think Gillibrand has no republican ties -- think again

[FLAprogressive]

From the Huffington Post:

"The irony is that Paterson may be swinging from the nation's most prominent Democratic family to one with strong Republican ties. Gillibrand's father, Doug Rutnik, is an Albany insider and lobbyist whose ties to former GOP powerhouses Joe Bruno, George Pataki and Al D'Amato are legendary. In fact, Gillibrand won her seat when a state police domestic violence report about the GOP incumbent, John Sweeney, was mysteriously leaked, ostensibly with the acquiescence of the Pataki administration, which had its own reasons to oppose Sweeney. Bruno is under federal investigation now, and some of the subpoenas in the case involved a real estate deal that partnered Rutnik with Bruno and another lobbyist. Rutnik dated, and eventually lived with, a top Pataki and D'Amato aide for many years, until he broke up with her in 2006 to marry a cousin of his, Gwen Lee, who'd worked in high-paying state jobs secured by the same aide. Rutnik and D'Amato have been registered lobbyists for some of the same clients."

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no...she's a "liberal"....not a corporate GOP-lite Blue Dog. :sarcasm:

[Muttocracy]

1. I don't want to judge people on their families. My concern is the GOPers for whom she worked althou

although that may have been due to who was representing NY at the time.

[Cetacea]

2. Why was D'Amato standing by her side, giving "thumbs up"

signals to someone in attendance. I though he went away after the HUD scandals.