Former President Clinton stumps for treasurer candidate Magaziner in R.I.

Aug. 28--PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Former President Bill Clinton spoke in the Rhode Island Convention Center on Wednesday in a show of support for general treasurer candidate Seth Magaziner, the son of a longtime political adviser to both Clinton and his wife.

Shortly after taking the stage at the rally inside the center, Clinton made reference to his long friendship with Magaziner's father, Ira, which dates to their time together as Rhodes Scholars at Oxford University in the 1960s and continues to this day.

"It is true that I have known Seth Magaziner since before he was," Clinton said of the 31-year-old candidate, drawing laughter from the crowd of 250 people who paid $50 a ticket to attend the event.

"I am very glad to be here for him," the former president continued. "He projects hope."

Magaziner, a first-time candidate who is vying for the Democratic nomination for general treasurer against veteran politician Frank T. Caprio, introduced Clinton at the rally, calling him "a hero of mine."

In a nine-minute speech, Clinton said that he had "read every word" of Magaziner's 13-page "blueprint" to stimulate economic growth in Rhode Island and then talked in detail about the plan, which includes the creation of a road and bridge fund and a "Green Bank" to support energy-efficiency projects.

"This blueprint is really, really good," Clinton said, banging the lectern. "Everything that Seth says in this blueprint is consistent with what we as a nation, and you in Rhode Island, should be doing to rebuild broad-based prosperity."

There was some irony in Clinton coming to Rhode Island to support Magaziner in this campaign. The last time the former president visited the Ocean State was in 2010, when he twice made stops in Providence to stump for Caprio in what turned out to be his failed bid for the governor's office.

But Clinton's relationship with the Caprio clan is trumped by the former president's ties to the Magaziners. Ira Magaziner, a Brown University graduate, went on to serve as a key policy adviser to Clinton during his time as president in the 1990s and worked closely with Hillary Clinton on a failed health-care reform effort. He now lives in Bristol with his wife, Suzanne, and works for the Clinton Foundation. The couple were in the crowd on Wednesday.

Clinton made no reference to Caprio in his speech. When asked about the former president's visit, Caprio's campaign released a statement that said, "Frank has enormous respect for former President Clinton and looks forward to supporting his wife should Hillary enter the presidential race. That said, he understands the friendship that exists between the Clintons and Magaziners."

Seth Magaziner, a former investment adviser, was a relative unknown when he launched his campaign last year. But he has garnered high-profile endorsements from former congressman Patrick J. Kennedy and the Clintons and has gained the support of some labor unions in his bid for office.

Most strikingly, he has overtaken Caprio in the polls. In a May Providence Journal-WPRI poll, Caprio led Magaziner by 18 points in what was then a three-man Democratic primary race. (The third person in the race, former state Auditor General Ernest Almonte, has since chosen to run as an independent and will meet the winner of the Democratic primary in the November general election.) There is no Republican candidate.

The results of the latest Journal-WPRI poll released last week showed a stunning turnaround, with Magaziner taking a 12-point lead over Caprio.

While Caprio has pointed to his track record that includes a previous stint as treasurer, Magaziner has pushed a plan to expand the role of the office.

"We have one of the highest unemployment rates of any state in the country," he said at the rally. "We have tens of thousands of Rhode Islanders out of work. Thousands more have left the state because they couldn't find jobs. Thousands more are working but they're working for less pay than they used to. Do we want change or more of the same?"

"I am running for treasurer because I know that office can and must be an engine for economic growth in this state," he continued.

State Rep. Marvin Abney spoke in support of Magaziner at the event. Other legislators who were there included Rep. Teresa Tanzi, D-South Kingstown, Sen. Josh Miller, D-Cranston, and Rep. Larry Valencia, D-Richmond.

"I'm hopeful that he can push the envelope," Valencia said of Magaziner. "As long as we're in the situation with high unemployment, we have to do everything we can."

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