Chuck Schumer - Senator from GOP?

[placton]

Has anyone else noticed the disturbing habit of the senior senator from NY state, to support wingers? The new senator from his state will make Hillary look like a member of the Weather Underground. And Chuckie LUVS her

on the Chief Justice: "Your knowledge of law and the way you present it is a tour de force. You may very well possess the most powerful intellect of any person to come before the Senate for this position." Yeah, the guy who cannot read the Constitution.

Schumer is often "shocked, shocked I tell you," when he finds that people he supported are really wingers: "U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts and Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito "duped" the U.S. Senate into confirming them, a top Democratic lawmaker charged on Friday, days after a key Republican questioned if they had lived up to their promises." Yep, the Chuckster - who coulda known?

And then there was Treasury Secretary Paulson (you remember: "let's give it all to the rich - all $750 billion of the bailout"?): "Sen. Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said in a statement that he had spoken with Paulson after the nomination was announced and pledged his support.

"His experience, intelligence, and deep understanding of national and global economic issues make him the best pick America could have hoped for to deal with the difficult economic problems the country faces," Schumer said.

And now he supports Blue Dog Gillibrand for the senate: "Ironically, Chuck Schumer, who defeated D'Amato in 1998, is said to be Gillibrand's top Democratic champion. What's even more ironic is that Gillibrand has a one hundred percent rating from the National Rifle Association"

Gillibrand has described her own voting record as "one of the most conservative in the state." She opposes any path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, supports renewing the Bush tax cuts for individuals earning up to $1 million annually, and voted for the Bush-backed FISA bill that permits wiretapping of international calls. She was one of four Democratic freshmen in the country, and the only Democrat in the New York delegation, to vote for the Bush administration's bill to extend funding for the Iraq war shortly after she entered congress in 2007. While she now contends that she's always opposed the war and has voted for bills to end it, one upstate paper reported when she first ran for the seat: "She said she supports the war in Iraq." In addition to her vote to extend funding, she also missed a key vote to override a Bush veto of a Democratic bill with Iraq timetables.

With friends like Schumer, who needs enemies?

[ShortnFiery]

1. We need to keep informing the good People of NY State: Vote both Patterson and Gillibrand OUT ...

in their next Democratic Primary. I'm not going to hold out hope that DLCer Chuck Schumer can lose his seat but we don't need TWO right wing, pro-war and big business democrats representing the proud PROGRESSIVE state of New York.

[SoCalDem]

3. She'll have an opponent, and in '10.. McCarthy, I think

he probably won't when his term is up..

Patterson will probably lose to Hiuliani or maybe Bloomberg?

[TreasonousBastard]

8. McCarthy threatened a primary battle over...

gun control if Gillibrand got the seat. Considering how well the last primary challenger to Hillary fared, this is a windmill not to be tilted.

I suspect she will be having many "discussions" about such a challenge if she doesn't wake up by herself.

Bloomberg would be a serious threat to Paterson, but I doubt Rudy would do too well. Dunno the statewide results without looking them up, but in my ED with about 600 Republicans, Rudy got exactly ONE vote in last year's presidential primary.

[TreasonousBastard]

5. As one of the "good people of NY State," I would...

kindly request the rest of the country to mind its own business and watch its own politicians. New York City might be "progressive" (aside from that dalliance with Prince Rudy) but people could be forgiven for mistaking large parts of upstate for rural Alabama-- the part that threw out Cuomo and re-elcted Pataki how many times...

I never liked Schumer much, but I do kinda like Paterson and am giving Gillibrand the benefit of the doubt for now.

(Even though Paterson's latest budget proposal eliminates all state funding for zoos, arboretums, and botanical gardens)

[SoCalDem]

2. The good-ole-boy network knows no party..

We actually could benefit from the congress of old.. when senators spoke frankly to each other, and occasionally took out a cane :evilgrin:

[ejpoeta]

4. sure would be entertaining!!!

real world: washington. LOL!!! what a great reality show that would be.

[TreasonousBastard]

6. Actually, Schumer is not so much...

a rightwing ally as a big mouth who can't step out of the limelight or away from the mike for more than five minutes at a time. A publicity hound worse than your typical Hollywood nightmare. Such types are bound to fall into the wrong holes at times.

As far as Gillibrand goes, she upset a Republican in a very conservative district (admittedly with some help from a domestic abuse scandal) and won re-election handily. Tough to tell how many of her votes and positions are hers or bones she throws at her constituents. I don't agree with all of her positions, but such is life-- she looks like a team player most of the time.

She has the two required qualities for a Senator-- prodigious fundraising ability (thanks largely to her Clinton connection) and she'a a ferocious campaigner. Paterson no doubt thinks she will be an asset, and owes him bigtime, when he is up for re-election.

[w4rma]

7. She supports tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy? That's the dealbreaker for me.

But, even if it wasn't she's going to wish she had stayed in her House seat after she loses her next primary.