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BREAKING! Patterson chooses Congresswoman (D-20) Kirsten Gillibrand
Now that the nanny and taxes have convinced Carolyn Kennedy of dropping her ridiculous bid for Hillary Clinton's Senate seat, PIX News is confirming that Governor Patterson's choice to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate is Kirsten Gillibrand, Congresswoman to New York's 20th District. She is what I call a right-wingish Democrat for her opposition to gun-control. It's because of her support of the NRA that Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy has vowed to primary Gillibrand in 2010 if Paterson appoints her to the Senate. Yet it's Wayne Barrett who plunges the knife and kills the Congresswoman's "fairy tale" political ascent, which is often times used to explain her political currency :
The irony is that Paterson may be swinging from the nation's most prominent Democratic family to one with strong Republican ties. Gillibrand's father, Doug Rutnik, is an Albany insider and lobbyist whose ties to former GOP powerhouses Joe Bruno, George Pataki and Al D'Amato are legendary. In fact, Gillibrand won her seat when a state police domestic violence report about the GOP incumbent, John Sweeney, was mysteriously leaked, ostensibly with the acquiescence of the Pataki administration, which had its own reasons to oppose Sweeney. Bruno is under federal investigation now, and some of the subpoenas in the case involved a real estate deal that partnered Rutnik with Bruno and another lobbyist. Rutnik dated, and eventually lived with, a top Pataki and D'Amato aide for many years, until he broke up with her in 2006 to marry a cousin of his, Gwen Lee, who'd worked in high-paying state jobs secured by the same aide. Rutnik and D'Amato have been registered lobbyists for some of the same clients.
Yet my favorite bit of trivia about the woman is that, if indeed she will be appointed, she would have beaten her former boss, Andrew Cuomo, for the open seat. A low blow for a guy that should have had it in the basket with his solid Democratic "political dynasty" pedigree vis-a-vis her Republican background. That has got to hurt. Carolyn Kennedy's bid was nepotistically stupid while the "informal" opposition to Congresswoman's Nydia Velazquez' appointment is thisclose to racist. Then you have Congresswomen McCarthy, Carolyn Maloney and Nita Lowey as good choices but ageism always wins out. If Cuomo weren't such a douche, he probably would have been appointed a long time ago. So Gillibrand is like sloppy seconds : Blonde, young and from a (minor) political dynasty albeit a Republican one. That's how petty and provincial New York politics are. No, let me correct myself : New York Democrats. Unbelievable.
Its all politics
This is all politics. Paterson is running for 'election', not 're-election' next year. He has never been elected statewide for governor. So wanted to pick someone who will buy him some political points/votes in parts of the state where he might otherwise be weak. How does Paterson campaign upstate against allegations he's a flaming liberal? Not by appointing the unabashedly liberal names like Kennedy or Cuomo. But by choosing someone middle of the road moderate from a fairly conservative district.
By doing this Paterson may have helped his re-election bid, but as a consequence:
1. The Democratic party probably loses the 20th district seat back to the Republicans, thereby making the New York congressional delegation weaker and hurting other local democratic politicians in that area.
2. NYC, in desperate need of federal aid, has one less city voice in the Senate.
3. He guarantees a competitive primary in 2010 by picking a Senator who has never run or been vetted statewide. Caroline Kennedy hadn't run statewide either but nobody doubted she could get elected when the time came because of the Kennedy name.
Cuomo might have been the best choice, but Paterson couldn't choose him when there wasn't a reliable choice to replace him as AG. New York needs a high profile, aggressive AG who serves a full term and Cuomo wasn't elected to that position to take another job two years later. He shouldn't have even seriously considered it.
I think Anthony Weiner should drop this year's Mayor''s race, which he can't win anyway with Bloomberg in it, and run against Gillibrand for the Senate in 2010. Also wouldn't mind seeing Cuomo run against Paterson, because the governor has done the city no favors with this choice and it makes him far from a lock to get re-elected..er...elected.
Okay
Would have preferred Nadler, Maloney, Velasquez or Holtzman. BUT upstate deserves a stake and I prefer Kirsten to Cuomo or Kennedy. Congrats Senator Gillibrand!
Patterson's Decision
Was wrong. It's probably cost us a Congressional seat, has set up primaries for him and Gillibrand and alinated the progressive wing of the party.
Patterson was out to get a woman from the start but this one is going to cost more than what it's worth. By the way, Gillibrand is my cousin's Congresswoman and she calls her an airhead.
Velazquez
the "informal" opposition to Congresswoman's Nydia Velazquez' appointment is thisclose to racist.
I completely missed this. I'd thought she was one of Paterson's top choices but then she withdrew her name. Where was the "informal" opposition coming from? Where was it reported?
Velasquez
The "informal opposition" to Velasquez was no doubt Schumer. You think Schumer wanted another Brooklyn politician joining him in the Senate? Vito Lopez has a big enough head as it is. No, Paterson had to choose someone from outside of Brooklyn. It would have been as bad as had we a senator from Buffalo and he chose another one from Buffalo. Was not racist all, such remarks are absurd.
Disagree
Now you MAY be right that Schumer may or may not have wanted Velasquez, but your view regarding Lopez is not accurate. I suspect that had Nydia been chosen Senator, Vito's head might have exploded. He hates Velasquez. Now bumping her up to Senate might just get her out of his hair, but I think he would hate any move up for her. Which is one reason I liked it.
I don't know if there was racism involved or not. I do know that Nydia gets looked down on by many (mainly Vito Lopez supporers??) for no good reason. Is it racism or is it because she won't play Vito's games? I don't know. Maybe both. But if Schumer wanted to put Vito in his place (which I am hoping he does) he would have pushed hard for Nydia to be Senator and then pushed for another Vito opponent to replace Nydia.