Senator Gillibrand

[Keystone Phil]

There's currently only about a dozen or so Republicans in seats Obama won.

Good thing Obama won't be on the ballot.

It's a Republican district with a Republican bench.

Kind of like IL-14 or MS-01 right?[/quote]

LOL OMG U R RIGHT! EVERY RACE WILL BE LIKE THOSE FROM NOW ON!!!

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Your simple problem is that you're an idiot.

I don't predict the future, BRTD. I don't know what will ruin him nor did I even say anything will "ruin" him. Honeymoons end.

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Uh, how did I imply that? I said I'd like to see a nasty primary battle. That doesn't necessarily mean that I want that because I think we can win the seat as a result. It makes the possibility more likely though.

I'll stick with the usual, smart, correct answer and say that I don't know if we have a real chance at the Senate seat. Probably not but I don't forecast the political climate months from now, let alone two years.

[Ogre Mage]

Gillibrand is the 1st NY Senator in the United States to support Gay Marriage

Here's another interesting wrinkle from Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand's (D-NY) imminent promotion to the Senate: She appears to have switched her position on gay marriage from a standard "safe" Democratic stance, to now being a full supporter.

Empire State Pride Agenda has put out a press release saying that Gillibrand has spoken to them, and they are glad to say that New York will have its first Senator who endorses full marriage equality. This is a big change for Gillibrand, who previously had a conventional Democratic position of endorsing civil unions and non-discrimination laws, but not being for gay marriage.

To be sure, Gillibrand's voting record on gay rights was not anything that could be called bad. There weren't too many votes on gay issues in the last two years, but she did vote for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, as well as the hate crimes bill.

Gillibrand's House district voted twice for George W. Bush, then narrowly flipped to Barack Obama in 2008. So one can see why Gillibrand was less than willing to support gay marriage. But if we're looking at this from the assumption of political opportunism, this in turn gives us a new realization: We are now in a world in which endorsing gay marriage can actually be a politically beneficial choice in a statewide setting.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/01/gillibrand-inches-leftward-now-supports-gay-marriage.php

Well, it looks like the liberal shift I talked about has already begun.  I agree with her new position on this issue and am also glad she is showing the political sense to shore up her left flank.  If McCarthy runs against her based on only one issue of middling importance -- gun control -- her challenge will surely fail.

I wonder if we'll see Kirsten dining with Al Sharpton in Harlem sometime soon.  LOL.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Kind of like IL-14 or MS-01 right?

That's different; the Democrats were the opposition party then.

[Keystone Phil]

Kind of like IL-14 or MS-01 right?

That's different; the Democrats were the opposition party then.

Are you saying BRTD is being disingenuous? Oh, stop it, Al. You're so silly sometimes.

[Nhoj]

It's a Republican district with a Republican bench.

Kind of like IL-14 or MS-01 right?

LOL OMG U R RIGHT! EVERY RACE WILL BE LIKE THOSE FROM NOW ON!!!

isnt that kind of what you are doing aswell assuming this race will be just like the recent special elections?

[Verily]

Gillibrand is the 1st NY Senator in the United States to support Gay Marriage

Here's another interesting wrinkle from Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand's (D-NY) imminent promotion to the Senate: She appears to have switched her position on gay marriage from a standard "safe" Democratic stance, to now being a full supporter.

Empire State Pride Agenda has put out a press release saying that Gillibrand has spoken to them, and they are glad to say that New York will have its first Senator who endorses full marriage equality. This is a big change for Gillibrand, who previously had a conventional Democratic position of endorsing civil unions and non-discrimination laws, but not being for gay marriage.

To be sure, Gillibrand's voting record on gay rights was not anything that could be called bad. There weren't too many votes on gay issues in the last two years, but she did vote for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, as well as the hate crimes bill.

Gillibrand's House district voted twice for George W. Bush, then narrowly flipped to Barack Obama in 2008. So one can see why Gillibrand was less than willing to support gay marriage. But if we're looking at this from the assumption of political opportunism, this in turn gives us a new realization: We are now in a world in which endorsing gay marriage can actually be a politically beneficial choice in a statewide setting.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/01/gillibrand-inches-leftward-now-supports-gay-marriage.php

Well, it looks like the liberal shift I talked about has already begun.  I agree with her new position on this issue and am also glad she is showing the political sense to shore up her left flank.  If McCarthy runs against her based on only one issue of middling importance -- gun control -- her challenge will surely fail.

I wonder if we'll see Kirsten dining with Al Sharpton in Harlem sometime soon.  LOL.

Speak of the devil (quoting Ben Smith): "... and Al Sharpton's office emails that she'll be appearing with him tomorrow."

[Keystone Phil]

It's a Republican district with a Republican bench.

Kind of like IL-14 or MS-01 right?

LOL OMG U R RIGHT! EVERY RACE WILL BE LIKE THOSE FROM NOW ON!!!

isnt that kind of what you are doing aswell assuming this race will be just like the recent special elections?

...

I'm not saying it will be like recent special elections.

[Holmes]

Is it just me or does every prominent NY politician have to dine with Al Sharpton at least once?

[Lunar]

She's already shifted against handguns, so you m ight not ge the pro-gun candidate NY-20 got.

McCarthy probably won't run after Gillibrand votes once against guns. McCarthy will endorse some nobody instead and keep her House Seat. 

[Keystone Phil]

How come former Senator D'Amato is right up front but I can't even find Schumer?





What the hell?

[Lunar]

Gillibrand on McCarthy: "I pledge to work with her on her signature bill to work on... background checks to prevent gun violence."

[Verily]

Gillibrand on McCarthy: "I pledge to work with her on her signature bill to work on... background checks to prevent gun violence."

McCarthy is mostly just bitter she wasn't selected. Same for "anonymous congressman from the NYC area" (Jose Serrano).

[justfollowingtheelections]

I'm not sure what to think of this pick.  I feel that Paterson did excellent background checks to make sure he picked the right person, so I'll trust him, but I'm still not 100% sure about Gillibrand.

She apparently has a perfect record on social liberties according to the ACLU, which is a plus.  She did vote against the bailout, which is another plus, but how can you claim to be fiscally conservative if you support Bush's tax cuts for the rich?
She has also called herself the most conservative NY representative and her father used to work for Pataki. 
Her position on guns is also something that she has to work on if she wants to win in NYC.  Out of the 10 largest cities in the US, we have the lowest crime rate and we would like it to stay that way.  She better work with McCarthy on this issue and make herself more familiar with the issues that concern us here in NYC.
To be honest I don't like her much, but if she wins the primary in '10, I'll still vote for her.

Another thing that I just found out and am happy to hear is that she's the youngest person in the Senate.

[Lunar]

Other things that may please you -


She was probably the most prominent advocate and leads-by-example activist for government transparency in the House.  She publishes openly her schedule every day, as well as every earmark she makes for her district.  And, as said above, she supports gay marriage.

[© tweed]

she supports gay marriage starting today.  her record on gay rights was pretty bad in the HoR.  she voted against repealing "don't ask, don't tell" for example...  not that I really care about gay rights but chameleons piss me off.  not that we can expect a Dartmouth grad to actually care about gay marriage

[Rob]

A fucking Blue Dog is going to represent New York in the US Senate? What the hell? Oh, but I'm sure a Republican Governor of, say, Texas would appoint a member of the Main Street Partnership to a vacant Senate seat.

[Smash255]

Really not that happy with the pick, she is too conservative for the state.  Some of the stuff she has said to start has been encouraging, but the real test will be her voting record.   Will it be similar to what she had in the house or will it become a bit more liberal now that she is representing the whole state rather than a rural district?    Suozzi, Cuomo, Maloney or Israel would have been better picks, but we will see what her voting record is in the Senate.

[minionofmidas]

not that we can expect a Dartmouth grad to actually care about gay marriage

Not catching the joke here... explain for a dumb foreigner plz.

[Lunar]

Someone needs to call the Whaaambulance for Bloomberg
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0109/A_brushback_from_Bloomberg.html?showall

[Lunar]

Gillibrand now says she supports a full repeal of DOMA and Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell

[© tweed]

not that we can expect a Dartmouth grad to actually care about gay marriage

Not catching the joke here... explain for a dumb foreigner plz.

there was no joke.  the point is that the vast majority of the educated elite sees gay marriage as the wedge issue that it is and holds few actual convictions on the issue.  instead they will seek to exploit it for political gain.  Gillibrand has done this (twice) as she was relatively anti-gay as an upstate congresswoman, and now that she represents the whole state, comes out on day one as The Biggest Gay Loving New York Senator Ever.  Mitt Romney is guilty of this too and I'm sure there are plenty of other examples.

[Lunar]

not that we can expect a Dartmouth grad to actually care about gay marriage

Not catching the joke here... explain for a dumb foreigner plz.

there was no joke.  the point is that the vast majority of the educated elite sees gay marriage as the wedge issue that it is and holds few actual convictions on the issue.  instead they will seek to exploit it for political gain.  Gillibrand has done this (twice) as she was relatively anti-gay as an upstate congresswoman, and now that she represents the whole state, comes out on day one as The Biggest Gay Loving New York Senator Ever.  Mitt Romney is guilty of this too and I'm sure there are plenty of other examples.

She wasn't really anti-gay in her district.  In fact, most of her votes on gay wedge issues were pro-gay.    She supported expanding hate crime legislation and a number of such things.

Part of the reason why she's tacking hard left on the gay rights issue is because out of every possible policy plank to make herself more liberal - this was one of the easiest, because of her voting past and the lack of gay-issues in the last three years.

I don't know if I would really term what she's doing as chameleon-esque.  She's been selected to represent all of New York now.

[Aizen]

Well, I see no reason for New York, one of the bluest states to have some centrist as their senator. If she doesn't veer to the left, she needs to get primaried. Simple as that. I do think she will go left though. I have hopes for Gillibrand.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Questionably qualified, but she seems incredibly appealing to me on the issues.  At least she's not Kennedy, so she's already got something in the plus column so far as I'm concerned.

[Verily]

not that we can expect a Dartmouth grad to actually care about gay marriage

Not catching the joke here... explain for a dumb foreigner plz.

Dartmouth College is well-known as by far the most conservative of the Ivy League schools and generally easily the most conservative prestigious college in the US. Except maybe Georgetown; I suppose it depends on how you define conservative (Georgetown being very Catholic in some of its institutions but far more mainstream liberal than Dartmouth).