NY-SEN: A Dissenting Note on Gillibrand

By: Dan McLaughlin (Diary)  |  January 22nd at 08:58 PM  | 

I spoke too soon below in saying Kirsten Gillibrand was the non-nepotism choice for the NY Senate seat: 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, | Read More »

NY-SEN: Looks Like Gillibrand

By: Dan McLaughlin (Diary)  |  January 22nd at 08:22 PM  | 

The New York Senate selection process, while not as big a disaster for the Democrats as in Illinois, has looked at times like a family soap opera, as Basil Paterson’s son had to decide who should replace Bill Clinton’s wife in the Senate: John F. Kennedy’s daughter? Mario Cuomo’s son, who was once married to Robert F. Kennedy’s daughter? We also had the amusing spectacle | Read More »

The Empire State Shuffle

By: Dan McLaughlin (Diary)  |  November 25th at 02:03 PM  | 

So, assuming Hillary Clinton is, in fact, leaving the Senate to become Secretary of State (and assuming, see here, here and here, that she can Constitutionally take the job), that sets off the next round of political merry-go-round for New York: who will be appointed by Governor David Paterson to replace her? Recall the setting. Hillary was re-elected in 2006, defeating Yonkers Mayor John Spencer; | Read More »