Gov. David Paterson, who no longer had the option of choosing Caroline Kennedy to become Hillary Clinton's replacement in the U.S. Senate, has picked Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, 42, to fill the vacancy.Almost immediately after Barack Obama nominated Clinton to be his secretary of state, female political activists made it known that if a woman was not picked to replace her, it would not be acceptable.
Well, they've got what they wanted. Or have they?
As far as gender is concerned, Gillibrand is just what the doctor ordered. But Gillibrand, who represents the upstate district that includes Albany, may not have the philosophical credentials that New York's female activists want. She is a Democrat, which means the balance of power in the Senate will not be altered, but she worked, at one time, for former Republican Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, who is certainly no friend of Clinton.
At one time, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo was mentioned as one of Clinton's possible successors, but feminists objected on the grounds that he was the wrong gender. However, the selection could be seen as more than merely a rejection of Cuomo. Gillibrand's father had ties to George Pataki, the man who unseated Cuomo's father as governor in 1994.
Gillibrand's congressional record is thin — she was just elected to the House in 2006, after launching what appeared to be a longshot bid to unseat four-term Republican incumbent John Sweeney. Sweeney had been considered a rising star in New York politics, but wound up being defeated after revelations that tied him to first the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal and then to allegations of spouse abuse.
She is considered a member of the "Blue Dog Coalition," which is considered the philosophical descendant of the famous "Boll Weevils," whose support helped Ronald Reagan enact his tax cut plan.
Gillibrand was handily re-elected in November with 69% of the vote. In the past, her district (which has undergone frequent redistricting as the state has lost population) has been represented by some illustrious names — Republican Fiorello H. LaGuardia and Democrats Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr. and Bella Abzug.
She is an opponent of gun control, although liberals may find some comfort in the fact that she has been a supporter of same-sex marriage and stem cell research.
Gillibrand has the backing of the National Rifle Association (NRA), which, as the New York Post points out, has many Democrats hopping mad — even though Sen. Charles Schumer apparently supports her selection, feeling that an upstater was needed.
Perhaps the most damning indictment of the selection came from the Post's Jacob Gershman, who says that Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, now facing the prospect of being removed from office, did a better job in picking Obama's replacement.
During last year's general election campaign, after John McCain had chosen Sarah Palin to be his running mate, many, including myself, believed it was a transparent bid to attract the votes of disgruntled Clinton supporters. The results confirmed that the choice of any woman was not sufficient, and that political philosophy was more important. Most of Clinton's supporters appear to have voted for Obama, in spite of their disappointment.
Although I do not live in New York — and, technically, my preference, or the preference of any non-New Yorker, has no relevance when it comes to choosing who represents New York in Congress — my position has been that, in such a case, when a governor must nominate the replacement for a senator who has been selected for a Cabinet post or a Supreme Court position or something else, the nominee should have the same political views as the person he/she is replacing because that's what the voters chose in the most recent election.
New Yorkers chose Clinton to represent them in the Senate. They are entitled to be represented by someone who shares her views on the issues.
The nomination of Gillibrand, it seems to me, will provide a true test. Like Clinton, Gillibrand is a woman, but do her beliefs mirror the woman she is replacing?
In hindsight, perhaps Cuomo, who served in Bill Clinton's Cabinet and is married to one of Robert F. Kennedy's daughters, doesn't look so bad.
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