The lede of this CQ piece has a surreal feel to it:
Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney plans to announce a primary challenge to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand on her Web site Thursday morning, according to two sources including a member of New York’s congressional delegation.
Maloney disputed that characterization in a brief hallway interview.
“Where did you get that from?” she asked. “It’s not true.”
Regardless of the timing or venue, several of her New York colleagues, including Reps. Jerrold Nadler and Anthony D. Weiner, said Maloney has told them she will run. She has also indicated to political allies in her “silk stocking” district on Manhattan’s Upper East Side that she is preparing a bid.
So CQ has knowledgeable, high-level sources who say that Maloney is preparing a run, but Maloney denies it to their faces? Perhaps she was just disputing CQ’s claims about the “timing or venue,” as they say, but even so, this is kind of embarrassing. If you’re going to take on someone with as much grit, fundraising prowess, and establishment backing as Kirsten Gillibrand, faltering out the gate like this is seriously small-time. I guess we’ll find out the truth tomorrow, but still… weak.
Anyhow, if Maloney does run, I’m sure it will set off a hot primary in her safe blue (D+26) seat – which just so happens to be the Congressional district I’ve lived in for my entire life. So what do you say, folks? State Sen. Liz Krueger, Assemblyman Jonathan Bing, Councilwoman Jessica Lappin… or SSP Blogfather and People-Powered Prophet DavidNYC? James will be accepting applications for my campaign staff in the comments.
inside track. Apparently the old people love her.
I promise a constant supply of chocolate babka to keep my candidate energized and ready to go.
I’m every bit the political geek any SSPer is, with specialized knowledge about electoral history, Congress, legislative policy, and the law, a depth of experience from the Obama and Duckworth campaigns, a willingness to work beyond acceptable hours, and a good singing voice.
As soon as that over, I’d work for you DavidNYC!
Speechwriter?
I mean I really don’t feel strongly about Gillibrand and Maloney one way or the other. If there is a primary I really haven’t decided who I am going to vote. But having said that I was really turned off by the intervention by the White House into this race. I don’t really appreciate being told who the hell I can vote for. The fact of the matter is Gillibrand was APPOINTED to this position by a governor who wasn’t even elected to the position. And quite frankly after the last six months. I really don’t want Paterson’s recomendation on anything.
Now I know some people are scared that the seat could flip because of a messy primary. But this is New York, even in a bad environment I have a tough time believing the seat could flip. Although I do think NY should move up it’s primary to an earlier date. I actually think a primary could be a good thing, especially for Gillibrand. She’s never run statewide before.And quite frankly I know that people make a big deal about how she defeated a republican in a very republican leaning district. But still it was 2006 a democratic year, and the guy she defeated John Sweeney, wasn’t he accused of beating his wife or something? Not to mention the fact that you also had Spitzer and Clinton on the ballot, who also received 70 percent. Can I also just say that there is something about Gillibrand that just rubs me the wrong way, I can’t put my finger on it, but there is just something that I really don’t like.
But having said that I promise to keep an open mind, and I am glad that I will at least have a choice. So, hopefully Rahm Emanuel and the president can go shove it.
PS: I do love Obama and I like some of the toughness that I see from Emanuel, but I just disagree with them
in all seriousness. Elected office simply not in your future? You would certainly get a shit ton of support from the netroots and bloggers, and I’m sure you are quite connected in NYC politics. Congressman DavidNYC, the city you represent is even in your name, shoe-in!
I think it sounds like about half of us on this blog would run if our seats opened up or we were viable candidates in them and I really do expect this blog to produce a lot of great politicians, we are all already so calculating and knowledgeable about campaigns due to us watching everyone else’s. I wouldnt be surprised if the crew of regulars here someday span up and down the ballot, from dogcatcher to president.
Not liking this primary at all. A huge waste of resources. We are going to be behind the 8-Ball in some races we could have had a shot at thanks to primaries in NY, KY, OH, PA etc.
I nominate myself slayer of the “waste of resources” argument for your campaign, DavidNYC. Obviously, you’re not going to raise more money than other candidates in the primary. So you might be slighted by the “waste of resources” argument. I pledge to “waste” $5 in your campaign for Democratic nominee for NY-14.
In my duties as an aide for your campaign I will point out real wastes of resources: building a stadium in NYC with taxpayer money, Bloomberg’s billions saturating the NYC media market, etc. I will also help curry favor with your future constituents by making jokes at the expense of upper west side residents.
When do I start?
but she’s welcome to try, of course. But nothing Gillibrand has done since becoming senator has led me to believe she deserves to be booted. If I was in New York, I’d vote for Gillibrand.
Babka provider and speechwriter are taken. And I assume James will be campaign manger.
Deputy campaign manager for the Midwest? Lots of swing states here that you can’t afford to lose. I’ll provide a gift of babka if I lose any state for you.
Hey, I know you all have your hearts set on challenging the strong campaigner with insane fundraising skills that has voted nearly perfectly, but why don’t you guys look over toward Albany? You could practically walk right over Paterson with his numbers, forchrissakes.
If you run, you have to promise to keep Swing State Project going. As amazingly awesome as it would be to have you in the House, I think I’d go crazy without this place to visit 25 times a day.
Seriously, though, if she challenges Gillibrand, run! I don’t know how easy it is to file in New York, but an open seat in a D+26 district will draw a minimum of 10 (D) candidates. If you’re candidate #11 and you’re a total flop, no one will remember, and all it will cost you is a few months and a little pride. But if you’re candidate #11, you have real roots in the district, and you can pull in some netroots cash, there might be a real opening, even against the big names.
I say, go for it!
… And since no one else has applied for this position yet, can I be the campaign blogger? I mean, I’m assuming the candidate will do some of that, but you’ve got to have someone full-time!
I too don’t like how the White House has muscled people out of a primary. I know that the party has other priorities and so doesn’t really want an expensive primary. But the will of the people should come first; this is supposed to be a democracy, after all.
That being said, and while I think Gillibrand and Maloney are both hard workers, I’ve found Gillibrand to be more impressive. I might have gone with Israel over Gillibrand, but I’d take Gillibrand in this (still potential) contest.
The Democratic Party is like the Army of the Potomac. It fought on gallantly through years of defeats under flawed leaders, but now things are different. As Charles Francis Adams said of General Grant, “The Army now has a leader, and it has confidence in that leader.” Then began Grant’s relentless drive against teh Confederates that brought decisive victory in a little more than a year. Grant made costly mistakes at times, but he never deviated from his plan to achieve his objective – the utter destruction of the enemy army. This is why he ranks right alongside Lincoln in the lore of the War Against Slavery and Save the Union – Lincoln and Grant, Grant and Lincoln.
Now the Democratic Party finally has the leader it deserves. That leader has an objective – the utter destruction of the enemy party. He has a plan to achieve that objective and he is implementing that plan methodically and consistently. He has formed an outstanding staff and appointed dedicated subordinate commanders that are fully supportive of this plan, united together in this mission of assuring America’s Party its rightful position in control of our nation for the foreseeable future, and determined to fulfill the prophet Ferlinghetti’s vision: “I am waiting…., I am waiting…., I am waiting…., for the American Eagle to straighten up and fly right.”
We must support this plan at every turn. No one should challenge this movement that has begun so auspiciously and continues to develop such powerful momentum with every passing day. Maloney has no good reason to challenge the Administration’s decision in this matter as Sestak has no good reason to challenge the Administration’s decision in Pennsylvania. Who do these people think they are? Get out of the way! If you can’t wield a knife, at least grab a leg.
Gillibrand is coming around as best she can to the right way of thinking. Give her a chance and trust the Administration’s judgment, which has certainly been the best we’ve ever known since FDR.
The Administration nursed Spector along and achieved the mighty and brilliant coup of bringing him on board the progressive coalition. He’s knows which side his bread is buttered on and won’t be foolish enough to turn against us. Spector’s defection makes the GOP look precisely the way they are, dreadful, out-of-touch, bitter and resentful.
Spector’s move leaves the two Lady Senators from Maine now totally isolated in a party which has disavowed them. The GOP senate contingent now consists of the senators from Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho and ……..Maine???!?!! Their position is untenable. They will defect to our side or they will look like and be ineffectual fools. Think of what it must be like for them now in the GOP Caucus.
Once they come over to the side of the angels and Hutchison resigns to run for governor, there will be exactly one woman left in the GOP Senate lineup. All the rest will be white, male, and Christian, Southern and Mountain and Plains, rural and backward, devoid of distinction, blank and bland and clueless.
I wonder just how popular they are now or will be in 2012? I think we have to take our eyes off the rear view mirror. Dole looked pretty popular last cycle and Gregg looked popular not so long ago and even Spector seemed solidly entrenched in the Republican ranks. When Snowe last ran, there were two Republican senators in NH, two in PA, two in VA, two in OH, two in NC, two in MO, one in CN, and one in MN with at least 4 or 5 of them moderate in their views, at least as Republicans go. When she runs again, they may well all be gone. That leaves the closest Republicans geographically to ME as Demint, Graham, Isakson, Chambliss, McConnell, and Lugar, assuming that dear colleague of theirs Bunning loses also. Only Lugar could be regarded as even sane of that bunch and will he be running again in 2012 when he’ll be an octogenarian? That opens up an immense sea of Blue, Blue, water between ME and the next Red port of call in Oklahoma City or Charleston.
Allen lost fairly soundly to Collins last time, but she was the only red-state Republican incumbent to win re-election in that cycle as the other seven, count them seven, went down to well deserved defeat. Even Allen’s successor in 2012 would need to swing only about one voter in ten of Collins’s supporters over to be in range of victory. I wonder how sentimental the ME voters will be about Snowe by then as they should be quite clear about how much influence she is wielding in the GOP. Of course, she could always turn Independent instead, caucusing with no party, which might satisfy the ME voters enough to let her squeeze by. Remember that before 1936 they said, “As Maine goes, so goes the nation.” After that election, they said, “As Maine goes, so goes Vermont.” Maybe by 2012 they will be saying, “As the nation goes, so goes Maine.”
I’m in a pretty sympathetic area to Labour, and even here we aren’t exactly loved.
Do you need a Deputy Campaign Manager with responsibility for Unnecessarily Profane Outbursts? Because I was born for that motherfuckin’ job.
The ideological differences are nothing. I support Gillibrand and hope she crushes her.
Also, for what it’s worth, I’ll be in NYC for about a year, starting this fall. Dunno what’s next after that yet.
What’s Gifford Miller up to these days? I know he used to have his eye on this House seat.
Maloney will be a great candidate and even better senator. Won’t have to worry about her reverting to any blue dogism after an election year conversion.