New York liberals are dismayed. Republicans are encouraged. Gov. Patterson has appointed Democratic Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand to fill former presidential heir apparent Hillary Rodham Clinton's Senate seat. Ms. Gillibrand, who has been elected twice to Congress in an upstate Republican district, is a National Rifle Association member with a 100% rating on NRA issues. She voted against the first $700 billion bailout bill. A Roman Catholic, she is considered "less than enthusiastic about gay marriage". Amidst all the Republican joy that half a loaf is better than another member of the Kennedy royal family, there is a tiny alarm bell ringing. Senator Chuck Schumer, the truly obnoxious, highly partisan Senior Senator from New York and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee chair, "strongly backed" her appointment. His goal is a filibuster proof 60 Democrats in the Senate. A Democrat that appeals to Republicans in New York virtually assures Democrats will hold the seat in the 2010 special election. If they hold all of the 17 Democrat seats up in 2010, they will need to win only one (assuming Al Franken steals the Senate seat in Minnesota) of the 19 Republican seats up to reach the magic number of 60 (58 Democrats plus fellow travelers Joe Liberman of Connecticut and Socialist Sanders of Vermont). Schumer can then push through Senate confirmation of his "centrist" (read far left) judges not to mention other mischief from Harry Reid and company. All this makes the 2010 congressional elections as important as 2012 in the fight to stop the nation from falling into a socialist abyss.
Posted by warrenpeterson at January 23, 2009 05:01 PM | Email ThisWarren refers to confirmation of "far left judges not to mention other mischief from Harry Reid."
Recall that when Harry Redi became Democratic Senate majority leader, the liberal elite media made much of his supposed "pro-life" credentials.
The liberal elite media is the least reliable source for defining who is a "conservative." Gillibrand will be a reliable vote for Obama's wasteful spending on bailouts, increased taxes, exapnsion of government, and retreat in the war against Islamic fascism.
Excerpts from her campaign website:
"Congresswoman Gillibrand has also sponsored legislation to strip tax breaks from oil and gas companies making record profits and reinvest this money in alternative energies"
"She strongly supported expanding the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) that would insure the 400,000 uninsured children in New York and voted to override the President’s veto of that legislation."
According to today's New York Daily News, the "Empire State Pride Agenda released a statement this morning saying it has received assurances from the junior-senator-in-waiting, Kirsten Gillibrand, that she supports gay marriage."
Today's New York Times has an article entitled "Gillibrand is a Centrist with a tenacious style," so we know what they want us to think about her. Even this article, however, notes: "she favors abortion rights, voted to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq and to extend middle-class tax cuts, and she has opposed privatizing Social Security."
Half a loaf? I see no loaf at all.
I concur with your assessment of Schummer. He's no Pat Moynihan or Jim Buckley
Posted by: Green Lake Mark on January 23, 2009 05:35 PMWarren refers to confirmation of "far left judges not to mention other mischief from Harry Reid."
Recall that when Harry Redi became Democratic Senate majority leader, the liberal elite media made much of his supposed "pro-life" credentials.
The liberal elite media is the least reliable source for defining who is a "conservative." Gillibrand will be a reliable vote for Obama's wasteful spending on bailouts, increased taxes, exapnsion of government, and retreat in the war against Islamic fascism.
Excerpts from her campaign website:
"Congresswoman Gillibrand has also sponsored legislation to strip tax breaks from oil and gas companies making record profits and reinvest this money in alternative energies"
"She strongly supported expanding the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) that would insure the 400,000 uninsured children in New York and voted to override the President’s veto of that legislation."
According to today's New York Daily News, the "Empire State Pride Agenda released a statement this morning saying it has received assurances from the junior-senator-in-waiting, Kirsten Gillibrand, that she supports gay marriage."
Today's New York Times has an article entitled "Gillibrand is a Centrist with a tenacious style," so we know what they want us to think about her. Even this article, however, notes: "she favors abortion rights, voted to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq ... and she has opposed privatizing Social Security."
Half a loaf? I see no loaf at all.
Warren refers to confirmation of "far left judges not to mention other mischief from Harry Reid."
Recall that when Harry Redi became Democratic Senate majority leader, the liberal elite media made much of his supposed "pro-life" credentials.
The liberal elite media is the least reliable source for defining who is a "conservative." Gillibrand will be a reliable vote for Obama's wasteful spending on bailouts, increased taxes, exapnsion of government, and retreat in the war against Islamic fascism.
Excerpts from her campaign website:
"Congresswoman Gillibrand has also sponsored legislation to strip tax breaks from oil and gas companies making record profits and reinvest this money in alternative energies"
"She strongly supported expanding the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) that would insure the 400,000 uninsured children in New York and voted to override the President’s veto of that legislation."
According to today's New York Daily News, the "Empire State Pride Agenda released a statement this morning saying it has received assurances from the junior-senator-in-waiting, Kirsten Gillibrand, that she supports gay marriage."
Today's New York Times has an article entitled "Gillibrand is a Centrist with a tenacious style," so we know what they want us to think about her. Even this article, however, notes: "she favors abortion rights, voted to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq ... and she has opposed privatizing Social Security."
Half a loaf? I see no loaf at all.
#4 - Take with a grain of salt what the NY Slimes says about her though, they spin the truth to fit their agenda - they want her to be a progressive, so they spin it. I'd say the truth is in-between, but closer to her website than the NY Slimes.
Posted by: KS on January 23, 2009 10:28 PMMore troubling than the pick for New York's Senate seat was today's attack by Obama on Rush Limbaugh, and all conservatives who dare to challenge the Messiah. Obama today suggested to Republican leaders that they should stop listening to Rush Limbaugh if they want to get anything done.
""You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done."First I had to ask myself why in the hell any Republicans would want to help adopt any of President Obama's leftist policies? And do any Republicans think it even possible now to adopt Republican legislation now that Pelosi has locked down the House to virtually Democrat-only legislation with her draconian rules changes? Lastly, does everyone understand the Messiah's fear of the words that Rush emits on his daily radio show? Words that he can't control and that are opposite his views across the board. Is this where we are in Obama's Amerika? Are we now a nation where the expression of ideas contrary to the socialist philosophy of the President of the United States must be ignored by Republicans as a condition of getting along with Democrats? Obama went on to say in an exchange with Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), who objected to Obama's stimulus giveaway, "I won, I will trump you on that."
Here's another Government 101 lesson for the president. President Obama isn't a king quite yet. There's still this little issue of representative government and laws being adopted by the legislative body, with the support of the American people. And "if" the American people are allowed to see what this president is willing to take from Peter to give to Paul, and why Paul deserves anything earned by Peter, we'll see what kind of giveaway will be sent to Obama for his signature.
Obama may actually believe he's the Messiah, but someone should tell him that moniker is actually sarcasm.
Posted by: Reality on January 23, 2009 11:12 PMI am not trying to pull a race card or anything. It's just odd that no one seems to bring this weirdness out in front.
Posted by: DopioLover on January 24, 2009 09:14 AMActually, there is a point to that. Rush is ego-driven, too much of an in your face ideologue and continues to polarize our country. He could use lessons in tact and how to disagree more respectfully and he would get more respect and even consideration from those on the left from those who aren't ardent socialists. Dennis Prager is someone who can do that and hold the respect of those who oppose him - unfortunately he is no longer on 1300 here, but is still syndicated throughout the rest of the country.
Politicians can strive to meet the loyal opposition halfway - bipartisanship as opposed to their way or the highway. I'd like to see how Obama approaches things - how close he stays toward the center or if how far left he veers.
Conservative Democrats do not always vote to the left of liberal Republicans. Liberal Republicans are more dangerous, because behind their party affiliation, there are leftist ideals underneath.
Given the choice, I would go for a conservative Democrat, if I knew they were one.
And yes, we can beat someone statewide if her entire primary platform is "I'm for gun control and my opponent isn't."
One way or another it'll suck up lots of money.
And for Schumer's role in her selection, he's right that she's a better choice then Kennedy, so it's strategic in that sense. But it wasn't pragmatic reasons he didn't want Cuomo. It's because he wanted someone who wouldn't be a rival for power and attention in the other seat next to him, he wanted someone that owed him that wouldn't be a power broker in NY politics. Cuomo would be exactly that. Gillibrand poses no such threat.
Posted by: cliff on January 24, 2009 11:39 AM