Comments on: Harold Ford vs. Kirsten Gillibrand — Who’s the Real Bully?

By: rrlieberma

rrlieberma — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 22:52:27 +0000

If former Tennessee Congressman Ford is so passionate about public service, let him return to Tennessee where his pro life, pro gun, anti gay and anti-immigrant views might be more in keeping with the population of that state. Let Bloomberg buy Ford an election in Tennessee or some other state, and let New York avoid a costly divisive primary.

Penny is quite right. Kirsten Gillibrand is a worthy successor to Hillary Clinton and we can expect many years of progressive, effective leadership from her.

By: Lawyer Mama

Lawyer Mama — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:54:32 +0000

“So, for the record: If a professionally accomplished female, pro-choice, anti-gun, anti-war, registered black Republican veteran of any war announced her/his (intended, these days you can’t assume) candidacy for the seat now held by Tina, you would be shouting praise and halleluiah?

I doubt. You have an agenda. Not an ideal.”

I know I shouldn’t feed the trolls, but Knottime, you’re out of line. You know no such thing. From your comments it sounds to me like you’re the one with an agenda.

By: PunditMom

PunditMom — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:39:39 +0000

Penny, I think you’ve hit the nail on the head.

By: Penny Quince

Penny Quince — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:37:33 +0000

One more point: I just read the NY Times editorial and have this to say: it is Kirsten Gillibrand who is being bullied, by the Times and other NY Media, and by the publisher’s Wall Street cronies, into a divisive, expensive, distracting democartic primary which will bloody the democratic incumbent and set the seat up for a GOP take over. It’s naive in the extreme to believe otherwise. The guys want this seat for themselves, even if it means risking losing it.

By: Penny Quince

Penny Quince — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:32:12 +0000

There’s no rationale for a Harold Ford candidacy because Kirsten Gillibrand is a worthy successor to Hillary Clinton – she’s smart, caring, and hard-working, and she is right on the issues. She’s never wavered on pro-choice, she was a front-line leader in the US Senate against the Stupak Amendment, and she is rapidly winning over skeptical New Yorkers with her tough stands on gun control and her fight for job creation in all of New York. New Yorkers will certainly have a chance, this coming fall to make our preferences known – she will no doubt have an energetic and well-funded opponent from the GOP. Sam will be able to pull the lever then, as always.

By: Sam

Sam — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:10:11 +0000

Kirsten Gillibrand was appointed by a governor who was not elected but filling in because of the failings of another. At what point do people get to have a choice? I know this is largely based on unavoidable circumstance, and in fact I like Senator Gillibrand, but I fear that when we take great efforts to avoid the messiness of democracy, we begin to take away the choices of voters because we fear the choices they might make. We are a brave country, let’s not shy away from the principles that have made us strong. Besides, would these people really have such different voting records in the Senate? I doubt it. Noticed the NY Times discussed this election today:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/opinion/12tue4.html?ref=opinion

By: Carol Schiller

Carol Schiller — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 03:55:48 +0000

The notion that you have to live in the state in question to care or have an opinion on who is chosen to represent it is nonsense, because it is perfectly clear that the composition of the Senate affects us all. And you are perfectly right: we absolutely CANNOT afford to lose another pro-choice vote in the Senate. Period.

By: Knottime

Knottime — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 03:51:50 +0000

P.S. I live in Tina’s old district. I’m aware of the hype.

By: Knottime

Knottime — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 02:16:46 +0000

“for people who want a Democrat in that seat, where is the comfort with Ford when he seems to have so many positions that are more in line with the GOP than the Democrats, especially on choice? I agree — the Senate is clearly lacking in color and we need to help promote that, as well.”

I’ll assume a few things.

You live in a residential area bereft of high rates of crime. And don’t have any guns. That you tell people about.

You do not know the donation sources of the inserted junior Senator, or from whence those donations came. Look up her donations records; you know where to find them. (If you don’t know, (ahem), try this: http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.php?cycle=2008&cid=N00027658&type=I&mem=) And then keep looking. Boies? Where did they come from? Keep looking.

And that you do not know the impact of incomplete reportage which has supported your newly minted hero. (She’s related to Polly Noonan? Who’s that?)

So, for the record: If a professionally accomplished female, pro-choice, anti-gun, anti-war, registered black Republican veteran of any war announced her/his (intended, these days you can’t assume) candidacy for the seat now held by Tina, you would be shouting praise and halleluiah?

I doubt. You have an agenda. Not an ideal.

My ideal includes the general welfare of all. According to the good doctor’s prescription. Remember, content of character, color of skin?

Tina’s ideal, the liberals in the D party, and their overall establishment today helps people to become dependant. Not independent.
Based on the hersteria surrounding the (gasp) possibility that a Democrat might become a victim of the democratic process, I suspect that the lib establishment is getting nervous.

Rightly so. Because they should be. Tina is a machine Democrat, and is abusing undercover power to subvert what would normally have been a messy, but necessary, political recalibration following an abysmal political insertion.

By: PunditMom

PunditMom — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 15:03:23 +0000

Heather, Thanks so much for this comment. I know it is a sticky situation to talk about elections in states other than were one lives. But I’m curious — for people who want a Democrat in that seat, where is the comfort with Ford when he seems to have so many positions that are more in line with the GOP than the Democrats, especially on choice?

I agree — the Senate is clearly lacking in color and we need to help promote that, as well.

I look forward to being able to talk more about this with you in a few weeks!