Wow. wow. wow. The Times runs a story about how rich people are up in arms and drawing battle lines over Harold Ford and Kirsten Gillibrand. There's a reputation for being disconnected from real people, but this piece is really over the top.

Nowhere is the intensity of the clash between Ms. Gillibrand and Mr. Ford more evident than inside Manhattan's sprawling penthouses and boardrooms, where wealthy families and titans of finance are being stroked, wooed and pressured to choose sides in what could be the marquee political battle of 2010.

Two weeks ago, Mr. Ford gave himself 30 days to decide whether to challenge Ms. Gillibrand. And that has touched off a war for the city's richest donors, especially those on Wall Street, as both camps race to nail down financial support.

Ms. Gillibrand's top fund-raisers recently called an urgent meeting to map out a strategy for fending off Mr. Ford. The senator and her would-be challenger have reached out to New York's most influential Democratic contributors, sometimes within hours of each other. One Democratic donor received a call from Ms. Gillibrand one day and was invited to dine with Mr. Ford at the Four Seasons the next. The aggressive efforts have already divided loyalties within one of the city's most powerful families.