One had to expect that Caroline Kennedy's resignation from the horse race for Hillary Clinton's Senate seat would closely precede New York Governor David Paterson's appointment of a winner. Given her recent tendency to behave like an entitled child who refuses to accept that she's not wanted at the party, there was no way Kennedy was dropping out until she was sure she'd lost. Today, less than 24 hours after the end of Kennedy's Senate bid, Kristen Gillibrand is New York's new junior senator. Some people love her and some people hate here. Here's why she was picked over sweet Caroline.
Aside from a healthy serving of marvelous white privilege in her early days, Gillibrand's career trajectory couldn't be more different from Kennedy's. Born Kristen Rutnik into a politically established family (her parents were both attorneys in Albany and her grandmother founded Albany's first Women's Democratic Club), Gillibrand clerked at the Second Circuit Court of Appeals after graduating from law school at UCLA. Later, under the Clinton administration, she served as special counsel to HUD, where she helped draft legislation intended to revitalize lower income areas around America. Nowadays Gillibrand represents New York's 20th District in the US Congress. Her foe Kennedy, on the other hand, was associated with politics by name only for decades, during which time she used her law degree to share Christmas stories and raise children (go ahead and lose it over the "raise children" thing, angry moms!).
Of course, just because someone's more qualified than Caroline Kennedy doesn't mean they're the best person for the job. Gillibrand's a famous gun nut whose own colleagues find her detestable. Here's what fellow Democratic New York Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy had to say about Gillibrand, who last year received an "A" rating from the NRA:
"I've spent 15 years trying to prevent gun violence in this country, and if he does pick her and if no one goes and primaries her, I will primary her," McCarthy said. "I will do that. I'm not going to give up on this. I'm not going to let New York State get represented by someone who gets a 100 percent rating from the NRA."
McCarthy says she plans on boycotting today's ceremony in which Governor Paterson will announce Gillibrand's appointment. Not a bad idea considering the fact Gillibrand's voting record shows her to be not just a gunny loon a la Sarah Palin, but also a raging homophobe. This from sister site Queerty:
…when she was asked to support a repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, she refused; when she was asked to support extending employer health care coverage to domestic partners, she refused; when she was asked to extend naturalization benefits to domestic partners, she refused; when she was asked to extend Medicaid to cover low-income HIV-positive Americans, she refused.This would be a deplorable record any time, but Paterson's now sent the single-worst Democrat in New York on gay and lesbian rights to the Senate…
We still say Fran Drescher should have gotten the job, whereas Queerty thinks lesbian Randi Weingarten would have been better suited. Either way, we're now left wondering if an anti-gun control wingnut senator is really much better than an underqualified princess senator?
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Why do you say she's "homophobic?" Instead of taking "Queerty's" word for it, why don't you be a real journalist and do your own research.
Carolyn McCarthy is nothing more than a Professional Widow. Perhaps it's time she stopped delighting us.
I wonder if she is entrenched enough in the Democratic Party to not be tempted to take her pro-NRA and homophobic (and AIDS phobic) morals to the Republican Party, which, given the GOP's desperation, seems that they'd want to court her, Lieberman-style, to switch and shift Senate votes again. I wonder if Paterson ever considered that possibility?
Can't speak to Caroline's "mom" stuff, but she did publish two decent books on Constitutional law: The Right to Privacy (4th Amendment) and In Our Defense (Bill of Rights) w/Ellen Alderman. 'Course who knows who actually *did* the writing, but I'd rather have someone who doesn't know everything but knows where to get the answers and reason over the choices over someone who is so far entrenched in their ideology that they refuse to look at other options and presume they have *the* definitive answer. (Bush, anyone?) Just a thought.
I'm personally glad she's not anti-gun. I'm sick of self-righteous, yankee libs whining about guns when there are far greater issues at stake.
The anti-gay stuff isn't cool, though. And she looks like a total She-Devil.
I have a comment on this. No, I didn't do any research, so I don't know what this newly appointed Senator's viewpoints really are, so this is basically opinion.
Why do we care what she "thinks"?
Whatever happened to politicians serving the people (not vice versa) and observing the constitution?
Americans have it backwards. It shouldn't matter two shits and a drunken piss what this persons personal viewpoints are when serving the people. whatever happened to the government fearing the people in order to work. Look at Europe. National health care anyone? The medical industry lobbyists didn't win over there. If she doesn't go with what the status quo wants, then let her know she is screwing up and there ARE repurcussions for her not listening to the majority of her constituency. Flood her phone lines. Call her a bitch and cunt at rallies if she is screwing up. Stop acting like babys when your politican doesn't agree with you and LET THEM KNOW YOU ARE WATCHING THEM. WE NEED TO TAKE THIS COUNTRY BACK. In order to do that, you actually have to get off your ass and call and write and bitch and moan. "The silent majority" needs to start screaming.
well, we should definitely care what she "thinks" when she is being appointed to a seat and not actually running for a seat, especially when that seat is for the senate (representing an entire state's constituency) versus a congressional district that is notably more conservative than the rest of the state. not to mention that incumbents, no matter the amount of time served or quality of time served, tend to have a huge edge on challengers. basically all she's going to do for the next three years is amass a war chest to hold on to the seat, and that's a huge problem. yeah, people can easily organize against her and perhaps her actual policies and positions will eventually defeat her, but i wouldn't hold my breath on it.
I think that's my point. The roles need to be reversed. That's the problem with Americans. Incumbants should not necessarily automatically hold onto their seats because "that's what happens". If she KNEW that her votes in the Senate went against the grain of her constituents in New York (via email, voice mail, and demonstrations being held by those very constituents) I think 'lil Miss Annie Oakley will do a couple turn arounds and votes AGAINST her personal beliefs if she values her career.
Of course, we, the defeatist majority which we are, need to actually get vocal about what WE want, not about what the politician and her lobbyist want. We need to inject some fear into Washington, not just sit by and wait for things to get better.
McCarthyism was bad in the 50's and McCarthyism is bad today. And as the NRA was important to FDR's administration, it should be important to BHO's. I do feel bad for Macaroni though.
Boy, are NY Dems "left,'" wondering why the governor did the "right" thing
For all you people complaining about people whining about guns, behold! Check out a *partial* - yes, Partial list of the number of parents killing their children, and other people's children, alphabetized by state, at http://www.FamilyLawCourts.com/kids.html
and the number of people killed for simply wanting to leave a relationship, at http://www.FamilyLawCourts.com/domestic.html
Gun-Loving and Homophobic are mutually exclusive. No need to be afraid.
kristn gilbrend is no sara pallin THATS FOR SURE!!!!!shes not as PRETY or a patroit as sara is and i bet none of her babys is retarted to. no shes just a nother LEFTIE librel who wants to RAISE OUR TAXS to give a way to poor or sick peopel who just need to get a job!!!! also reck our familys by letting them mary THE GAYS!!!!!sara pallin wouldnt put up with there shit NO WAY no sir1!!! and i have a friend in alasska who knows sara pallins cussin hether who says sara one time WASHD 46 SNOMOBILS for a Church funraiser and got enugh money to by a THOUSEND TOOTH BRUSHS to send to a misshun in some arab country LIKE BOLLIVIA and hire a PATRICK SWAYZEE impresoneter for a dance!!!!!!!WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!i CRY AND CRY wen i think about sara pallin!!!!teamsara!!!!!!!
Очень интереÑно!!! Только не очень могу понÑÑ‚ÑŒ как чаÑто обновлÑетÑÑ Ð²Ð°Ñˆ блог?
Damn…..whew…..whoa….(post 10)….I like blondes better and I can speell eet.
Reba Rae, marry me, please.
HERE IS THE TRUTH ON GILLIBRAND: she is pro gun but she is also pro gay.
The HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN reported that she gets a straight A pro gay rating. Go to Towleroad.com which is a gay news blog for full report.
Here are the details on Gillibrand's positions all pro gay reported by Human Rights Campaign:
Additionally, HRC confirmed with Gillibran’s staff additional points regarding her LGBT record:
· Supports marriage equality
· Co-sponsored and voted in favor of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act
· Co-sponsored inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and supports enactment of inclusive bill
· Voted in favor of ENDA
· Supports repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
· Supports repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act
· Supports equal tax treatment of employer provided domestic partnership benefits
· Voted against allowing discrimination in hiring for the Head Start program
· Voted in favor of allowing Washington, DC to fund needle exchange programs with local funds
· Voted against procedural attempts to derail ENDA and hate crimes
· Endorsed by HRC PAC in 2008
· Supports the Early Treatment of HIV/AIDS Act (ETHA) to allow states to provide Medicaid coverage for HIV-positive persons
Here's why I agree with Queerty:
http://celebrifi.com/gossip/Sh.....33811.html
Honestly, she should try to be more proffesional (at least for now).
Professional. Damn it.
Unlike many of you people who have no idea what you're talking about, I actually live in Kirsten Gillibrand's district and think she's done a fine job. Although I disagree with her stance on gun control and some of her economic choices, in many other regards it would be hard to find fault with her. Far from being a homophobe, she supports marriage equality for same-sex couples (she has received praise from both the Empire State Pride Agenda and the Human Rights Campaign), she is a fierce advocate of women's rights (and is supported by NARAL and Emily's List), she is protective of the small family farms that make up a large percentage of her district, she supports organic agriculture and alternative energy programs, and cares deeply about the state of the education system in this country. Yes, she is a conservative Democrat–she would not have gotten elected in this heretofore staunchly Republican and largely conservative district were she too far to the left of the middle–but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
I think Gillibrand is okay. She can win upstate but can she win the primary with NYC voters. It will be interesting to see where Cuomo ends up. He would have jumped at being senator but if he wants to be president, he might have a better chance being governor first. But being a New Yorker and Northeasterner is a severe disadvantage for anyone seeking the presidency. He might try for the VP spot instead.
Human Rights Campaign gives her an A rating? but because she's got a 100% NRA rating she just MUST be homophobic. No need to actually check out her record.
Talk about kneejerk. This stuff is as obnoxious on the left as on the right.
We have our own version of Right Talk Radio here on the internet.
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