New York Now; Caption Master #4

She is dynamic she is articulate she is perceptive she is courageous she is outspoken. I am appointing her to the United States Senate representing to New York today. Please welcome our next senator and Congress current congresswoman Kiersten telegram. Not only do Yorkers have a new president they have a new junior senator as well. We'll take you to the Capitol for Governor Paterson's long awaited announcement next on New York now. Funding for New York now is provided by the New York State Health Insurance Program offering New York State Public employers and employees the Empire plan a plan as great as the Empire State. United University professions represents thirty three thousand academic and professional faculty on the campuses of the State University of New York is the union that makes more and more New Yorkers are enjoying next generation technology thanks to the rise and ongoing investment in its

all fiber network horizon files for voice Internet and video services. Additional funding provided by W.A. support for New York nowas website comes from Philips Lytle. It worked no better. At long last it is Kiersten Jell-O brand. Hello everyone the wait for Hillary Clinton's replacement is finally over. The governor introduced New York's new junior senator Friday morning in Albany maintaining and preserving jobs reestablishing manufacturing investing in agribusiness and small farms cultivating high tech and biotech and a concerted focus on new energy technologies and innovations will be my focus as senator. We will pass a wide ranging stimulus package

which will create jobs in New York and help revitalize our economy by increasing the share of Medicaid dollars the federal government pays back to New York by making new investments in infrastructure in mass transit high speed rail throughout Western and upstate New York. How do a few New York state legislators feel about Jela brand. Well here is a quick opinion poll and everybody has underestimated Kirsten Gillibrand at their own expense. We've seen her win in a district that 80000 more Republicans and then win again. And I think it's a terrific choice. And I think that when the dust settles people will recognize that nope water crosses party lines galvanizes support from independents Republicans as well as Democrats and with the good work ethic. She is a bill for the very good while brief career in public service and deserves a great deal of credit for that. It's not about a Republican a Democrat issue. Take take the partisan and the politics away. It's about public service and public service is a public trust and I

think she has earned the public trust of many voters and she will do a good job being in this position Governor. The bottom line is this with this choice. You hit the nail on the head. Congratulations. If you've never heard of Gillibrand you're not alone she's only been on the political stage for a few years so we've put together a pocket bio for you. She's 42 years old she's married to a British born businessman by the name of Jonathan Jill a brand she's got two kids. She was inspired to enter politics by her grandmother Polly Noonan who was a power broker in Albany. Her father Doug Rudnik is currently a lobbyist. Her professional background Jilla branded stands as a corporate attorney for Davis Polk and Wardwell where her client list included Philip Morris as well as Boies Schiller and Flexner and you'll remember that David Boies is best known for representing Gore in Bush v. Gore. Asked by Democrats to run a longshot campaign in 0 6 against Republican incumbent John Sweeney Sweeney imploded after charges of domestic

violence. Both Bill Clinton and Rahm Emanuel campaigned for her in the district. Democrat Gillibrand took the seat in the overwhelmingly Republican 20th district in 2008 in one of the most expensive campaigns in the country she was reelected by an overwhelming majority 62 percent to 38 percent. In a race against former GOP chairman Sandy Treadwell her voting record some downstate Democrats aren't thrilled by it. She voted against the Wall Street bailout she supports extending some of the Bush tax cuts and she is pro-gun and backed by the NRA. However some of the reasons why Paterson is choosing her not only is she a woman and from upstate New York she is against the Iraq war she has already reassured her lesbian gay bisexual and transgendered community supporters that she is behind gay marriage and she posts all of her earmark requests on the Internet. Now for some analysis of the governor's pick we're joined by Steve Greenberg former spokesman for Carl McCall and Bob Della Fiore former spokesman for George Pataki Welcome back. Thanks so much for being here. So pros and cons of the Jila brand pick one we go with Steve for the pros.

Well Kirsten Gillibrand is young. She has the ability to get a lot of seniority in the Senate over time although she's coming in as number 99. But she is energetic she is a great campaigner. She's a moderate upstate Democrat. She is a woman replacing the woman in the Senate the leadership of New York state statewide officials. We have no women we have no upstaters. Until today there was an ad and soon said that that did not weigh on his in his decision. Is that just that's hysterical so be that or what. That's his story and he's sticking to it. The truth of the matter is you know clearly the governor had made it clear that he did want a woman and I think it was important to the governor and I think it was important to the people of the state that there be upstate representation. So I think that was a factor in it but clearly she is somebody who is a hard worker very smart very good campaigner very energetic and is somebody who can represent the state very well

hopefully in partnership with Chuck Schumer with the bot's. We have Bob in the box so to speak. Well Steve is right including the governor was looking for somebody upstate and some estrogen on the ticket. But I think it seems to me that this appointment raises more questions and presents more challenges for the Democrat than it does provide closure to anything by picking a Blue Dog Democrat a so-called moderate Democrat with an A rating from the National Rifle Association. Kirsten Gillibrand is alienating in large part I would say probably 98 percent of the Democratic Party primary voters and that is almost certainly going to invite a Democratic Party primary next year for them for the full time on the seat. I'll let you finish speaking but then I want to you know I have a rebuttal. Speaking of bots you know that's fine. OK. They'll be a primary. It seems to me one of the objectives that the governor had he was to alienate as few Democratic constituent groups as possible and it seems like today there are many many upset people about this you've seen from Tauriel pages warning about the process how he's handled this is treatment. Caroline Kennedy no question about it.

It was not the smoothest takeoff in the history of American politics that's for sure. So so there were still a lot of questions and you wonder now that the most could be upset the Kennedys are upset Caroline Kennedy was very close to the president you have to wonder what the president's people were thinking what's going on up in Albany and how these things are being handled so there are a lot of open questions and challenges that Kirsten Gillibrand the Paterson administration and the Democrats in New York have to deal with going forward. I think that let's talk about the first issues and that is that she is a Blue Dog Democrat meaning you know fiscally conservative. She's a pro guns actually gets money from the NRA and has some very you know conservative voting record. However people need to know about her weird claw shaped gerrymander districts the 20th Congressional District and it in comp is what Washington County which is you know farms rural conservative as well as Columbia County south of Albany which is more liberal. So what can you tell

us about the district and what she has to do to be elected twice there. Well this is one of the most Republican. And rolled congressional districts in New York's New York State. Forty one percent of the voters in that district are Republican. Only 26 percent of the voters in that district are Democrats Republicans. Seventy thousand more Republicans than Democrats. She beat an incumbent Republican congressman to win the district after he beat his wife for allegedly beat his wife and there was a nine one one call and you know irrespective of the facts and details you know irrespective of what happened the bottom line is she beat a Republican incumbent congressman in a district with 70000 more Republicans than Democrats. Then last year in November she handily beat the former state Republican chairman who self-financed his campaign to the tune of four five million dollars. So she clearly is a good campaigner she is she was right in terms of being a Democrat in that district as and as you said it's a

really funky shaped district. Now the question is and I think Bob you alluded to this earlier. What will we see going forward from Senator Mitchell a brand now that she has a statewide constituency and it's not unusual to see this. We saw with David Paterson our who is a very liberal. Up her Manhattan state senator for 20 years then spend and now becomes governor and becomes FIS much more fiscally conservative so it's not unusual for people's views to change a little bit when they when they go from representing a district to representing the whole state and I think we'll see that. So I'm betting that we're going to hear Kiersten Jila brand's name along with the word evolution a lot in the next couple of years in terms of her positions because many of her positions will probably evolve now that she has a different constituency comments. I wouldn't say they're going to evolve because she has a different constituency I'll say they're evolved as a different political objective and this is now to win a Democratic primary for this seat which is almost I don't know Steve

Steve can say better than this but I don't know when the last time a candidate with an A rating from the National Rifle Association won a Democratic Party primary in New York state a state wide Democratic primary. I would probably say never and I mean and that is a hard thing to evolve on you know either you're getting a rating from the NRA. Yeah I don't think you got an A rating but I think he gets a rating from the NRA. Well they are going to be pretty positive. Well but but he also is not running statewide. I think Bob's point is well taken. But first of all we don't know who her opponents are going to be in that primary I mean that's an important factor. But I thought Congresswoman Sheila brand dealt with it very well in her introductory press conference with Governor Paterson when she talked about Carolyn McCarthy who a congresswoman from Long Island who is most known for being anti-gun given what happened to her husband when she got killed. That was the impetus for her going to Congress. She said she looks forward to working with Congresswoman McCarthy on her anti gun legislation. So I mean I think you're going to see from from Senator Jilla

brand some different positions. Now just so you know Carolyn McCarthy has already said that she's thinking about throwing her hat in the ring to primary Jell-O brand in 2010 as is borrow President Scott Scott Stringer Manhattan borough president also thinking about running a primary against her so that he might have been a way to light a fuse that what people say on day one versus what they do a year and a half from now not necessarily the same thing. Clearly Kirsten Gillibrand is a skilled politician she comes from. A legendary political family in the Capital Region she she has she has all the capabilities to be a great politician and it's from those politicians from whom you see the evolution of positions like this to get ready for an election and let's not forget she has two very strong backers in Chuck Schumer and David Paterson. And those are the two people who control the state Democratic Party. Not to say they can't that they can block a primary not to say they can control the outcome of the primary. But you have two people who now have a vested interest in helping the new senator hold on

to her Senate seat. I thought it was interesting to see both Al D'Amato former senator and you knock Schumer Al D'Amato former senator right there behind her she's going to be easy in every shot with her along with Chuck Schumer Senator pothole returns why is he there. Bob you know that is one heck of a question. He is a he has longtime friends with Kirsten Gillibrand family he's a former U.S. senator I think that kind of gives him some standing based on his old job in his current job as a consultant as a lobbyist. He clearly has an interest in who is the U.S. Senate. I mean I'm the Democrat in the room but let me let me say I don't think that the governor's staff set up a great event to bring out the new senator. I think the picture look much more like a campaign rally than the appointment of a United States senator which is clearly a government event. And the pictures the fact that the

Congresswoman Sheila Brown came up to hear the microphones were blocking half of her face. I mean I just don't think they set up a great a great rollout for her but now it's incumbent upon her to do her own rollout now as the senator she gets the ability to travel around the state and really introduce herself she gets to New Yorkers formulate her own message. So you mentioned her family twice. Quickly a little bit of her lineage. Oh she mentioned in her in her presentation today her grandmother is Holly and Holly Noonan the granddaughter of the Albany Democratic Party machine. A close confidant of Harasta scorning who is the Albany mayor for 41 years as a Democrat really the brains and the brawn behind one of the most powerful Democratic party machines in the country which existed in Albany County for most of the last 100 years. Yet she still has these Republican ties as you saw from all of the Republicans that were on stage behind her not only Alfonse D'Amato But Maggie Brooks who is the Monroe County executive in George Amador who is an assemblyman. Why does she have such strong Republican

connections. I'm sure it's probably personal contacts I can't say why you know Maggie Bush was there with George Amador but but it was kind of was mostly a Democratic love and I think Steve makes a good point I was waiting for a balloon drop and confetti that come from the ceiling because it seemed so raw raw. Yeah it seemed like like like you'd see like you see at a summer convention. Let's talk about who is going to fill Kiersten Jell-O brand seat it's all the it's like this ripple effect. Do we have enough time to go through the news if there is no now to their name. Who who is it. Well I mean you have on the Republican side certainly you have a lot of names out there you have Sandy Treadwell who Gillibrand beat this past November for a rich businessman former Republican state chairman monitor George Pataki. You have Jim to disco the assembly minority leader. You have a number of other local elected officials from one end of the district to the other senator Betty Little senator. It's not Senator and then he went on. So I mean I think we're going to see

a lot of people. The interesting thing here is unlike for Senator where the governor gets to make an appointment if there's a vacancy when there's a vacancy for a congressional seat there's actually a special election with democracy. But but there is no primary. So what happens is the party chairman from each of the six or seven counties in this district have to get together and choose a candidate. So there is no primary so the Republican leaders from these counties will get together and choose the Republican candidate the Democratic leaders from these counties will get together and choose the Democratic candidate. Then we have a general special election. Interesting observation Steve you have now two of the Republicans. That probably of no one is John Fassel who is a Republican candidate for governor in 2006 and ended up being right about most of what Eliot Spitzer was up to. We're going to get back to that point too and here's one you don't hear much is George Pataki George Pataki. Those congressional seats. I'm jumping ahead for the sanity. OK so George Pataki wants the Senate seat. Is he going to run against Hillary.

I think it's a long time off but I think I mean have you talked to him. I have not talked about this no but I've seen this I've seen his name out there and I would not be surprised if it's if it's something that would get circulated what have you heard in back channels that he's going to be running. I don't discuss much but I have seen it out there in the paper yes. If you a few other names for the congressional seat include the Saratoga former Saratoga mayor Valerie Kane. But this is so much more interesting I mean it's just on the congressional seat look this is this is this is a this is a this is a seat with 70000 more Republicans 65 70000 was out against a Democrat. It is a Republican seat is one of most Republican seats in the state. As Stephen said it would be very unlikely you would have to have lightning strike you'd have to have say an October surprise leaked State Police report about the mystic violence event just five or six days before the election to turn something like that so I was referring to something that actually happened. But that's an October surprise based on fact. Yeah I mean he actually there were an actual police report that caught a former Congressman Sweeney had beaten his wife.

So you know it's not a knock out usually when we refer to the October Surprise it's sort of a manufactured thing. Let's move on or actually let's move backwards real quickly before we move to. Former Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno's indictment. How badly has this damaged Paterson this entire parade of you know botched puppy are going to go for you guys. The governor's been very upset about the term accidental governor but because of the way he took office and he gave a speech where he complained or gave an interview he complained about the use of the term. The trouble now is that I think he's been seen as an indecisive governor here. This process has gone on for weeks and granted he had some legitimate reasons to not want to name a successor until after Hillary Clinton was confirmed as secretary of state. But he said he is he really into you know he referenced it in his remarks he said this sort of public processing of who he is how he was thinking about this and when he was going to make a decision and then the signals were sent that it was going to be

Caroline Kennedy and then through the events of this week after Caroline Kennedy dropped out. The newspapers say the Patersons people were out there. So you're talking to open. No I'm not saying these to open. I'm saying that the last step of this is the last over the last the last few days really almost a character attack on Caroline Kennedy and the governor's people talking to reporters off the record about her financial tax issues or a nanny issue and even raising issues of you know the deepest parts of her personal life and I think it's I think it's led led some people to think that this was a governor who did not have this process under control. Is it going to hurt him in 2010. Look poll polls will show that and you know and we'll have to see he's going he's going from going from a bumpy episode a few months ago with his chief of staff to a very bumpy episode now that they try to deal with it with the Democratic convention party convention like Loven. Now he's going to go into a very nasty difficult budget

situation. He does not have an easy job politically and governmentally also having a bad day. Today is Joe Bruno He's former Senate majority leader he was eight counts of indictment on wire and mail fraud. And I was hoping that we could talk about this a little bit he this is an FBI investigation that's been going on for how long. For a long time at least three years. Yes. And what does it revolve around. Are you familiar with it. Well the indictment just came down today in fact we have a copy of the indictment right here that we were able to print off the Times-Union Web site that's the Albany Times Union that's a picture of former Senate majority leader job or an R right there who is a consultant right now. But there's a right Investor Services that he was working for in Connecticut. Well I mean the the general outline of this is that the Fed the Federal prosecutors are alleging that he misused his authority as his office as a state senator and state

Senate majority leader to personally gain for himself and they're alleging that he made upwards of more than three million dollars over a 10 or 12 year period that was inappropriate. It's an indictment. Let's remember we still live in America and that you're innocent till proven. Absolutely and he's entitled to it. You know a trial in front of a jury of his peers and we'll see what the outcome of that is. But certainly you know it is a blemish for him to have to go through this ordeal right now. So he is being accused of making deals with with unions like SEIU eleven ninety nine that they would invest in with his Can his consulting company that for whom he was a consultant. They were they would invest their funds with his clients Yes. And as a result and he would you know he would get paid from his clients for the investments that labor unions who had really business before state government would give to his clients.

All right. More on this on next week's show but we have about 20 seconds. Real quickly is Governor Paterson going to bounce back from this. It remains to be seen. I hate to have to chicken out on it but it you know I just don't know yet. We all have a few seconds now I think Governor Paterson this is a blip on the radar screen I mean we don't know but I think the public doesn't really care about the process what they care about is how he deals with the budget etc.. All right Bob Ela Fiore and Steve Greenberg thanks so much for joining me. That brings us to our poll question of the week Do you support Governor Paterson's pick for the Senate. Vote on line at w m h t dot org slash New York now or just write to me at NY now at W-M H.T. dot org. Last week we asked what letter grade would you give Hillary Clinton during her time as New York senator. Of the people who responded to our online web poll 18 percent gave the new secretary of state and a 15 percent to be 4 percent said Clinton was an average senator. Thirty three percent thought she rated A D and 30 percent gave the former first lady an F and and there was some

other news unfolding at the Capitol this week New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg made his annual trip to Albany where he testified before the assembly Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committees. Bloomberg told legislators that the governor's proposed budget would have a devastating effect on the people of the Big Apple. This budget includes some smart proposals but unfortunately it includes some serious flaws. And I want to talk about those first and then talk about the part of the governor's budget which we will do everything we can to help him enact. I think in the governor's budget sadly in too many instances it uses the state's fiscal crisis as an excuse to shift state expenses to New York's localities in many cases permanently. Also an even more distressing New York City residents would shoulder a disproportionately heavy share of service cuts and changes in revenue sharing which would force us to raise taxes locally. You know I understand that all localities are being asked to take a bitter pill but I don't think it's fair that New York City should be asked to

swallow an entire bottle. Bloomberg said Paterson spending plan would produce a loss of 1.6 billion dollars for the city and stressed that the task of closing the state's 15 billion dollar budget deficit should not be New York City as a lot of these burdens have to be shared equally and fairly. The city certainly shouldn't be penalize for showing the good sense we have been anticipating this recession and trimming our own budget already. Nor should Albany overburden a city economy that while straining remains the state's economic engine. In the short term that would mean both pious city taxes and also thousands fewer police officers firefighters and teachers all compounding the effect of the local of the recession. And in the long run it would make it much harder for the city's financial services industry to rebuild itself. Make no mistake about it raising taxes on those with the flexibility to move their

businesses as was done in previous crises will lead to an exodus that will hurt our city for decades and had devastating consequences for the entire state. That's all the time we have for this week the reporter roundtable will return next time. Until then have a super week. Funding for New York now is provided by the New York State Health Insurance Program operating New York State Public employers and employees. The employer plan A plan is great as the Empire State United University professions represents thirty three thousand

academic and professional faculty and all state operated campuses of the State University of New York. U-V is the union that makes SUNY work more morning are all enjoying next generation technology thanks to the rise and ongoing investment in its all fiber network. The rise of files provides Internet and video services additional funding provided by w o n e t. SO BORED BORED New York nows website comes from Philips Lytle. Hi I'm Susan are better with this week's New York now full question. This week we're asking do you support Governor

Paterson's pick for the Senate. Cast your vote and read or comment on my blog at New York nails Web site h t dot org slash New York now. I would love to hear from you. You can also e-mail me and y now at WMATA dot org and join me for the results of this week's call. Next time on New York now.