Former President Clinton to Endorse Newsom for Next Governor of California

Yesterday, former President Bill Clinton was in the news for meeting up with current President Barack Obama in New York City to chat and dine together at lunch. Today, Clinton remains in the spotlight due to his decision to endorse current San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom over Attorney General Jerry Brown in his quest to become the successor to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in California next year.

Former state lawmaker in California, Art Torres, clarified just how unprecedented this decision is by saying, "There has never been a former president who has endorsed a candidate in a primary for statewide office in California. "In 1992, Bill Clinton beat Jerry Brown in California by 7 points. He then beat Bush by 13 points in the general."

As Torres mentioned, Clinton and Brown went head to head back in 1992 in California's presidential primary when Clinton was victorious. His decision to endorse Newsom over Brown is expected to significantly hinder his former opponent's chances to succeed Schwarzenegger in 2010.

According to ABC News, Clinton should be able to help Newsom generate fundraising funds for his campaign, which is an area where he has had difficulty thus far in direct comparison to Brown. Clinton is slated to make at least two fundraising event appearances in California next week.