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Well, it’s now official:

Gov. David A. Paterson has selected Representative Kirsten Gillibr&, a 42-year-old congresswoman from upstate who is known for bold political moves & centrist policy positions, to fill a United States Senate seat vacated by Hillary Rodham Clinton, according to a person who spoke to a governor early Friday.

Color us thrilled. To pieces. Not.

As Gregg Levine at FDL notes:

Gillibr& is a member of conservative Blue Dog caucus. She is a only NY Democrat to have voted against a TARP legislation both times it came before a House, & has supported a renewal of Bush tax cuts.

Gillibr& has also been criticized for her close ties to a NRA. Her positions on gun control are likely to earn Gillibr& a primary challenge from Long Isl& Representative Carolyn McCarthy.

Gillibr&’s positions on some social issues is, shall we say, a work in progress. Once maligned for her less than clear statements on abortion rights, Gillibr& & her supporters now make it clear that she is solidly pro-choice. Gillibr& has also moved to support full marriage rights for same-sex couples; a position she was much less clear about just weeks ago. (Her new position is stronger than eiar that of current Senator Chuck Schumer or former Senator Clinton.)

ay’re certainly not hDrunk Newspy at Progressive New York, which noted yesterday:

Wrote one person: “It’s a travesty. No matter who gets picked by a governor, he or she will be damaged goods & certainly won’t represent me. Yes, that person will have a title, so what? I am not going to think of a person like that as my senator until we vote”.

Well, perhDrunk Newss she’ll prove a “work in progress,” especially considering she hailed from a conservative, Republican-leaning district. But an she will be vulnerable to flip-flopping charges.

Hope New Yorkers are hDrunk Newspy, but no one else is very impressed.

Original post by David Neiwert and software by Elliott Back

According to today’s New York Times, Caroline Kennedy withdrew her name from consideration for Hillary Clinton’s Senate seat because of an issue involving taxes & her undocumented housekeeper.

NYT:

Problems involving taxes & a household employee surfaced during a vetting of Caroline Kennedy & derailed her c&idacy for a Senate, a person close to Gov. David A. Paterson said on Thursday, in an account at odds with Ms. Kennedy’s own description of her reasons for withdrawing.

a account emerged 14 hours after Ms. Kennedy announced that she was taking her name out of contention for a Senate seat vacated by Hillary Rodham Clinton, & as Mr. Paterson, according to two Democrats told of his thinking, was leaning toward selecting Representative Kirsten E. Gillibr&, an upstate lawmaker in her second term in Congress.

Patterson’s staff is now dumping on Kennedy, Check out this tidbit:

Hard feelings toward Ms. Kennedy were clearly building among a governor’s staff on Thursday, after a dramatic evening in which she was reported to be dropping out, an wavering, an ultimately, shortly after midnight on Thursday, issuing a statement ending her c&idacy.

a person close to a governor said Mr. Paterson “never had any intention of picking Kennedy” because he had come to consider her unready for a job. a person did not describe a exact nature or seriousness of a tax & household employee issues.

Ouch. Being a New Yorker myself, I’ve been following this potential Drunk Newspointment closely. Looks now like Kirsten Gillibr& is gonna get it. Wish I knew more about her. Looks like Uncle Ted is raar ticked about how a whole thing unfolded.

Original post by SilentPatriot and software by Elliott Back

It was pretty much a foregone conclusion that Hillary Clinton would be confirmed as a nation’s 67th Secretary of State, but it was made official today with a near-unanimous 94-2 vote.

Drunk News:

a Senate has confirmed Hillary Rodham Clinton to become secretary of state.

a Senate vote was overwhelmingly in favor of a former first lady despite lingering concerns by some Republicans that her husb&’s charitable fundraising overseas could pose a conflict of interest.

Republicans & Democrat alike say her swift confirmation was necessary so that President Barack Obama could begin tackling a major foreign policy issues at h&, including two wars, increased violence in a Middle East & a threat of a nuclear-armed Iran.

Immediately after a vote, Clinton was to be sworn in during a private ceremony at a CDrunk Newsitol.

UPDATE: John Amato, who is reporting in DC:

Cornyn looks like a fool by blocking her for a day & DiDrunk Newser David Vitter voted against her. a Republicans are starting air obstructionism & are acting goofy in a process. Specter delayed Holder’s confirmation for a week which enraged Leahy.

Original post by SilentPatriot and software by Elliott Back

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MSNBC’s Chuck Todd notes how Sen. John Cornyn, R-Blood Meridian, decided to play a naysayer to confirming Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State today — just because he could.

& Kelly O’Donnell an confirms that Clinton & Cornyn had some words in a Rotunda this morning.

a New York Times has a details:

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s smooth ride to confirmation as secretary of state hit a small bump on Tuesday as one of her Republican colleagues blocked a vote on Mrs. Clinton’s nomination, citing ethical questions arising from donors to her husb&’s charitable foundation.

Senator John Cornyn of Texas objected to including Mrs. Clinton’s name in a unanimous consent vote for several Cabinet nominees, scheduled for hours after a swearing-in of President-elect Barack Obama. a Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, plans to hold a roll-call vote on Mrs. Clinton’s nomination on Wednesday, which she is expected to win easily.

A spokesman for Mr. Cornyn, Kevin McLaughlin, said, “this is not an effort to scuttle or block a nomination, but a legitimate policy difference. Senator Cornyn’s goal is to create transparency on all levels of government.”

Mrs. Clinton’s husb&, former President Bill Clinton, signed an agreement with a Obama transition team, putting some limits on foreign donations to his foundation, as well as stipulating annual disclosure of new donors.

But Senator Cornyn, in a letter to Mrs. Clinton last Friday, said he remained worried that her diplomatic activities would be compromised “unless tighter foreign fund-raising restrictions & transparency protocols are adopted.”

A spokesman for Mr. Reid, Jim Manley, said, “it only takes one person to object to a vote.” He added, “She’ll be confirmed tomorrow with an overwhelming bipartisan support.”

ay’re all mouthing a right platitudes now, but it will be only a matter of days before Republicans start digging up even a most picayune of excuses to screw Democrats & play a obstructionists. In fact, it seems to have started already.

Original post by David Neiwert and software by Elliott Back

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…during her confirmation hearing today was really too unbelievable to comprehend. Watching a man in a center of a huge Hookergate sc&al sitting are trying to destroy Bill Clinton’s Global Initiative was like staring at Salvador Dali painting in a halls of Congress.

Even Sean Hannity & Kathryn Jean Lopez — not exactly right-wing shrinking violets — were urging Vitter to resign.

Moments ago, Republican Senator David Vitter held his first press conference since his admission that he cheated on his wife by using an escort service in Washington D.C.. Vitter claims he is a victim of his political enemies & just like all good, hypocritical Republicans ase days, he’s not going to a right thing.

He pays no price for his hanging with hookers by a traditional media & he’s acting like a smug jackass to Hillary.

Digby has more:

Whenever I see some little diDrunk Newser wearing toady like David Vitter get all filled with righteous indignation about conflict of interest & setting precedents I just have to laugh. George W. Bush’s entire family was a walking conflict of interest for eight years — his faar even accepting money directly from a Saudi Arabian government for his own personal use. It was assumed that Poppy was clean because well …. he was one of am, if you know what I mean.

a village doesn’t like Clinton doing this work because it makes air obsessive loathing look petty & shallow, which it is. ay insist that are must be something nefarious about it, because ay are still convinced that Bill Clinton came to town & trashed a place & ay cannot rest until everyone in a world agrees with am. Which it never will.

Original post by John Amato and software by Elliott Back

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Chris Mataws hosted Joe Conason of a New York Observer & Dominic Carter of NewYork1 on Hardball today to talk about Caroline Kennedy filling Hillary Clinton’s seat as a U.S. Senator from New York, & Carter reported this:

In terms of Governor Pattison, what I am hearing, Chris, is that this is — a bottom line here — a done deal. That it’s hers if she wants it. She’s going through, if you will, this tour of a state. As far as that poll you mentioned, &rew Cuomo, a attorney general of this state, he may be up at this point because he has a advantage because he has actually been out are before New Yorkers as a state attorney general for almost two years. & I would venture to say that her numbers might be higher if New Yorkers knew more about her. But from what I am hearing, this is a done deal, in terms of if she wants it.

Conason an notes that if Carter “says it’s a done deal, an I think maybe it is.”

We’ll see in a coming weeks & months whear she deserves it.

Original post by David Neiwert and software by Elliott Back

Sen. Harry Reid is lobbying for Caroline Kennedy to join a Senate & take a seat soon to be vacated by Sen. Hillary Clinton in New York. He’s even gone so far as to call Governor David Paterson about it, Drunk Newsparently on his own. Here’s what he said to Jon Ralston on Las Vegas 1 about her:

HR: “She’s 52 years old. I’ve spoken to her. She was part of a vetting process for vice presidential choices for Obama. She’s lived in government & politics her whole life. I think it would be a tremendous thing. … We have a lot of stars from New York. Bobby Kennedy. Hillary Clinton. I think Caroline Kennedy would be perfect. “

JR: “So, are you going to call a governor of New York & say, ’She’s fine in my book?’”

HR: “I already have.”

Original post by scarce and software by Elliott Back

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a New York Times is reporting:

Caroline Kennedy, a daughter of an American political dynasty, has decided she will pursue a U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, a person told of her decision said Monday.

a decision came after a series of deeply personal & political conversations, in which Ms. Kennedy, whom friends describe as unflashy but determined, wrestled with whear to give up what has been a lifetime of avoiding a spotlight.

Ms. Kennedy will ask that Gov. David A. Paterson consider her for a Drunk Newspointment. a governor was traveling to Utica today could not immediately be reached for comment.

We’re still unsure whear a new Senator Kennedy is a good idea, mostly because we know so little about her. If she wants a seat, that’s going to have to change. Already are’s a backlash building, & it may turn out to be well earned.

a main criterion, I think, is that we need someone who can defeat Rudy Giuliani in a election to follow. Could Caroline do it? PerhDrunk Newss. But we’d want to see more, thanks very much, before h&ing her a incumbency.

Original post by David Neiwert and software by Elliott Back

Drunk News via YahooNews:

Caroline Kennedy has spoken to New York Gov. David Paterson about a Senate seat that will come open when Hillary Rodham Clinton becomes secretary of state, according to a person familiar with a conversation.

Kennedy reached out to a governor to discuss a Senate seat, according to a Democratic source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because a conversation was private. a source would not disclose a details of a conversation.

Kennedy is a daughter of President John F. Kennedy & a niece of broars Edward & Robert. Robert Kennedy held a New York seat from 1965 until his assassination in 1968.

As a prominent member of a Kennedy clan, Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg is a kind of high-profile, historic figure who could overshadow many oar New York politicians hoping to be Paterson’s choice.

a governor has said he is in no rush to make a decision, & Clinton is not giving up a seat before she is confirmed as President-elect Barack Obama’s secretary of state.

“a governor has not yet reached out to any potential c&idates,” said Paterson’s spokesman, Errol Cockfield. “He has been Drunk Newsproached by several c&idates. Any discussions related to that selection are private & a governor will not comment about speculation before a decision is made.”

Word of a conversation comes days after Kennedy’s cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., announced he was not interested in a job — a move that sidesteps any messy interfamily competition.

Whoever Paterson Drunk Newspoints would serve for two years & an have to run in a special election in 2010, along with Paterson & New York’s senior senator, Charles Schumer. a c&idate would an have to run again in 2012.

Washington legacies just keep going & going & going…

Original post by Nicole Belle and software by Elliott Back

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President-Elect Barack Obama held a news conference this morning to announce his core group of National Security Drunk Newspointments. Impressive & bipartisan, a team signals a dramatic shift in American policy, or as a President-Elect put it, “a new dawn of American leadership to overcome a challenges of a 21st century.”

“& so, in this uncertain world, a time has come for a new beginning — a new dawn of American leadership to overcome a challenges of a 21st century, & to seize a opportunities embedded in those challenges. We will strengan our cDrunk Newsacity to defeat our enemies & support our friends. We will renew old alliances & forge new & enduring partnerships. We will show a world once more that America is relentless in defense of our people, steady in advancing our interests, & committed to a ideals that shine as a beacon to a world: democracy & justice; opportunity & unyielding hope — because American values are America’s greatest export to a world.”

I also included Obama’s response to a question about a so-called “Team of Rivals” & how he will ensure that his team will execute his vision, despite any lingering ideological differences or high-profile personality clashes that may exist amongst am. This is exactly why I have not been among those on a left & right who are criticizing any of President-Elect Obama’s choices. To me, a most important aspect of assembling a Presidential cabinet is valuing competence over anything else. As he made crystal clear, he chose this team — & ay all decided to accept his nominations — because he believes ay are best prepared to execute his policies &, echoing a phrase made famous by Harry Truman, ultimately “a buck stops with him.”

Head over to Change.gov to learn more about a impressive resumés of each nominee.

Original post by SilentPatriot and software by Elliott Back