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Main Forums => Politics => Topic started by: longeyes on January 22, 2009, 11:23:07 PM
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McCarthy knocks Gillibrand as choice for Senate
BY REID J. EPSTEIN | reid.epstein@newsday.com
10:03 PM EST, January 22, 2009
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy said Thursday Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand's gun control views make her unacceptable for the U.S. Senate and threatened a primary challenge in 2010 if Gov. David A. Paterson selects the Hudson Democrat to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton.
McCarthy, who became a prominent gun-control advocate after her husband died and her son was injured in the 1993 massacre at the Long Island Rail Road's Merillon Avenue station that killed six people and injured 19 others, said she is "furious" about reports that Paterson today may select Gillibrand, who last year earned an "A" grade from the National Rifle Association.
"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."
Sen. Charles Schumer, who like McCarthy is a strong proponent of gun control, asked the Mineola Democrat to refrain from protesting Gillibrand's selection, McCarthy said.
"He said, 'Why don't you give her a chance?' " McCarthy said. "I said, 'I've talked to her on the floor, I'm sorry, I can't.' "
Schumer spokesman Josh Vlasto confirmed McCarthy called Schumer Thursday. He "made it clear to the congresswoman that he didn't know if it was Gillibrand, but if it was, like any Democrat, we should give that person a chance," Vlasto said.
McCarthy said she will boycott today's Albany ceremony in which she said she expects Paterson to announce Gillibrand as the Senate pick.
"I will not show any support whatsoever," she said. "The majority of New Yorkers are trying to reduce gun violence. I just feel that everybody should know what her record is. If she changes, let's see it."
Gillibrand, whose office did not return phone calls yesterday, touts her gun acumen on her Web site and said she intends to support the Second Amendment.
"I learned at an early age how to safely handle a gun and I believe that every law-abiding citizen should always have the right to own arms," she says on her Web site.
Nassau Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs said he did not expect McCarthy to follow through on her threat of a primary challenge. "What she meant to say is that if Gillibrand is selected, that she would need to moderate her views on gun control," he said.
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Yay, that's a good thing.
"What she meant to say is that if Gillibrand is selected, that she would need to moderate her views on gun control," he said.
meh, I hope she doesn't tow the party line. I may actually vote for a moderate democrat if they weren't for gun control and abortion. Too bad there are barely any moderate democrats.
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Yay, that's a good thing.
meh, I hope she doesn't tow the party line. I may actually vote for a moderate democrat if they weren't for gun control and abortion. Too bad there are barely any moderate democrats.
Even the moderate Democrats serve tp put the extreme Democrats in charge. The moderate Dems never seem to wind up in leadership positions in the party.
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"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."
They should give that individual a special prize for whining.
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Even the moderate Democrats serve tp put the extreme Democrats in charge.
The Democrats are already in charge. It is inevitable that New York will send another Democrat to the Senate, since Paterson is a Democrat, and Hillary is a Democrat.
So aren't we better off with a moderate who is pro-gun than a liberal who is not???
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The Democrats are already in charge. It is inevitable that New York will send another Democrat to the Senate, since Paterson is a Democrat, and Hillary is a Democrat.
So aren't we better off with a moderate who is pro-gun than a liberal who is not???
It depends on how much she is required to "moderate" her views? Remember that being moderate on gun control to Dems means pushing for an AWB, restrictions on who can own, etc.
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It depends on how much she is required to "moderate" her views? Remember that being moderate on gun control to Dems means pushing for an AWB, restrictions on who can own, etc.
Even if they pressure her to moderate her views, we are still better off with her than a Democrat who is a philosophically committed liberal. There is NO chance New York will send a conservative Republican to the Senate. It is simply a matter of how liberal the person they send will be.
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Awesome.
And McCarthy is such a whining brat. Even the Dem leadership should realize she's nothing but a liability and can her.
Oh, yes, and Chuckie backed this appointment, which means he and McCarthy will not be on each other's good side anymore. =)
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She's very attractive too..
(https://armedpolitesociety.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nypost.com%2Fseven%2F01232009%2Fphotos%2Fgillibrand.jpg&hash=8a0321116974bc3e64b6b0ba918b2beeab4e11e6)
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Her bio indicates she was a special counsel at HUD in 2000, working for Cuomo. I wonder if she worked on the HUD agreement with S&W.
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Her bio indicates she was a special counsel at HUD in 2000, working for Cuomo. I wonder if she worked on the HUD agreement with S&W.
If this were true, how would she get an NRA 'A' rating?
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If this were true, how would she get an NRA 'A' rating?
The rating is based on voting record and responses to questionnaires. Work history isn't examined.
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Buzz, I am not sure that is correct.
I am fairly certain that Sarah Brady would get an F rating by the NRA if she ran for office.
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Something to remember about Democrats: They do NOT have teh iron control of the republicans over their ilk.
This will be both good and bad; as infighting among the democrats will derail more than you realize.
If Bush wanted a republican congress to pass a bill, it was pretty much done.
If Obama wants to push a bill, he'll have to work through the democratic factions.
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Obama lauds Gillibrand pick
Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor January 23, 2009 01:34 PM
President Obama just issued a statement praising the appointment of Representative Kirsten Gillibrand for the US Senate seat that Hillary Clinton left to become secretary of state.
"Governor Paterson made a wonderful choice in appointing Kirsten Gillibrand to fill Secretary Clinton’s seat in the United States Senate. I am confident that she will continue Secretary Clinton’s distinguished service to the people of New York and to our country.
"During her career, Kirsten has been a strong voice for transparency and reform in government and shares the belief that government should be open, accessible and work for all of our citizens. In Congress and as special counsel for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, she worked to strengthen public and private partnerships to invest in infrastructure and New York’s economy.
"At this time of great challenge, I know that Kirsten has the integrity, character, and dedication to public service to help us achieve our greatest goals."
Clinton also added her kudos in a statement: "Today I congratulate Kirsten Gillibrand on her appointment by Gov. Paterson to serve as senator from New York. Kristen is an intelligent and dedicated public servant and a dear friend. I'm pleased that this seat, which has been my great honor to hold, and which has in its history been held by leaders like former Sens. Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Robert F. Kennedy, will be in such capable hands. And I look forward to working with Sen. Gillibrand as we meet the challenges and seize the opportunities facing New York, our nation and the world."
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Something to remember about Democrats: They do NOT have teh iron control of the republicans over their ilk.
This will be both good and bad; as infighting among the democrats will derail more than you realize.
If Bush wanted a republican congress to pass a bill, it was pretty much done.
If Obama wants to push a bill, he'll have to work through the democratic factions.
I think you are blind to the divisions in the republican party just as those of us looking from the other side are blind to the divisions in the democratic party.
Why do you think the term "RINO" was coined?
Personally, I don't see divisions on the Democrat side that come close to the Republican divisions.
I think I may be as blind to them as you are to the Republicans.
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The rating is based on voting record and responses to questionnaires. Work history isn't examined.
The NRA really needs to work on that.....heck, they even look at work history on their own employees (I hope).... ;/
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I think you are blind to the divisions in the republican party just as those of us looking from the other side are blind to the divisions in the democratic party.
Why do you think the term "RINO" was coined?
Personally, I don't see divisions on the Democrat side that come close to the Republican divisions.
I think I may be as blind to them as you are to the Republicans.
While I think you're right, I do think the republicans are better at bringing those "rinos" in line for important votes. Democrats are not known for their organizational skills and leadership.
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kirston is from my district. we have had several correspondences. one in particular was worth noting as she voiced not only her support for hunters rights, but was in favor of the right to bear arms for personal safety as well.
here is the quote from her letter
thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding the impediments to our 2nd ammendment rights. i share your concerns about onerous laws that could prevent law abiding citizens from purchasing guns for their own defense or sport.
i, like many natives of upstate ny, grew up in a hunting family. i learned at an early age how to safely handle a gun, and i believe that every law abiding citizen should have the right to bear arms.
as a new member of congress from the 20th district, i assure you i will oppose any legislation that makes it more difficult for citizens to purchase guns. i can also assure that i will oppose hr 1022 if it comes to the floor for a vote.
thank you again for writing in and sharing your concerns about our 2nd amendment rights, and i hope that you keep in touch with my office regarding future legislation and concerns that you have.
sincerely,
kirsten e gillibrand
member of congress
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So she is against the AWB, which Bush said he supported.
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...wait, a member of Congress is Shift-key-challenged?
This seems fake.
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...wait, a member of Congress is Shift-key-challenged?
This seems fake.
Yeah, my thoughts exactly.
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...wait, a member of Congress is Shift-key-challenged?
This seems fake.
lol. sorry, my quote from her snail mail....
my only question is, will she change her views now that she represents the entire state of ny? our backwoods community is pro gun, but many of her new constituents are not. should a senator uphold her own views, or represent the views of her state?
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Represent the U.S. Constitution and the best values of a liberty-loving nation.
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From another article on this, McCarthy clearly states this is a personal issue with her. Stating her personal agenda is not a good public remark for someone who is representing people. I'll be curious if Obama's support of Gillibrand will get McCarthy to disappear from the issue?
Recently sworn in for her seventh two-year term, McCarthy conceded that Democratic leaders have warned her to temper her remarks, but she appeared unrepentant: "I told the governor my feelings. I said I am strongly against one person and I gave him my reasons for it. Believe me, this is a personal issue for me."
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From what I have read so far I like this woman. She tracks with my stance on many issues exactly.
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McCarthy is a zealot with a personal axe to grind. Such people tend to get tuned out after a while.
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McCarthy is a zealot with a personal axe to grind. Such people tend to get tuned out after a while.
Does she actually do anything else besides project her untreated psychosis into attempts at legislation? She needs a psychiatrist, not a legislative pen!
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She suffered a personal tragedy some years back.
Didn't you know that excuses her from all the strictures of polite society?
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McCarthy is a zealot with a personal axe to grind. Such people tend to get tuned out after a while.
She just has a little more staying power due to her "elected" status, but longeyes, you are right. Just look at Cindy Sheehan. Her little one ring circus has long since broken down the tent. All that's left is the sawdust.
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In her acceptance speech, the new Senator said she would protect hunters' rights but would support gun control.
My warm fuzzy feeling over her appointment is starting to abate rapidly.
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kirston is from my district. we have had several correspondences. one in particular was worth noting as she voiced not only her support for hunters rights, but was in favor of the right to bear arms for personal safety as well.
here is the quote from her letter
i, like many natives of upstate ny, grew up in a hunting family. i learned at an early age how to safely handle a gun, and i believe that every law abiding citizen should have the right to bear arms.
I recently read something similar on her website:
I, like many natives of Upstate New York, grew up in a hunting family and own a gun. I learned at an early age how to safely handle a gun and I believe that every law-abiding citizen should always have the right to own arms.
=|
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In her acceptance speech, the new Senator said she would protect hunters' rights but would support gun control.
My warm fuzzy feeling over her appointment is starting to abate rapidly.
i hope her version of gun control is mandating a youth gun orientation class in schools. ok, i'm an optimist
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From what I know of her, I think she may well be a very good Senator. Her views on gun control are just one aspect of her political views, but one that is very important to me. Schumer indicated on a Sunday interview that her views on gun control may be modified once she begins to see or understand more urban situations. If she is smart, she will quietly move into office and try to do a good job while standing up to her basic principles that got her to where she is in public life.
BHO is really starting to bug me big time with his recent actions. We'll see? I hope the massive bail out (stimulus) fails for the most part. It didn't work the first time and I doubt it will work the second time. Maybe breaking up the big banks is the answer and letting them fend for them selves. Tax cuts and a overhaul of the tax system is the answer.
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I want to believe she will stick to her guns, as it were, but the forces are already gathering to re-educate her. I guess we will see what she is really made of now that she's gone bigtime.
Will Gillibrand shift on guns?
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Incoming senator faces controversy over stance
By JENNIFER A. DLOUHY, Washington bureau
First published: Tuesday, January 27, 2009
WASHINGTON — Incoming U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., takes office today amid criticism from gun control supporters, who say they are troubled by the National Rifle Association's endorsement and a stance favoring what she has called "hunters' rights."
During two years in the House, Gillibrand has built only a short record on gun issues, but each of the votes placed her squarely on the side of gun rights. Those votes dovetail with her campaign rhetoric, including proclamations last year that she is "a strong supporter of the Second Amendment" and "will continue to oppose legislation that will restrict the rights of responsible gun owners."
The voting record and campaign promises were enough to earn her an "A" grade and 100 percent rating from the NRA last year — and spark angry reactions from gun control advocates. who said Gillibrand's Senate appointment puts her outside the mainstream of sentiment in the state.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg issued a scathing critique of Gillibrand's gun views, saying "she has actively opposed the efforts of New York City and cities around the state and nation to enact common sense measures that keep illegal guns out of the hands of criminals."
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., who has made gun control her signature issue in Congress, called Gillibrand an "NRA poster girl" and threatened to run against her in the Democratic primary in 2010. McCarthy won her congressional seat after the death of her husband in the 1993 Long Island Rail Road shooting massacre.
Gov. David Paterson appointed Gillibrand on Friday to fill the Senate seat that opened on Wednesday when Hillary Rodham Clinton became secretary of state. The appointment ended months of intrigue over who would succeed Clinton as the state's junior senator.
In her House voting record, Gillibrand's strong support of the right to keep and bear arms may have reflected sentiment in her upstate district, which she said last year contains more NRA members than any of the 28 other House districts in New York.
"In upstate New York, we have a very rich culture in hunting, and I think hunting rights are very important," Gillibrand said in a Jan. 20 interview. Gillibrand declared herself "very pro-Second Amendment," and noted that she comes "from a hunting family." Her mother, Polly Rutnik, shoots a Thanksgiving turkey almost every year, Gillibrand said.
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said he is confident that Gillibrand's thinking on the issue will evolve now that she represents the entire state and sees "the problems of gun violence" in cities.
Gillibrand also has begun reaching out to her critics, and has pledged to work with McCarthy on a bill that would beef up information in the federal database that is used for background checks of some gun-buyers. Just days before she won the Senate appointment, Gillibrand said she was interested in finding common ground between gun-rights supporters and opponents.
"There's a lot of room where both sides can agree" on gun policy," Gillibrand said in the Jan. 20 interview.
"Keeping guns out of the hands of children (and) making sure our guns are the safest in the world are all things we can work together (on)," Gillibrand said. "We also can work on making sure we have double the number of police . . . and make sure our public safety is first and foremost."
That gives some gun control advocates hope that Gillibrand will become an ally once she is sworn into the Senate today.
Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, a leading gun-control advocacy group, said he had been disappointed by Gillibrand's record on the issue during her single term in the House. "Whenever given the choice, she chose the wrong side on the issue of gun violence prevention," Helmke said.
But he said gun control advocates "remain hopeful . . . that as a United States senator representing the entire state of New York she will . . . work with us to make it harder for dangerous people to get dangerous weapons in this country."
Helmke said that Gillibrand can square her campaign rhetoric with support for some gun control measures, such as requiring that all gun sales — even those at gun shows — are subjected to background checks. Gillibrand can still say she supports the Second Amendment and hunters' rights, Helmke said, and simultaneously work to "crack down on the traffic of illegal guns."
The political realities of Gillibrand's district may have encouraged her to "talk about issues in certain ways" Helmke said. "Now that she's got a statewide constituency, I think she's going to be even more sensitive to that."
Gillibrand's record on gun policy during her tenure in the House:
In June 2008, Gillibrand joined 55 other Democrats and 168 Republicans in cosponsoring legislation by Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, that would relax some federal firearms laws.
The legislation, which never advanced out of a House committee, would have permanently barred the bureau from releasing crime gun data showing the source of firearms used in crimes. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has led a nationwide campaign for the information, which he said could help cities go after rogue gun dealers and keep guns out of the hands of criminals. Current federal law bars wide public release of the data and Congress has been reluctant to change that.
Gillibrand said she supported legislation by McCarthy that strengthened background checks for gun buyers and became law in January 2008. Gillibrand never had to register an "aye" or "nay" on the bill because it passed the House by voice vote. But Gillibrand recently described her stance on the bill as "very pro-gun safety" and said the legislation is an example of common ground between gun rights supporters and opponents. Both groups backed the measure, which makes more electronic data available to states for checking the criminal and mental health records of people who want to purchase firearms.
Gillibrand was one of 250 House members who signed a legal brief arguing to the Supreme Court that the Second Amendment confers an individual, personal right to keep and bear arms. Gun control advocates had argued that the amendment did not protect individual rights but, instead, was aimed to allow members of state militias to own arms.
The friend-of-the-court brief, which also was signed by then-Vice President Dick Cheney and 55 members of the U.S. Senate, was filed as the Supreme Court weighed the constitutionality of a ban on handguns in Washington, D.C.
Ultimately, the court ruled 5-4 to strike down the D.C. gun law and adopted Gillibrand's reasoning that Americans have a constitutionally protected personal right to own guns.
Gillibrand voted last September for legislation that would have repealed a ban on semiautomatic weapons in Washington, D.C., and end criminal penalties for anyone possessing an unregistered firearm in the city. The bill, which passed the House 260-160 (with the support of 82 Democrats), never advanced in the Senate.
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Shifting on Immigration http://www.queenscourier.com/articles/2009/02/05/news/top_stories/news09.txt
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She looked good at the beginning but she just vote "yea" on Holder's appointment.
Looks like she drank the KoolAid.
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Seems like a good many of her district constiuents agree with the "she drank the Koolaid" comments.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/09/nyregion/09district.html?_r=2&ref=us (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/09/nyregion/09district.html?_r=2&ref=us)
February 9, 2009
To Some in Gillibrand’s Old District, Her Evolution Is a Betrayal
By DAVID M. HALBFINGER
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Now that Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand represents all of New York rather than one conservative swath outside Albany, she has described her shift on hot-button issues like illegal immigration and gay marriage as a broadening of her position.
But in the 20th Congressional District, which first sent Ms. Gillibrand to Washington in 2006, many are taking it as an abandonment of the principles that persuaded them to support a Democrat in this predominantly Republican area.
“I don’t think it’s right when you say one thing and do something else,” said Michelle Boyea, 44, as she sat in her car after running errands around town. If you have a position, and this is what you feel, why would you change it just because you got a new job?”
Ms. Boyea was unhappy with Ms. Gillibrand’s sudden change of heart, after being appointed to the Senate, on issues that had won her re-election in November. She liked the voting record that had earned Ms. Gillibrand a 100 percent rating by the National Rifle Association (Ms. Boyea’s husband owns several firearms). She approved of Ms. Gillibrand’s hard line against illegal immigration and her opposition to gay marriage. “I’m Catholic,” Ms. Boyea said.
But Ms. Gillibrand has softened some of her positions in the weeks since her appointment. She declared her support for gay marriage, not merely civil unions. She assured Latinos and Asians in New York City that she would work to enact a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. And she let Senator Charles E. Schumer, who had enthusiastically supported her selection, reassure downstate voters that she would “evolve” on gun control, too.
To which Ms. Boyea, one of many Republicans here who voted for Ms. Gillibrand in November, offered this rebuke: “I don’t believe you should say things just to make yourself sound better. Don’t follow. If you’re going to be a leader, then lead.”
Across much of the 20th District, which wraps around Albany from Hudson to Glens Falls, reaches into both the Adirondacks and the Catskills and has 200,000 registered Republicans and 125,000 Democrats, Republicans said they liked Ms. Gillibrand’s fiscal conservatism, her work ethic, her frequent town meetings and her attention to farming.
But they especially liked her independence from liberal ideology and from party leaders like Mr. Schumer and the State Assembly speaker, Sheldon Silver.
“I respected the fact that she came out and said she was going to back up the guns, and hunting,” said Keith Disbrow, 53, a retired correction officer. “I’m an avid hunter and fisherman. But as soon as Schumer and Silver got to her, I watched her change her tune. She was doing a decent job, but now that she’s going to be a statewide senator, I think they’re going to make her fold. She’s not going to have the Democratic Party’s backing if she doesn’t.”
At a Home Depot store in Wilton, Ray and Tina Morris were buying light bulbs for the steakhouse they own. “She is a Democrat, but she had some conservative positions,” Mr. Morris said. “A little less government, a little less taxation. I was with her on the Second Amendment, for hunting. And on immigration. My feeling is we should probably stop people coming in, find out who’s who, and sort people out.
“But we’re not sure where she’s going now,” Mr. Morris added. “I think she’s hanging around with the wrong people.”
In nearby Greenfield, Chris Franco, 34, a mechanical engineer, said that although he had not voted for Ms. Gillibrand, he liked much of what she had said, including her previous stands on immigration. “It’s time to take a stand,” he said. “I’m a Navy veteran, and I didn’t fight for my country to have illegals coming here.”
He also said he opposed gay marriage. “I’m completely against it,” he said. “What you do in your own home is up to you, but I’m not for taking it into the institution that God created between man and woman.”
Mr. Franco was not pleased with Ms. Gillibrand’s recent statements, but he said he was not surprised. “She’s like all the politicians,” he said. “Either she was lying then, or she’s lying now. Either way, she’s lying.”
Elizabeth Snyder, a pharmaceutical sales representative, was sitting in her car talking about the fiscal stimulus package pending in Congress, which she opposes. “I called Schumer and Gillibrand’s offices just this morning,” Ms. Snyder said. “I said, ‘I hope she sticks with her fiscal conservative roots up here in upstate New York. I hope she doesn’t let Senator Schumer roll over on her.’ ”
Ms. Snyder, who had not voted for Ms. Gillibrand, said she was resigned to her political evolution. “I think we can count on her voting the party line, to prove to the naysayers on the left that she is their gal,” Ms. Snyder said.
Not everyone was downbeat. Judd Storm, 56, a mill shop owner who owns rifles and was applying for a pistol permit, said Ms. Gillibrand had done a fine job delivering for upstate communities. And she still had his support, he said.
“I don’t care who it is, they all say whatever it takes to win,” Mr. Storm said. “What are you going to do? But she helped the farmers out. She’s working hard to bring jobs. I learned to trust her.”
In South Glens Falls, as the sun set on the steam-spewing paper plants that bracket the Hudson River, Gayle Osborn and her sister, Elaine Kerner, who both work at a local utility company, were drinking wine at a neighborhood bar.
“I liked Kirsten because she’s very hands-on, she’s an upstater, she’s conscientious about the kinds of problems we face,” Ms. Osborn said. “I like her stands with the N.R.A. This is an area where that’s important to people. But she’s getting twisted.
“I think a lot of that is because Schumer is behind her,” she added. “You get that good-old-boy thing going on, and they start changing their positions. But it’s like, ‘No! We voted for you because of your positions.’ ”
Ms. Kerner put down her glass. “I want new, fresh people,” she said. “Gillibrand started out that way, and I see her flipping.”
Ms. Osborn agreed, but added that she was proud to have another woman in the Senate: “I’m not dumping her yet.”