Schumer Behind Gillibrand Choice, Insiders Say

NEW YORK — Senator-designate Kirsten Gillibrand pledged Sunday to combat gun violence while protecting hunters' rights, saying "there's enormous space for common ground" on issues that she differs from fellow New York Democrats.

Gillibrand met Sunday with Gov. David Paterson, senior Sen. Charles Schumer and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, whose vacant Senate seat Gillibrand was appointed to fill Friday.

Marissa Shorenstein, a spokeswoman for Paterson, said the governor's office delivered paperwork in Washington on Sunday formalizing Gillibrand's appointment to the Senate.

Gillibrand, a second-term congresswoman who worked on the former first lady's 2000 Senate campaign, said Clinton "has always been a mentor of mine and someone I've always admired."

Paterson appointed Gillibrand after the presumed front-runner, Caroline Kennedy, withdrew from contention over personal reasons.

Paterson said at a news conference that, "Caroline Kennedy ... had gotten no indication that she wouldn't be selected."

Appearing earlier on "Fox News Sunday," Schumer said he was happy with Paterson's choice but added that Gillibrand's rural district was "more like Montana than New York City."

Gillibrand's voting record has earned her a 100 percent rating with the National Rifle Association, and her pro-gun stance is at odds with the views of many politicians in New York City and other downstate areas.

Gillibrand said she was grew up a family of hunters, and that she had "always believed in protecting hunters' rights. ... It's a core value for our region and for our state."

But she acknowledged there was "concern in our city communities about gun violence."

Shorenstein said Gillibrand likely would be sworn in Tuesday.

Comments

[STG 44]

09:36 PM on 01/26/2009

Why are liberals who style themselves "Pro- Choice" when it comes to abortion and gay rights suddenly "Anti-Choice" when it comes to my right to own and carry a firearm for self defense?

[hbhawaii]

12:51 AM on 01/26/2009

"Schumer Behind Gillibrand Choice, Insiders Say."

So where, exactly, does it say that in the article?

[bohite]

11:51 PM on 01/25/2009

I have always felt that gun laws if any should be a decision left to the local jurisdictions. Having a gun in a city may not have the same significance as having a gun in a rural area. Secondly I have always subscribed to the theory that the human being holding the weapon is the one that does the killing or mayming. I have never seen a gun that hurt anyone when it was not held in someones hand. That said this lady's position on guns is irrelevant to me. What troubles me is that she is one of this fiscal conservatism idealogues and at this time the President does not need that kind of thinking among democrats. The agenda calls for large investment of funds and deficit spending for the short term, and short term is measured in years not months, is the order of the day. Unfortunately Blue dogs are in abundance in the democratic party and republican aligned votes among blue dog democrats may be a problem for a progressive agenda.

[cgk]

03:56 PM on 01/27/2009

Here's the problem with your gun proposal. NYC hs strict gun laws. So the bad guys to to Virginia, buy large amounts of guns, and bring them back to NYC to kill cops, children, etc

I sound like a broken record here -

nobody's going after hunting.

Mayor bloomberg and the NYPD want to be able to track the origin of guns used in crimes in NYC. Gillibrand voted against msuch a plan.

unless you're a murderer, nobody's after your gun. All the NYPD wants is to be able to trace the guns. there are a few rogue gun dealers out there that are not following even the very loose rules in other states. They are the ones that the NYPD is trying to track down.

Not hunters!!!!

(ps you can look up the proposals on the City of NY website)

[noneIn2008]

10:17 PM on 01/25/2009

Imagine Schumer also bucking the big names and big money. The DNC orders were to give to Kennedy or Cumo. How dare they not follow instructions from the center. Or, maybe the Obama spirit is spreading. Now that the Dems are in power, they don't need to spend all their time circling their wagons to the direction of the DNC. Dems can not pursue their own agendas and beliefs. It is a good day.

Maybe the Reps can also learn and not follow the instructions from the neocons at the RNC. Maybe some Republicans can also start to think for themselves.

[dessertsfirst]

10:41 PM on 01/25/2009

First, they have to stop drinking the kool-aid!
I wouldn't count on it.!!

[cgk]

03:58 PM on 01/27/2009

Silly. This isn't the Obama spirit. it's business-as-usual in Albany. Backroom deals.

Spitzer wants someone he can dominate. And Clinton wanted to punish Kennedy for endorsing Obama.

[PKSSK]

09:54 PM on 01/25/2009

Look at Paterson in that picture. He has no clue that the other three beside him just rolled over him and kicked him under the bus, as they will favor Cuomo in the primary against him. Caroline Kennedy better get ready to campaign against Hillibrand or against Schumer. Hill is preparing her little mini me to be the next dem VP to run with Cuomo for Pres. The Clinton's will never let go of power, as Obama will find out if he continues to hand over power to his little chief of staff who is more loyal to the Clinton's than he will ever be to Obama. Personally, I would like to see Beau Biden and or Caroline Kennedy on a ticket together in 2016.

[Gould123]

09:33 PM on 01/25/2009

I simply don't like this lady or what she stands for!

[meko]

06:30 PM on 01/27/2009

Is it the Equal Rights Amendment, marriage equality or stem cell research that offends?

[Okieborn]

07:42 PM on 01/25/2009

Sure Schumer and Hillary Clinton are behind Gillibrands appointment !!!
Gillibrand worked for the election of Hillary for Prez !!
I smell a "RAT" and as usual Hillary is around !!!

[cgk]

03:58 PM on 01/27/2009

exactly right.

[BlackYowe]

05:24 PM on 01/25/2009

This is more the truth than any of the other stories. All this obsession with Paterson's persona and with Kennedy's are missing the reality of the nitty gritty working of politcs.

[canuckmoose]

12:47 PM on 01/25/2009

bluedog millionaire

[meko]

12:20 PM on 01/27/2009

Was there anyone up for the office that wasn't a millionaire?

[AlwaysaLiberal]

12:42 PM on 01/25/2009

This is bull. Who were the Democratic insiders Gormley? I'm taking any article that doesn't name sources with a grain of salt ever since the whole Caroline Kennedy fiasco.

[carnegie]

12:41 PM on 01/25/2009

Wow, they picked an NRA acolyte who has "actively opposed" keeping illegal guns off the street. The woman has blood on her hands.

[BlackYowe]

05:39 PM on 01/25/2009

Those of you who don't get it probably never will. Gun control is dead. Al Gore lost the election mostly because of his stance on Gun Control. He did not win his own state because of this issue. Right or wrong Democrats are backing away from this issue and embracing issues like Health care instead. Those with criminal minds will get illegal guns no matter what kind of laws are on the books. We need to work on the reasons in society people turn to crime like Poverty and lack of jobs. Racial discrimination and illegal immigration.

[mommadona]

12:24 PM on 01/25/2009

If THAT is the case, SHAME ON SCHUMER.

He and DINO DIANE FEINSTEIN have been miserable keepers of the people's trust.

Mukasy????????????????????

How did THAT one go, Chuck.....

SHAME on you.

[111]

12:17 PM on 01/25/2009

I decided not to vote for Schumer again after Mukasey. This just seals the deal. I hope the majority of New Yorkers agree that Schumer has to go. Paterson won't be getting my vote either since he made his decision based on what he thought was best for him politically and did not seem to be interested in what was best for NY or the country.

Gillibrand and Mukasey and FISA - thanks Chuck! I hope to see you and your buds on the unemployment line in a couple of years.

[AlwaysaLiberal]

12:50 PM on 01/25/2009

You are voting against him because of those things? That seems a bit petty to me but it's your decision. I certainly hope you don't get a neocon instead. Chuck Schumer is not the devil. I'm so sick of purity trolls!

[Libarchist]

07:40 PM on 01/25/2009

I refused to vote for Schumer, as well--Gillibrand and Schumer, will only help the insiders on Wall Street, and the bankers, and not the people of New York.

They will only give lip service-- if even that to liberals, or liberal Democrats.

I wish they would just switch to the Repub party.

[meko]

06:31 PM on 01/27/2009

Gillibrand voted against TARP because it had insufficient monitoring and oversight. That doesn't sound like putting Wall Street insiders and bankers first to me.

[mellene]

12:08 PM on 01/25/2009

Schumer stuck us with Mukasey and now Gilibrand. He's really a republican hiding out as a blue dog. I'd say let him fall soon from his pillar on high.

[BlackYowe]

05:26 PM on 01/25/2009

I will be voting for him for just this reason he picked a real politician not a celebrity. We need a worker not a figurehead.

[cgk]

04:19 PM on 01/27/2009

We need someone who actually has the right policies, even if she does have the misfortune of being famous

ps Individual Senators - esp freshman ones - don't have much power. But a Senator who's friends with the president, who helped get Obama elected - now that's someone who could get things done for NY.

[mjc]

12:00 PM on 01/25/2009

Schumer certainly wasn't going to be as happy as the "senior" Senator of New York State with someone who might have a great deal more access to the President, to other Senators, to other movers and shakers in Congress, or to someone with smart, competing clout in New York. That certainly would rule out Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg as well as Andrew Cuomo. Patterson was merely grist for his mill basically. Gillibrand will not be looking to Bloomberg for advice and she is young, only 42. She is probably a safe bet for any Israeli interests as well and comes from a district which may be "upstate", but is pretty much the equivalent of Long Island and Westchester County and one of the last heavily Republican areas in New York. Patterson's inability to keep his own counsel probably was the death knell for Caroline Kennedy; many upstate "upstate" New Yorkers had a chance to weigh in on her appointment in the negative. She's also pretty conservative, though from what I know about blue dog Democrats she doesn't always vote with the rest of them in the nation.