carpenter]

Forester de Rotshchild's endorsement of McCain is truly sad. She probably felt entitled to a kiss on the hand from Obama. I sure she would like a return to the days where her married name required the political class to kneel in her presence.

[stan]

A Rothschild calling Obama elitist? ROTFLMAO
She's spewing the same rhetoric as McCain's propaganda machine is churning out.
BTW, Obama is the author of much legislation.
Any yes, he did reach over party lines.
I'm sick and tired of these lies!

[Bob]

Yes, yes. I'm sure she's behind McCain because of his track record . What an idiot. You know there's just something incredibly stupid about voting for a PARTY (yes, party, not person, that's who's in control, the party) on the basis of gender (and this c**t is only jumping ship because of gender). Small wonder the US is going into the toilet. I assure you,if Palin (let's face it, that's who you're voting for, even though she's powerless and you're stupid)/McCain is elected then prepare for the loudest flushing noise you've ever heard.

[helenet]

Go Lynn,
I feel the same about Obama. I was a Clinton supporter, but will vote for Mccain-Palin ticket, because Obama has not given me any reason not to.

[leonlittman]

So, basically, she's not supporting Obama because he is an intelligent, accomplished guy. It is astounding (not to mention remarkably stupid) that anyone could define a person with Obama's background as an elitist, especially when the guy he's running against married for money and got into Annapolis because of his last name.

[Marnie m]

Rothschild? Elitism? This has got to be a joke, right? Or else, maybe she's the joke...

[Jane]

She'll choke on her own words if McCain can't finish his first term due to age/health and Palin takes over, which is a very real possibility. That's why voting for McCain poses the greatest risk to our country at the moment. That's why I've switched my support to Obama. I'm a Republican, but I'm putting my country first. The Republican ticket is absurd and extremely hypocritical. That itself is reflected in the fact that Ms. "de Rothschild," a multi-billion dollar banking empress who splits her time between NYC and her country estate in England, is labeling Obama an elitist. Absurd.

[Rajah]

Pot calling kettle black..Anyway, these white elitist like this lady, just want to find an excuse to support the other....

[Robert]

Who cares? Who really cares what someone named Rothschild does? She is just another American like you and me. Will you write a story about my aunt who went turncoat also? NO...because it won't sell

[Steve]

"New York resident and owner of country estate in England accuses hard working American presidential candidate of being untrustworthy elitist!"

It's 2008 and you just can't make this stuff up. Here's the real irony: despite being a jet setter with a life-style to envy, she has to clamor for her 15 minutes of fame by defying the candidate she supported and the party she belongs to, and supporting the guy everyone agrees has run a dishonest and mismanaged campaign calling him "ready to lead".