Well At Least New York's Senate Seat isn't on eBay
A couple of months ago my mother expressed her profound disappointment regarding some unflattering rumors she had heard about a certain elected official's personal life. Without blinking I said, "Well at least there are no hookers or children involved."
My mother was horrified.
The scary thing is I had not said this to be a smarty-pants. I genuinely meant that as long as this elected official wasn't alleged to have broken any laws then his constituents and supporters really didn't have it so bad. But hearing my mom's reaction reminded me just what a sad statement that is on the standards we have come to accept as voters and as citizens.
As someone who got my start in New York politics before "retiring" from campaigns a few years ago, I have been following the horserace to fill Sen. Clinton's senate seat with the same measure of excitement, enthusiasm and anxiousness that others might feel if their hometown team made the playoffs, and you had a friend or two who was actually starting. Only we all know that with our nation falling deeper and deeper into an economic black hole and our international reputation in tatters there is a lot more at stake in the U.S. Senate than on a baseball field. Which is why it has been so incredibly frustrating to watch the way the media has handicapped this Senate appointment race.
It is mind boggling to me that in a year in which our country has elected its first black president on the strength of his credentials, as well as his ability to run the best campaign (even his detractors admit it), that qualifications as shallow as race, gender and even geographic origin are being weighed at all in the New York Senate seat appointment contest. (Disclosure: I once worked as an aide for Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, one of the contenders.) Barack Obama is the ultimate anti-affirmative action candidate, proof that if you have the chops that outweighs just about everything else--even an exotic and somewhat controversial middle name. That's what I thought we fought for all of these years--to be seen beyond the silly limitations we placed on each other for so long.
But reading some of the analysis of what supposedly made various candidates viable contenders for the seat was sort of like perusing some awkward Match.com profiles. In my eyes, every article that refers to Rep. Nydia Velazquez as a "twofer," because she is both a woman and a Latina, without any mention of any qualifications, or that declares Tom Suozzi as a possibility because of "Catholics and the suburbs," or pronounces Reps. Brian Higgins and Kirsten Gillibrand as good bets because they have the good fortune (and perhaps good sense) to live in a cheaper part of New York than I do, only cheapens the seat itself.
Speaking as an African-American woman--but most of all as a New Yorker, I could care less whether the person appointed is green, purple or what kind of anatomical equipment they are working with, as long as they are the best person to fight to make life a little better for those of who call New York home.
But hey--it could be worse. We New Yorkers could be in a state where our Governor thinks a Senate seat is something to be raffled off like a new car, or to be put on eBay like Sarah Palin's plane. After seeing the mess that is unfolding in Illinois, I am counting my lucky stars that we New Yorkers have the governor we now do, and the slate of candidates to choose from that we do. Not a single scandal-plagued, prostitute-patronizing, tax-evading, child-porn loving, wacko in the bunch...as far as we know. I just hope that ultimately the right candidate is chosen for the right reason.
Follow Keli Goff on Twitter: www.twitter.com/keligoff
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really? so you are proud that our state senate finally got a 2 seat democratic majority and three faux, homophobic democrats ("the gang of three") are holding out on voting a democrat to be the president of the senate in exchange for powerful positions that they don't deserve?
the electorate wanted a democratic majority and policies, but these right-wingers cloaked as democrats are seeking to get it all for themselves. and in addition to power, these three seem to be mainly motivated by their bible-thumping homophobia.
since the senate president decides which bills can come up for a vote, these three wanted, as part of their deal for power, a promise not to bring gay marriage up for a vote in the senate (it already passed the house, so if it passess int he senate and gov patterson WILL sign it, we will have gay marriage in NY).
thankfully smith backed out of his negotiations we these s.cum of three. they should all be removed.
read the article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/11/nyregion/11albany.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss
See Casey Gane-McCalla's Profile
Patterson reminds me of Obama in that he came clean about his past discretio, cocaine affairs etc. I have been diillusioned with too many politicians to have faith in him yet. I believe highly in the roach theory in terms of political scandals. If you find one roach there are a whole bunch more and the same goes for political scandals. How many corrupt politicians are too lucky or smart to get caught. That said here are the Top 5 Corrupt Politicians of 2008
http://newsone.blackplanet.com/nation/top-5-corrupt-politicians-of-2008/
if it does go up for bidding, let's all chip in buy it for Jon Stewart.
ill chip in for that...
Maybe it's listed with Sotherby's?
Keli, it is also to be noted that democrats are the ones, time and time again, who press for issues in which skin color plays an important role. For example, here in CA, the University of California system has repeatedly tried to circumvent new rules on candidate admissions which weight a person's skin color, rather than, say, socioeconomic background, heavily in determining their admission. Indeed, the faculty at these schools have pushed for seperate dormitories, fraternities, and even graduations for black and hispanic students. All of these movements merely guarantee the further balkanization of us as citizens, ensuring that skin color, not achievement, continues to define us. Depressing.
what????????
bk...-
Is it true that John Yoo is a Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of California-Berkley?
Is it just another rumor that Stanford U. will allow Condi to ever get near that campus AGAIN?
California has a mix of nationalities, for sure, and a Governor from Austria. So what. None of these three were educated in the school 'I' was in.
Mixing Nationalities is fine. What I was trying to say was that the further seperation and obsession of race is dismaying. Where does it end? OK, a guy is half asian, half black. Does he get preferential treatment? A guy is hispanic, but his parents are millionaires. Preferential treatment? A white kid who doesn't have a dad, mom works two jobs and doesn't have a pot to piss in, but does well in school. White privledge? I just don't know where it ends. Instead of dividing by race, we should be rewarding hard work and achievement, skin color be damned.
And kill off that legacy bulls**t while we're at it.....
"an anti-affirmative action candidate" Really? If he was a white male with everything else being equal, he'd still be a state senator. (trying to gain some experience.)
LOL. The week leading up to the election you guys were confident in a last second "Bradley Effect", now you're saying the only reason Obama won is because he's black.
he ran a fabulous campaign, but dont think for a second his race wasnt a factor, just like hillary being a women was a factor....the polling doesnt lie...he was arguably the least experienced candidate in an age were people expected experience, so his election to the highest office in the land is remarkable...
It's important to keep our eye on the most important thing. Whoever assumes the New York junior Senate position MUST be left-handed. Left-handed New Yorkers have insufficient representation in Washington.
Left-Handers Unite!
Power to the SouthPaws!!!!!!
I used to be left-handed.
If we do get a lefty we must make sure he/she isn't sent on trips to the Mideast. Lefties are frowned upon there, especially when it comes to traditional eating.
Isn't it interesting though about all the discussions about what Hillary "wanted" from Obama to gain her support? Helping her retire her campaign debt, consideration for VP, consideration for an Obama Cabinet appointment? Can we assume from this that Hillary put herself up for sale in a manner?
It is not as assumption, it is a fact! Fortunately,"much to everyone's amazement" he figured out how to snag Bill and Hillary as part of fulfilling his purchase.
Not on eBay?!? Have you looked?
Illinois Senate seat on eBay
http://cgi.ebay.com/Illinois-Senate-Seat-US_W0QQitemZ190273052029QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item190273052029&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50
We are in a malaise-the last 8 years have left us in a malaise- we need lots of time to get out of this
New Yorkers have lost their sense of values. You replaced a john who used high priced women, could have been blackmailed for Gov Paterson? Il's getting rid of their Gov because he got caught trying to sell Obama's senate seat. & you got rid of the enemy of Wall St for being a john. NY is a strange place. Think of what Spitzer would have done to & with Wall St after 9/15/08.
Yeah...I kind of don't really care about the whole prostitution thing...I liked our bulldog Spitzer though it seem that he quickly made enemies in ALbanay when elected. Paterson...hmmmm, no comment.
Regarding the Senate seat it certainly is up for sale...we're just more subtle but be sure that the appointment will be completely about politics rather than merit.
Heck, everything in America is up for sale one way or another. God, after all, is a Capitalist.
Spitzer was great, but his problem was his arrogance. His success in getting the high profile bad guys made himself a target. When you're a target, and the people who are out to get you have massive power, it's not a good time to patronize call girl rings and put it on your charge card. After what Bill Clinton went through, both Elliot Spitzer and John Edwards were brought down by their arrogance and stupidity.
You are not really all that progressive, pam. You seem to be under the illusion that when Republicans do a smear job, or a B*** job in the oval office, that it actually means something. It is nothing more than using people's sexuality against them. Someday, when we get tired of the name calling, the guilt by association, and the politics of sexuality smears, we will finally move forward into a less hypocritical future. Who cares if he charges prostitutes on his charge card? IT IS NONE OF OUR BUSINESS. Arrogance and stupidity? Arrogance and stupidity is believing you have the right to legislate other people's morality. Let's please go back to the "no blood, no foul" legislation prior to prohibition and throw these creeps out the door before the police state locks us all up.
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