The Gillibrand Appointment

Could we get Beyonce back for one more chorus of “At Last” now that Gov. Paterson has finally selected Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand to replace Hillary Clinton? This process has had more back stories than a Liza Minnelli comeback tour. The nomination of Sen. Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State in December set off a furious non campaign for the job. The electorate was an audience of one as state law dictates the Governor appoint someone prior to a special election in 2010.
At first blush it was assumed the Governor would be sifting through the resumes of all the usual suspects. They included the likes of Rep. Carolyn Maloney from New York, Teacher’s Union President Randi Weingarten, Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, Long Island Democrat Steve Israel and New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo appeared to be the logical pick because by appointing him, Paterson also removed him as a possible opponent for Governor in 2010.
Then along came Caroline. As if awakening from a 35 year slumber, the daughter of John F. Kennedy suddenly discovered a taste for electoral politics by announcing her intention to seek the appointment. She further stated she intended to pursue the seat in 2010 if she weren’t picked by Paterson. All of a sudden, she was the frontrunner and inevitable selection. The name alone and her perceived fundraising skills made her unbeatable and would help Paterson in 2010. Even the conservative New York Post came out and endorsed her in a breathless editorial.
No one seemed particularly bothered by her absolute lack of experience or involvement in New York politics. It was reported she rarely bothered to vote and gave almost no money to support state democrats. She was a Kennedy and that was enough…until she opened her mouth.
She sounded like a 51 year-old valley girl talking to Lou Dobbs. It was all down hill from there. The blood was in the water and the sharks were suddenly emboldened to challenge the Princess of Camelot. Even Fran Drescher from “The Nanny” tossed her hat in the ring.
It all ended last week as Ms. Kennedy withdrew for “personal reasons”, a cliché that covers a multitude of sins. Everything from tax and nanny problems has been reported as well as trouble in her marriage. My experience is none of those things sneak up on you so I suspect she found out Paterson had soured on her and she is doing a little face saving.
Which brings me to the winners and losers in all this. The one obvious beneficiary is Kirsten Gillibrand. I can still see her stumbling around the Dutchess County Fair in 2006 hoping someone would talk to her and now she’s a U.S. Senator. Hillary Clinton is loving Caroline’s demise as Caroline famously endorsed Obama during the primaries. Andrew Cuomo is a loser as he must now pick between being Attorney General forever or taking on Paterson and reminding people of his 2003 campaign against another prominent African-American, Carl McCall. Carolyn Maloney is a huge loser given how hard and how nasty she has been in talking down Kennedy and Gillibrand.
Then there’s the who gets Gillibrand’s seat in Congress. Republicans still hold a registration edge so does Sandy Treadwell give it another shot? Does recently defeated Assembly candidate and Hyde Park resident Jonathan Smith go for the gusto? He did manage Doris Kelly’s congressional bid in the same district so he knows his way around. Given Obama’s incredible popularity, the democratic nomination for this seat should be worth its weight in gold. Stay tuned.