Paterson Chooses Gillibrand for New York Senate Seat
Representative Kirsten Gillibrand was chosen by Governor Paterson to replace Hilary Clinton in the Senate. I have to say, I like this choice for a few reasons. I am very pleased that Paterson choose Ms. Gillibrand because he thought she was the best person for the job, not because her last name was Kennedy. Though, I feel like that is mostly luck due to Caroline Kennedy dropping out of the race. She had a good chance of being selected if she stayed in the race, but I guess I will give Paterson the benefit of the doubt.
Even if there were some sort of ulterior motive like gaining upstate votes for his upcoming re-election, this pick certainly makes it look like he actually did his job. This is someone who at least has a little bit of experience that qualifies her for the job as opposed to simply a last name. He certainly at least did a much better job than Blagojevich. Though it is not like that was difficult.
The New York Times said this about Gillibrand:
Ms. Gillibrand, who is considered a centrist and is known for her bold political moves, also expressed support for investing in high-tech industries, health care, transportation infrastructure and small businesses, and said she would call for tax cuts for middle-class families and lower property taxes.
As far as a democrat being chosen for Congress, she is definitely not as liberal as many of the selections could have been. That is good news in my eyes. The Times added, “Ms. Gillibrand, who has been endorsed by the National Rifle Association, is controversial among some of the party’s more liberal leaders downstate.” A girl who likes guns and makes liberals angry sounds good to me. Maybe we can turn her into a conservative. Doubt it, but Paterson certainly could have made worse choices.
