Poor choices for NY Senator except for Maloney

[clear eye]

NY is quite an independent and aware state. Caroline Kennedy has not been active in public service. Sitting on a bunch of boards hardly constitutes gov't experience. Her opponent in 2010 will remind the electorate of that fact, and it may jeopardize her in the next election against any reasonably qualified moderate Republican woman. Andrew Cuomo is best remembered for involvement w/ massive corruption in HUD during his tenure as its head. His election as Attorney General was a fluke(his opponent had her own corruption issues and didn't bring up his background, as well as the widely publicized Deskovic case which cast doubt on both her judgement and ethics) and he has not done anything memorable since. Steve Israel is a self-proclaimed "blue dog" Dem who opposes all the policy changes NYers are looking for. Jerry Nadler is a superb member of Congress, but is too "downstate", a man, and limited in wider appeal. Mayor Byron Brown's total claim to fame seems to be backing the building of some Native American casinos, being tight w/ Andrew Cuomo, and upscale development of Buffalo's waterfront. NY women--the majority of the electorate--will be expecting a woman. If Paterson doesn't appoint one, there is a real threat of a moderate Republican woman successfully challenging the seat in 2010.

Of the proposed batch, only Rep. Carolyn Maloney has extensive issues experience as well as being justifiably appealing to women. She is recommended by Emily's List. Her resume is extremely impressive, including a senior analyst position w/ the NYS legislative committee on cities, heading NYC's Board of Education's sections for occupational & career education (NYC has a good program for teens not planning to go to college) and welfare education. And she has taken the lead in the U.S. House of Reps. in providing expert analysis of financial issues for house financial committees and co-chairs the powerful Joint Economic Committee. She rivals our current Sen. Clinton as a "wonk", something that NY women like and respect when paired with support for the middle class as her voting record amply demonstrates in: support for health care, especially children's, education, tax justice, economic safety net including Family and Medical Leave and extended unemployment, the new jobs-centered economic stimulus plan, withdrawal from the ruinous Iraq War, and retirement security. She voted against the 2005 Bankruptcy Reform Act, against the FISA bill, and against Bush's Repeal of the Estate Tax for very large inheritances. She is a past president of the NYC Sierra Club. She is reliably liberal on social issues (a slight weakness in rural upstate and possibly Suffolk County, but helpful elsewhere). She also earned top scores with:

The Children's Health Fund
Citizens for Tax Justice
Children's Defense Fund
Council for a Livable World
ACLU
NOW
Human Rights Campaign
AIDS Action Council
Nat'l Educ. Assn
Campaign for America's Future
League of Conservation Voters
Humane Society of the U.S
American Public Health Assn
AFL-CIO (95%)
ADA
Alliance for Retired Americans
Disabled American Veterans
League of Women Voters

She rated a 0% from the "wise users" (code for allowing unregulated exploitation and development of land) http://www.landrights.org , despite receiving a fair amount of funding from real estate developers. To me this demonstrates courage and committment to "green" values.

Some links for her background and voting record are: her website, On The Issues,
The Drum Major Institue, OpenSecrets.org(who gave her a top rating on full disclosure), Washington Post U.S. Congress Votes Database Key Votes.

[bluestateguy]

1. Maloney could take the Senate seat and then Chelsea could run for the House seat

If she wants to, that is.

[TheWraith]

4. If we're going to have a dynasty politician, give it to Kennedy.

Otherwise let's let some people NOT out of the same three families have a chance.

[PM7nj]

2. I agree with you... but how is Nadler too "downstate" but Maloney isn't?

Is the west side of Manhattan more "downstate" than the east side? :)

[clear eye]

11. It seems that women relate to women candidates from other parts of the state

and that overrides sectionalism, in terms of election appeal. I'd be comfortable w/Jerry and a few others myself, but it might cost more $ to get them elected. I don't think he's as good a fundraiser as Maloney is either. Kennedy is of course tops when it comes to money, but I looked all over the 'net, and can't find a single thing she's done that indicates she has any policy chops whatsoever. Raising money for Obama doesn't cut it from my perspective.

[HockeyMom]

3. What about Nita Lowey?

She stepped aside for Hillary. Is Westchester too downstate also?

[LSparkle]

6. I thought Lowy took herself out of it ... same with Bill C.

I like Carolyn Maloney's history, too -- didn't she
run for Congress because of some whackjob on a commuter
train? (Did he shoot her husband or something?) She
seems right on the issues ... The only question is, will
NY as a state get over its "celebrity complex" and go
for the sensible, promote-from-within, long-term choice,
as opposed to just going with short-term razzle-dazzle
that may not translate to keeping that seat long-term.

If they want high-profile -- and a Kennedy -- why not
RFK, Jr.? I'm mystified as to why it's Caroline and
not her cousin (whose father actually held that seat)
who's garnering all the speculation ... ??

[clear eye]

12. That's an easy one.

Caroline is the frontrunner because she raised lots of money for Obama, has no policy stands or constituency of her own, and would be completely beholden to him as a Senator. I doubt if the time came to pressure Obama for something NY really needed, she would either recognize it or feel independent enough to do so. Added to her celebrity and general presentability, to Obama's people, that makes her perfect.

RFK, on the other hand, is a radical lefty who has already taken positions very different from Obama's, and has a radio following of his own. In the world of politics, he'd have to develop a large, loyal following in the House and a known name through much of the state with exceptional PR moves, before he'd be allowed to get near a U.S. Senate seat.

[clear eye]

8. Not too downstate, but I'm really glad she's not being considered

The reason given is she's too old. She's my representative and her record is a complete clone of Pelosi's. She simply takes orders. No amount of phone calls or emails from her constituents budge her one iota....ever. She treats her constituents like the enemy, not allowing her staffers to reveal her stand on anything, before, or even after a vote when it is public record. She won't explain her reasons for anything. Actually I think her age may be slowing her down mentally. This is a liberal area, so I'm looking forward to the day she retires.

[tabbycat31]

15. Westchester is downstate

Lowey was my rep before I moved down here. I think she'd be good too.

Now I'm just an outsider looking in as I don't live in NY anymore.

[rvablue]

17. Westchester is just 30 mins. outside of NYC. n/t

[GodlessBiker]

5. State Senator Tom Duane.

[msongs]

7. this text is posted on dailykos. did you copy it? you should give credit if you did

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/12/7/125513/136/868/670354

Msongs

[clear eye]

9. I wrote it, and posted it (slightly modified) there as well. n/t

[Tutonic]

10. Hey if Sarah Palin can get her well clothed ass on a ticket as the number two

then Carolyn Kennedy can probably get the nod for Senator. She does have impressive educational and public service credentials.

[clear eye]

13. Please give specifics or link(s)

on the public service, other than sitting on the boards of some organizations (that's what is meant in wikipedia by "is a director of") and being the "President" of the JFK library. She seems to have divided her time between occasionally raising money from her wealthy friends for a few favorite causes, and being a good mother. She's a decent human being, but really, really not Senate material, especially for a savvy state like NY, IMO.

[clear eye]

14. Email to Gov. Paterson (and link)

http://161.11.121.121/govemail

My letter:

Dear Gov. Paterson:

A U.S. Senate seat is too powerful an office to have it to be bought by the fundraising and large donations to the Presidential campaign of an unqualified person . People who do that get ambassadorships. If the time came for a Sen. Caroline Kennedy to pressure Obama for something NY really needed, I wonder if she would either recognize it or feel independent enough to do so.

On the other hand, Rep. Maloney is an experienced, effective, and caring policy "wonk", with a superb record on issues in support of families and the middle class, and a superior grasp of what is needed to improve our sick economy--somewhat in the mold of the current Sen. Clinton. She is also a good fundraiser and an extremely hardworking campaigner who would appeal to previous Clinton voters. Please make the right choice for NY.

[JackRiddler]

16. Maloney's my representative

You didn't mention that she voted for the Iraq war resolution, later using the absurd excuse that she didn't know the administration was lying to her (unlike a couple of billion other people) and telling me at a Q&A that she didn't hear anything about Scott Ritter beforehand (total bullshit). She also voted for the Paulson Plunder Plan, twice. For a change I was pleased by her FISA vote, a matter which I called her office about several times.

Given that she is one of the safest incumbents in the country, I voted, reluctantly, for her Libertarian opponent, because his campaign specifically forefronted those two issues (and never mind that I disagree with his views on other stuff). I think these were the two most important votes of the last 8 years, and she was wrong on both.

That being said, she's a much better choice for Senator than Hillary Clinton, or for that matter Andrew Cuomo or Caroline Kennedy. Kennedy would be a travesty - she gets Senator by appointment, after no political career whatsoever, because she's rich and well-connected? Or, god forbid, Steve Israel. Is *that* guy really under consideration? Fuck me!

So after all that, I'm actually going to agree with you. If those are the choices (why?), then Maloney would be the best of them.

[clear eye]

19. That's the pool, fellah.

Nydia Velazquez doesn't want it, Gillibrand was mentioned but there is real reason to fear that her House seat would turn R, and Schumer doesn't want Nadler who would compete w/him for the exact same donors, according to the buzz at (shush)DailyKos.

The Dem leadership doesn't agree with us that Kennedy would be a travesty. They just see a vacation from fundraising (she could easily do it herself with the help of a few friends). I've emailed the Governor, and I hope others do as well.

As for Maloney and Iraq, I know that since then, she has voted a couple of times for an end to funding without a deadline for withdrawal. I truly hope Obama will move quickly on that, and Congress's position will be moot.

Yeah, she was wrong on the bailout, but so were they all, including Obama.

[JackRiddler]

22. Well, they weren't all wrong on the bailout...

Remember? About 70 Democrats and (ugh) 130 Republicans weren't, anyway.

Yeah, of all names thrown about so far, Maloney's the best. And again, Kennedy: downright insulting.

[paulk]

18. why not someone who's from upstate?

like Slaughter or Hinchey?

Maloney is another downstater...

[clear eye]

20. Hinchey is the best Rep. I've ever seen, bar none, but

he's too old. They'd have to start from scratch in 2010 to get name recognition for someone new if they put him in--even if he thought he could still do the job, he wouldn't be up to that sort of campaign.

I don't know why Louise Slaughter is not being looked at, but her name was not on the DNC page discussing the appointment. The new leadership may feel she's too liberal? Or, more likely, she just doesn't have the fundraising base, coming from that area, for a multi-million $ campaign.

[H2O Man]

21. Rep. Hinchey

is very good. I'd be happy with either him or Caroline.