Yesterday we noted that Barack Obama had decided to leave his Secretary of State at home while he traveled to Russia to meet with Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev, perhaps not coincidentally after leaks indicated that Hillary Clinton thought Obama had responded too weakly to the Iranian crisis.  Another Clinton has decided to defy Obama more openly.  Former President Bill Clinton agreed to headline a fundraiser for Carolyn Maloney’s primary challenge to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand — after Obama endorsed her in the special election:

In a slap at President Barack Obama, former President Bill Clinton will headline a fundraiser for a New York congresswoman challenging White House-backed Sen. Kristen Gillibrand in the state’s Democratic primary.

Clinton has not endorsed in the race, but his efforts to help Rep. Carolyn Maloney could be seen as a snub to Gillibrand and the Obama White House. Matt McKenna, a spokesman for Clinton, said he will be attending a July 20 fundraiser in New York.