More on Gillibrand's Political Herstory

NYTimes: [via (Albany) Times Union]
Mrs. Noonan in 1983 at the funeral of Mayor Erastus Corning 2nd of Albany

I can't believe that the only photo of Polly Noonan that the New York Times could come up with is of her mourning at Erastus Corning's funeral. Not one photo of her stuffing envelopes? This photo just perpetuates the stereotype that she was the little woman behind the man, when from the events described she was an equal partner consigned to a lesser role by custom and social roles.

NYTimes: Gillibrand’s Grandmother Also Wielded Political Power, but From the Wings

Schenectady Gazette: Senate choice learned politics early

Darn

Albany Times-Union: Rangers great, Richter, not in race for Gillibrand’s seat

Ricky would have been the best Democrat to run for Gillibrand's seat because he's got something most of the other Dems don't: name recognition. Plus he's wicked smart.

It's Gillibrand for Hillary's Senate Seat

Winning over her constituents
NYTimes: Ms. Gillibrand arriving at a farm in Cambridge, N.Y., in April 2007 to meet with residents of the area to discuss a bill meant to protect dairy farmers.
Photo: Nathaniel Brooks for The New York Times

Coach Mom loses a Congresswoman and gains a Senator: Kirsten Gillibrand has been named by New York Governor David Paterson to fill the remaining two years of Hillary Clinton's Senate term.

Some liberals are freaking out because she has the worst record of any New York Congressional representative on gay issues (only 80% positive from the Human Rights Campaign [pdf file]) and supports the right to bear arms. I would point out to my freaked out colleagues that her position on gay rights is the same as one Barack Obama's and that her position on the 2nd Amendment is the same as one Howard Dean's. Chill.

Hilariously, one blog called her "a bizarro version of Sarah Palin: she proudly touts her 100 percent rating from the National Rifle Association", which would only be accurate if Palin had a degree from Dartmouth in Asian Studies or if she was a lawyer. Gillibrand speaks in full sentences and has never claimed foreign policy expertise. Or that she can see Canada from her house.

OK, Gillibrand is not as liberal as I would like. She voted with the Rethugs on FISA and for that reason I didn't give her any money this year. But she is smart, tenacious and learns on the job. She sat on the Agriculture Committee in the House and impressed all the farmers in Delaware County by learning about the issues important to them. I hope as Senator she will continue her "Sunshine" policy and list all of her meetings on her website. And I hope to meet her at the Delaware County Fair this summer. I hope we're still on her dance card now that she represents the whole state of New York.

New York News

RNC pulling out of all but two Congressional races in New York.

In the 20th Congressional District (Coach Mom's Congresswoman), no more money for Kirsten Gillibrand's opponent, Sandy Treadwell. This could be seen as conceding the race, but since Treadwell has sunk $6 million of his own money into the race, it may just be allocation of resources.

The two races where the RNC will continue to fund the Republican candidate are NY-29, Crazy Randy Kuhl (R-Shotgun) v. retired Admiral Eric Massa (D-Sanity), and the 26th District, where Democratic attorney Alice Kryzan is battling Republican Chris Lee to take the seat of retiring Republican (and Mark Foley coddler) Thomas Reynolds.

FBI Informant Squealing On Sweeney

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

Rep Gillibrand in the News

Albany Times-Union: Gillibrand priority: 'Constituent service'
Congresswoman finds best way to prepare for tough election contest is being attentive to voters

She's running for re-election against Sandy Treadwell, a millionaire who's trying the buy the seat so will need every edge she can get.

Why would a millionaire be trying to buy a seat in Congress? To get on the gravy train of lobbyist cash, of course. Gillibrand's last opponent, former Congressman John Sweeney, got plenty of money into his family's coffers by getting earmarks for clients who had hired his wife's firm. Public money to clients, paid back to wife's lobby shop. That little gambit was the subject of an FBI raid earlier this month as it involved uber-lobbyist/thief Jack Abramoff. Boy, I'd love to see John Sweeney hauled off to jail.

NY-20 Has New Democrat

Schenectady Daily Gazette: Henry Nelson Gillibrand

Albany Times-Union: An amendment for Gillibrand family
Congresswoman gives birth to her second child, Henry, after marathon committee session

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand became the sixth lawmaker to have a baby while serving in Congress when she gave birth to her second son Thursday morning.

Henry Nelson Gillibrand was born between 5 and 6 a.m. at Bethesda Naval Hospital in suburban Maryland, according to the congresswoman's office. Birth stats: 7 pounds, 14 ounces, 20 inches long.

Congratulations to the Gillibrands on the new baby!

Looks Up To See Curb

Two days after Christmas, former Congressman John Sweeney refused to pay a cab fare after a late night ride home from a strip club. Later, someone with a brain in his family went down to the cab company and paid the fare (with a little something extra for the cabbie) and the cab co. dropped the complaint.

The cab cost $80. Maybe he spent all his money at the club?

WNYT.com: Source: cops called after Sweeney cab ride

hat tip to Talking Points Memo

Sexism Never Rests

Christmas with the Gillibrands
An actual letter to the Glens Falls Post-Star regarding the happy news of Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand's pregnancy:

Women should leave some jobs to the men

Editor:

Regarding a story that appeared in The Post-Star on Dec. 6: "Rep. Gillibrand announces she is pregnant."

First of all, I must admit that I am a male chauvinist and that there are, thankfully, differences between men and women. There are many occupations suitable for women and their physical attributes. Carrying a weapon while serving in the Armed Forces and firefighting are not suitable lines of work for women to prove that they are physically equal to men. How many male police officers feel comfortable with a 100 pound female backup?

And now, I have to add serving in the U.S. House and Senate as an occupation that may not be suitable for women.

Ms. Gillibrand's current pregnancy makes a strong case for my opinion. Ms. Gillibrand was elected to serve her constituency, and while she is away from her elected office she cannot perform those duties. The taxpayers who were duped into voting for her will have to pay for her medical benefits. Yes, Mr. and Mrs. Taxpayer, Ms. Gillibrand receives excellent health benefits, courtesy of her constituents. We will be without representation in Congress for a time leading up to and following the child's birth. There will be times when she and the new baby will visit doctors. You can add those days to the total that she will not be serving her constituents.

The current base salary (2006) for members of the House and Senate is $165,200 per year. I wonder if Ms. Gillibrand will do the right thing and reimburse the U.S. Treasury in the amount of $452.60, her daily salary, for each day that she is unable to perform her elected duties. For some reason, I doubt it.

RON BLACHUT
Queensbury

The Group News Blog delivered a tart response, ending with these immortal lines:

Here at the Group News Blog Editorial Desk we are thankful to you for having chosen the sacred Christmas season as your special moment to go off on a woman with child (and her husband) in a small village in the Hudson Valley. You bring credit to all of New York's 20th Congressional District.

And when we set up the nativity scene, we know where to go to find an ass.

Here's a bio of the ass, from a Newsday piece on veterans. Moral of the story is, being a veteran doesn't bring enlightment. I wonder what his adult daughter thinks of Dad's letter?

Congratulations Congresswoman Gillibrand!

She's expecting a new baby in May, to join her 4-year-old son Theo. Congratulations to the Gillibrands!

Albany Times-Union: Exclusive: Gillibrand pregnant

Sweeney Pleads To A Lesser Offense

Former U.S. Rep. John Sweeney, left, walks out of the Town of Clifton Park court with his lawyer, E. Stewart Jones, after pleading guilty to DWI Wednesday, Nov. 14. (Philip Kamrass / Times Union)

Amazingly, this multiple DWI loser only loses his license for 6 months (and he can petition to get it back once he attends drunk driver's school, what a joke), and only pays a $1,000 fine. You and I would have faced much harsher consequences, I imagine. The glasses are a nice touch. You always want to look serious after getting caught on the Northway drunk with a girl your children's age in your lap.

Albany Times-Union: Sweeney makes plea, apologies
Ex-congressman fined $1,000, has license suspended for driving drunk

CapitalNews9: Sweeney accepts plea deal (with video link)

Gillibrand: Grants, Not Earmarks

Kirsten Gillibrand, the Congresswoman for NY-20, has come up with a great strategy for bringing money into her district. Rather than concentrate only on earmarks, she has her office helping her constituents apply for federal grant money.

In March, Gillibrand launched "grants central" on her Web site, and staff members in her D.C. office began counseling local officials on how to apply for grants.

Gillibrand's aides do not write the applications for the groups and officials seeking help. Instead, she said, she and her staff "facilitate" the grants by giving information to local residents and writing letters of support to accompany the applications.

Gillibrand jokes that half of her 15 staff members have become "experts" on grants. Staffers at the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service say no other office has contacted them for as much information about available grants.

Gillibrand also started up a regular electronic newsletter listing funding for farmers, firefighters, schools and local government. At first, the newsletter had about 30 subscribers. Now it has topped 1,000.

And the office has tallied up $11.7 million in grants to cities, counties and programs in upstate New York since she started the initiative.

They include:

$184,000 from the USDA to help the town of Schroon, Essex County, pay for the final upgrades to a wastewater treatment plant.

$172,900 from the Department of Homeland Security to help the Davenport (Delaware County) Fire Department buy new vehicles.

$278,000 from the USDA to help the small Catskill Mountain region town of Margaretville, Delaware County, replace a well destroyed by flooding.

That's what you get when you elect a smart person to Congress. A smart idea! And people who aren't trying to strangle government actually try to help it run properly. Competence!

Albany Times-Union: Gillibrand inspires $11.7M in grants
Representative builds ties with key groups through program that helps them apply for federal money

Congressman KickAss Arrested

The Union College party in 2006; trolling for a date?

Former Congressman John Sweeney was arrested Monday for aggravated drunk driving. He was pulled over on the Northway (I-87) and blew a .18 on the breathalyzer. No surprise given his history of drunk driving incidents:

In 1978, Sweeney, then 23, was convicted of driving while ability impaired after being stopped in Rensselaer County. That didn't keep him from becoming the county's Stop-DWI coordinator four years later. He was elected to Congress in 1998.

In 2001, Sweeney slammed a Jeep into a utility pole on his way home from the Willard Mountain ski area, cutting power to part of Washington County. At the time, State Police said Sweeney took his eye off the road to adjust the radio and lost control on the gravel on the right shoulder. No charges were filed.

[from earlier in the story]

In April 2006, the Union College student newspaper, the Concordiensis, ran photos of Sweeney at a college fraternity party. Students quoted in that story and in the Times Union said Sweeney appeared intoxicated, a charge he later denied.

[]

Sweeney and his ex-wife, Gayle, finalized their divorce in September. The pair exchanged allegations of domestic abuse last summer, with Gayle Sweeney saying she feared for her life. In 2006, the Times Union obtained a State Police dispatch report which showed Gayle Sweeney called police in December 2005, alleging her husband was "knocking her around."

Sweeney was also reportedly in a bar fight in 2004.

The surprise part of Sweeney's arrest is the 23-year-old woman on his lap. Maybe he met her at Union College last spring? Or one of his children introduced him to on of their friends. Local Republicans are probably just happy that it wasn't a 23-year-old man.
Albany Times-Union: Source: Sweeney passenger a shock
Arresting State Police officers in DWI case surprised to find a woman on ex-congressman's lap

Let's hope Sweeney sees the light and goes into alcohol rehab; at least the judge should take away his driver's license. He is a menace to society, thinking he can drink and drive and break the law with impunity.

I Don't Believe Him

That's the Sweeneys on the left in happier times

Former Congressman John Sweeney (aka Blutarski), (NY-20), now embroiled in divorce proceedings, claims his soon-to-be-ex-wife battered him. You've got to be kidding. He says he lied about the domestic violence police report that was released days before the election in November "to save his marriage". Conveniently, that lie painted him as being the subject of a sinister plot to get him by the State Police, or Kirsten Gillibrand, or whoever else he pointed fingers at. I point my finger at him in this one. I put my money on Blutarski as the abuser.

Albany Times-Union: Sweeney says he lied about domestic spat
Ex-congressman claims he wanted to shield wife from blame

JOHNSTOWN -- Former U.S. Rep. John Sweeney admitted to a gaggle of TV cameras Monday that he lied last year in a news conference when he said "there was no domestic violence" at his home.

Sweeney claimed he lied then to protect his wife because, he said, she was intoxicated and had assaulted him. The police report on that incident, which occurred late one night in December 2005, became public days before the November 2006 congressional election.

"I had to make a choice about whether my marriage was going to survive or I was staying in Congress," the Clifton Park Republican told the media, standing with his first wife, Betty Sweeney, and their three children. "If I stood up and told exactly what happened, I would have lost my marriage."

[]

Sweeney lost the election to Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand. His marriage fell apart eight months later. Sweeney, 51, filed for divorce July 11.

[]

He described Gayle Sweeney's physical mistreatment of him as "pretty extreme" and said he is afraid of her. Friday, in an interview with the Times Union, Mrs. Sweeney accused her husband of verbal and physical abuse.

[]

Meanwhile, domestic violence experts traveled to the Fulton County courtroom in support of Gayle Sweeney, saying John Sweeney's counter-accusations that he was injured are "a common tactic" in divorce cases.

Statistics prove that women rarely batter men, said Carole Fox of the Schenectady YWCA. "A lot of times, batterers will get orders of protection," she said.

[]

Last November, with her husband's congressional seat on the line, Gayle Sweeney, 36, made an 11th-hour campaign commercial accusing Gillibrand of leaking the report in a bid to win office. Mrs. Sweeney told the Times Union last week she was "coerced" by her husband's political advisers into making certain statements defending him on the eve of the election.

Albany Times-Union: Sweeney's wife claims he abused her
Says she fears for her life and that election eve denial was "coerced"

Kirsten Gillibrand in NYTimes

Nathaniel Brooks for The New York Times

Potential rivals for Representative Kirsten Gillibrand's seat in Congress include a retired Army lieutenant colonel and a former candidate for governor.

Part 3 of the series:

NYTimes: The Freshman
Barely in Office, but G.O.P. Rivals Are Circling

Milford, New York, where the picture is taken, is also the home of the Cooperstown Brewing Co., where you can buy my favorite beer, Old Slugger, as well as other baseball-named beers. I wonder if John Sweeney has partaken of their wares? The New York Times outlines several Republicans who will run for Gillibrand's seat in 2008, but Sweeney is not mentioned.

Kirsten Gillibrand in the News

Doug Mills/The New York Times

Representative Gillibrand talked with farmers, one of many groups from her district in upstate New York to ask for support in Washington.
Second in the NYTimes series on freshman Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand, who today voted to set a date to withdraw US troops from Iraq. You go, girl.

The Albany Times-Union outlines Gillibrand's hectic daily and weekly schedules, including her son Theo.

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand raced to Capitol Hill, bleary-eyed and sleepless, after helping her 3-year-old son Theo fight the flu, washing his sheets at 3 a.m. and catching a car ride with a staffer to cast her last-minute vote on the House floor.

It was just another day in the life of the freshman Democrat from upstate New York who is balancing motherhood with her job of legislating.

"Having Theo in Washington is a wonderful blessing," Gillibrand says. "It keeps me centered."

But it also keeps her running.

Most weekday mornings Gillibrand, 40, and Theo hop the Metro subway at 7:45 a.m. near the Arlington, Va., apartment where she and husband Jonathan reside with Theo.

During the ride to the Capitol, Theo traces the orange, blue and red subway routes on the maps adorning the walls of the Metro cars until they arrive at the Federal Center station close to the congressional day care center at the Ford Building, which she can see from her office window.

Gillibrand drops him off, then hops the train again, exiting one stop later at the Capitol South station, just a short walk from her office.

Working moms everywhere can relate.

Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand takes her son, Theo, to day care in Washington on Tuesday. (Ron Sachs / Special to the Times Union)

Kirsten Gillibrand, Revolutionary

NYTimes Editorial: Congress and the Benefits of Sunshine

At first, the innovation sounds simple enough: Representative-elect Kirsten Gillibrand has decided to post details of her work calendar on the Internet at the end of each day so constituents can tell what she is actually doing for their money.

In fact, it is a quiet touch of revolution. The level of transparency pledged by Ms. Gillibrand, Democrat of New York — down to naming lobbyists and fund-raisers among those she might meet with — is simply unheard of in Congress. The secrecy that cloaks the dealings of lawmakers and deep-pocket special interests underpinned the corruption issue that Ms. Gillibrand invoked as voters turned Republicans from majority rule last month.

I saw this at DownWithTyranny!

Call John Sweeney The Wahhhhhhhmbulance

'Cause it's time for this very disturbed man to go home.

Albany Times-Union: On the Hill, the sound of silence
John Sweeney, still reeling from re-election loss to Kirsten Gillibrand, fails to show for votes

WASHINGTON -- Since losing re-election last month, Rep. John Sweeney has played hooky in Congress, skipping votes, dodging reporters and avoiding his new make-shift office in a basement cubicle set up for lame ducks.

Sweeney's friends and colleagues Capitol Hill say the Republican from Clifton Park is still stunned about the outcome of the Nov. 7 election when he lost to Democratic challenger Kirsten Gillibrand.

[]

Sessions [Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, a close friend of Sweeney's], asked why Sweeney was so angry and shocked about his loss, said: "John was disappointed that some frailties in his life were contributing issues to his defeat." He said Sweeney has been ill and his blood pressure had risen.

Sweeney believes he picked up "a bug" during congressional trips to Iraq and Afghanistan, according to Sessions.

"A bug got into his system and lodged in his brain," Sessions said. "It caused unimaginable pain and stress."

Hat tip to Talking Points Memo.

Saturday November 18th Blogtopia* Roundup

I want that drink. I need that drink? How long 'til this dumb dinner is over?

Actual caption: President Bush attends a dinner hosted by Vietnam's President Nguyen Minh Triet in Hanoi, November 17, 2006. (Reinhard Krause/Reuters)
New drinking game: Drink every time the media refers to Nancy Pelosi as 'Nancy'!

James Wolcott reports rumors that Bush is indeed drinking again.

Maru the Crankpot (WTF IS IT NOW?) links to this and many other funny posts (scroll up to see the post).

Glenn Greenwald: Cheney Administration is pathological, laughing as they shred the Constitution.

Soon to be former Congressman John Sweeney (R-Wife Beating and Drinking) in trouble again, this time for doctoring police records. Bye bye!

Professor Juan Cole at Informed Comment:

Bush went to Vietnam and boasted about how we would have won if we had not quit. This was, he said, the lesson for Iraq of the Vietnam War. He managed to be wrong about two wars at once and to anger both his hosts (how churlish!) and the Iraqi public. The American Right never admitted that they lost in Vietnam, thus the Rambo movies and, Melani McCallister argues, the US admiration for Entebbe. Iraq was their chance, they thought, to get it right. Bush had also said insulting things to the Philiippines about how wonderful it was that we had colonized them (and killed 400,000).

Colonialism is over with. When will they get that through their heads?

And actually we can't win in Iraq by just staying. Just like when you are sinking in quicksand, staying put is not a virtue.

Reminds me of the old joke about Bush. What's the difference between Iraq and Vietnam? Bush had a plan to get out of Vietnam. Who knew the plan was not to go until 2006 and to have Air Force One at the ready?


*yes! skippy coined that phrase!

Wonkette Is Whaling on Sweeney

And given his history, isn't that appropriate?

Wonkette: Slappy Sweeney's Story of Success

Losing your “safe seat” in the House doesn’t mean you’re a Loser — according to the Albany magazine “Success,” it means just the opposite.

After all, the alleged drunk and wife beater has a long list of accomplishments to show from his years in Congress:

* When it comes to using federal cops to lock up cancer patients using medical marijuana, he’s No. 1.
* After boozing up at a bar in Upstate New York, he successfully stranded skiers on the lifts when he expertly knocked down a utility pole with his Jeep.
* Sweeney was named one of the Top 20 Most Corrupt Congressmen by the prestigious Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
* His stripper wife started a “fund-raising company,” and the next day landed a great client: John Sweeney!
* Of New York’s 29 members of the House, Slappy McDrunk ranked No. 1 in taking campaign donations.

All Wonkette posts referring to John Sweeney