Gov Paterson Chooses Kirsten Gillibrand

I'm pleased to know that Gov. David Paterson has chosen Kirsten Gillibrand to replace Senator Hillary Clinton. The new Sen. Gillibrand will not have to waste a second being brought up to speed on the unique and longstanding economic troubles that have plagued Upstate NY and that predate the current economic crisis by a good number of years.

At a time when some voices are claiming that Upstate NY is being pushed to the side by
the current Governor's plan, the choice of Gillibrand as Senator may restore some confidence in Upstate citizens that their concerns and their job opportunities are important.

Gillibrand, currently serving in the House of Representatives where she serves on the serves on the House Armed Services Committee [Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities subcommittee] and the Agriculture Committee [Livestock, Dairy and Poultry subcommittee, Conservation Credit Energy and Research subcommittee and the Horticulture and Organic Agriculture subcommittee], has a website where you can see her stand on the issues. Some progressives will probably not like her stand on Gun Rights. In her district [NY-20], I doubt she ever would have stood a chance of being elected if she had not listened to the concerns of her constituents. As Senator, she will face a new and much wider group of citizens who will likely require her to think [and show that she'll listen] carefully about their views on that particular issue.

Already a member of a new Upstate Majority Caucus [made up of Upstate Democrats serving in the New York State Assembly, New York State Senate and the House of Representatives], Gillibrand will have greater influence, as Senator, in their collective unified effort to jumpstart the struggling economy of Upstate New York. [See The Albany Project]

Rep. Gillibrand founded the Congressional High Tech Caucus [along with Representative Michael McCaul (R-TX)] "with the goal of ensuring that the United States remains at the forefront of emerging technologies and high tech industries." [source: Online Office of Rep Gillibrand]

As Special Counsel to the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development [Andrew Cuomo] under President Clinton, Gillibrand worked to strengthen enforcement of the Davis-Bacon Act, which came into the public focus in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina when the Bush administration attempted to indefinitely suspend Davis-Bacon and was politically unsuccessful (or, at best, unpopular) for having done so, reinstating it within a month under public scrutiny.

Any "Eli Stone" [ABC] fan can recognize Gillibrand's own dedication to service in her maintaining of an extensive pro-bono practice for clients whose voices are seldom heard and needs seldom addressed.


In other news:

This poor fellow only wishes to keep his giant hot dog.

Busted! World class musicians were arm-synching at the Inauguration ceremony. What a lovely piece it is! Here's the performance:



THIS SONG is dedicated to the world-class musicians who did a great job of arm-synching at the Inauguration.