The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Politics & RKBA => Topic started by: Fatman on January 23, 2009, 12:54:56 PM
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Anyone that annoys McCarthy is a friend of mine! Here's hoping that her statement about 'supporting gun control but protecting hunter's rights' simply means status quo. After all, NY allows PIFs/EBRs with 8 round mags for hunting. ;D
People in NY, please give her your opinion.
NY gov picks upstate NY congresswoman to Senate
By MICHAEL GORMLEY, Associated Press Writer Michael Gormley, Associated Press Writer 4 mins ago
ALBANY, N.Y. – Gov. David Paterson appointed Democratic U.S. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand on Friday to fill New York's vacant Senate seat, finally settling on a woman from a largely rural, eastern district of the state to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton.
"For many in New York state, this is the first time you've heard my name and you don't know much about me," Gillibrand said at a ceremony in Albany. "Over the next two years, you will get to know me. And, more importantly, I will get to know you."
The appointment, which requires no further confirmation, came one day after Caroline Kennedy, daughter of President John F. Kennedy, abruptly withdrew from consideration.
Gillibrand, 42, has been considered one of the top contenders in Paterson's selection process, along with Kennedy and state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. Gillibrand had served as Cuomo's special counsel when he was housing secretary under President Clinton and she worked on Hillary Rodham Clinton's first Senate campaign in 2000.
Paying tribute to her predecessor, Gillibrand said: "I can't tell you how many times she has personally inspired me to action."
Paterson stressed that he didn't choose Gillibrand because she was a woman or from upstate New York. "I believe I have found the best candidate to become the next United States senator from New York," he said.
The appointment lasts until 2010, when a special election will be held to fill the final two years of Clinton's term. Clinton is now serving as secretary of state in President Barack Obama's administration.
Kennedy, the daughter of the late President John F. Kennedy, called the governor around midday Wednesday and told him she was having second thoughts about the job, according to a person close to Paterson, who said she later decided to remain in contention, only to announce her withdrawal early Thursday in an e-mail.
U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, who wasn't among the 10 to 20 people Paterson said applied for the Senate appointment, immediately criticized the expected pick. McCarthy, whose husband was killed by a gunman on the Long Island Railroad, said Gillibrand's support of more conservative issues such as gun ownership rights was out of step with most New York Democrats.
During the news conference, Gillibrand complimented all of the state's female House delegation, and offered an olive branch to McCarthy, who she said has "provided outstanding leadership in fighting against gun violence and keeping our children safe. I pledge to work with her on her signature bill for updating background checks to keep guns out of the hands of criminals."
Near the end of her statement, Gillibrand again brought up the issue again, saying she would support gun control "but also protect our hunters' rights."
Despite criticism from some corners, Gillibrand is a proven vote-getter in a largely rural eastern New York district that sprawls from the mid-Hudson Valley to north of Albany. She defeated a long-term Republican incumbent in 2006 and won re-election last year by a wide margin.
"Gender plus geography equals Gillibrand," said Doug Muzzio, a political science professor at Baruch College. He said her upstate base would help Paterson's 2010 ticket, which otherwise would be dominated by New York City residents like himself.
"On the minus side, she's an unproven statewide vote-getter, a conservative `Blue Dog' Democrat who could face a primary challenge in 2010 and face a tough general election," Muzzio said.
Paterson has said he hopes to avoid a party challenge to the appointment, saying he wants his choice to be good enough to hold the seat for a decade or more.
Gillibrand, 42, becomes the only woman on a ticket that will include Paterson, Cuomo, Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and senior U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer.
The pick came after a week in which Kennedy surprisingly withdrew from consideration and Paterson revealed he was considering Cuomo, who had refused to publicly express his interest. In the end, Paterson chose the up-and-comer over more established names.
But Paterson has said the first task of a new U.S. senator should be bringing more aid in the federal stimulus package back to New York. It's uncertain that Gillibrand has the background or pull to do that.
She voted last year against the $700 billion Wall Street bailout bill.
This consideration, as the state faces a historic fiscal crisis, was considered a strength for Kennedy, who is close to President Barack Obama and may have been owed a favor for her early endorsement of him; and Cuomo, who has ties and experience in Washington as President Bill Clinton's former housing secretary.
Gillibrand was an official in the Housing and Urban Development Department during the Clinton administration. She worked as a lawyer before challenging Republican John Sweeney in 2006 to represent New York's 20th District. Her upset win came after a police report showing that Sweeney's wife had called 911 in what appeared to be a domestic violence incident was leaked shortly before the election.
In November, Gillibrand defeated wealthy General Electric heir Sandy Treadwell. The former state Republican chairman was seen as one of the Republican Party's best chances to capture a congressional seat in New York.
Gillibrand graduated from Dartmouth College in 1988 and earned a law degree at UCLA in 1991. She is the daughter of Albany lobbyist Douglas Rutnik.
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It is a surprise that Gov. Paterson picked her. But it has been circulating for a couple of days now.
What surprises me is how inept the NRA state organization handled this pick. The New York State Rifle & Pistol Assoc. had ZERO mention of it on their website. They made NO attempt to openly support her. They made NO call to the membership to reach out to the Governors office. They had ZERO coverage from NY press on the selection. I called and emailed the Governor and the Representatives office the other day supporting her appt. on my own. I reached out to the NYSRPA President and got NO reply.
I get so depressed sometimes in this fight. We have lots of folks who own guns, even run organizations that supposedly represent us, that just fail time and again to do the right thing. There seems to be few co-ordinated efforts to mobilize gun owners in mass. I said it before on this forum and my own blog that if we loose this fight it will be because of how our fellow gun owners/organizations act (or in this case don't act).
I hope she lives up to my expectations for her. One more vote in the Senate for us can mean a lot.
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Kirsten Gillibrand is backed by the NRA:
http://www.nraila.org/News/Read/InTheNews.aspx?ID=12036
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It IS a pleasant surprise. I heard part of the news conference where the announcement was made and she said, "I come from a family that usually shoots the thanksgiving turkey." Gotta love that. A state senator is already screaming about it and calling her an , "NRA Poster Girl". Of course the other senator lost her husband and son to a subway shooting, so she equates anyone who beleives in 2A with gun violence.
Anyway, pleasant surprise, and a good thing for New York State.
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It IS a pleasant surprise. I heard part of the news conference where the announcement was made and she said, "I come from a family that usually shoots the thanksgiving turkey." Gotta love that. A state senator is already screaming about it and calling her an , "NRA Poster Girl". Of course the other senator lost her husband and son to a subway shooting, so she equates anyone who beleives in 2A with gun violence.
Anyway, pleasant surprise, and a good thing for New York State.
She, of ALL people should be leading the fight against VIOLENT OFFENDERS, instead of harassing FBI certified good citizens who merely wish to exercise their Constitutionally guaranteed God given rights.
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ABC News radio report this evening identified her as a "card carrying" member of the NRA ??? I'm a Life Member and a recruiter, but I have never heard of "card carrying." Gotta love the spin!
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Like everyone here, I was surprised at the pick for senate seat from NY. And even more surprising was this tidbit of information from New York Post:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/01232009/news/politics/dave_picks_gillibrand_as_liberal_dems_ho_151502.htm
"Gillibrand, a mother of two occasionally resented by colleagues for being an aggressive self-promoter, was strongly backed for the post by Charles Schumer, the state's senior senator, who said a woman and an upstater was needed on next year's ticket."
You read that correctly- Charles "PIF Ban" Schumer. One has to ask, "What are these weasels up to?" My take is they have discovered what I have long feared: To ensure their majority status, they will back and support more conservative Dems to office where they believe they can unseat a moderate or liberal Republican. In essence, they are returning to the way they were in the 40's - 60's: big on national defense and pro-2A, while pushing a huge socialist agenda elsewhere. The sad truth is that millions of Americans went for it then and they will go for it now. Also don't be too surprised in the future to see Republicans jumping ship so they can have more clout.
As far as the 2A goes, this pick is good- provided she doesn't vote for a PIF ban or vote for an anti-2A SCOTUS justice. Like someone mentioned earlier about the NRA, I did not see anything about it on their website earlier today. It makes me wonder if the NRA has made some kind of deal with the Dems.....
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I saw PIF mentioned a few times in this thread. Will someone please explain to a simple man what PIF stands for. Thanks.
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I saw PIF mentioned a few times in this thread. Will someone please explain to a simple man what PIF stands for. Thanks.
Politically Incorrect Firearm if I remember correctly, but feel free to correct me.
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I saw PIF mentioned a few times in this thread. Will someone please explain to a simple man what PIF stands for. Thanks.
Politically Incorrect Firearm; ie any firearm that makes an uneducated person nervous based on its appearance or the misconceptions fostered by the antis.
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Like someone mentioned earlier about the NRA, I did not see anything about it on their website earlier today. It makes me wonder if the NRA has made some kind of deal with the Dems.....
Fullauto don't misconstrue my earlier comment. Situations like this are the responsibility of the STATE organization. I was blasting the NY state organization. They are the ones that should be doing the grassroots work. The NRA's main focus should be the national scene and Fed policy.
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Fullauto don't misconstrue my earlier comment. Situations like this are the responsibility of the STATE organization. I was blasting the NY state organization. They are the ones that should be doing the grassroots work. The NRA's main focus should be the national scene and Fed policy.
I was talking about the national organization, and a U.S. Senate seat is about as "national" as it gets.
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I was talking about the national organization, and a U.S. Senate seat is about as "national" as it gets.
Funny, isn't it? The Founders intended for senators to be picked by the state legislature to watch out for that state's interests. But that pooch was screwed by the 17th amendment, and now we get stuck with Senators watching out for their parties national interests. Maybe their terms need to be shortened to 4 years, running between presidential elections to avoid 'coattails' and nitwit voters.
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Kirsten Gillibrand is backed by the NRA:
http://www.nraila.org/News/Read/InTheNews.aspx?ID=12036
The NRA also backed my former SINator Gordon Smith with an A- rating even though Smith voted for the renewal of the AWB in 2004.
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The NRA also backed my former SINator Gordon Smith with an A- rating even though Smith voted for the renewal of the AWB in 2004.
Here's some more info on Gillibrand:
http://www.freep.com/article/20090124/NEWS15/901240342/1285/Gillibrand+appointed+to+Senate+vacancy
According to the article, she voted against a PIF ban, which is good. She states that she supports women's rights (I suppose that includes abortion) and same sex marriage. Now its starting to make more sense. The two things that are sacrosanct to liberal/progressives are death and sex; the one exception to that is capital punishment. If she is willing to keep Roe vs. Wade and vote for gay marriage, they can stomach her views on guns....for now.....
About Gordon Smith:
I wonder if the A- rating was before or after the vote. If the rating was after the vote, that is outrageous! Anyone who votes to ban a category of weapons should get an "F".
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I knew something was up about her when I found out that Schumer had pushed Paterson hard for her appointment. We'll see what her true colors are once she's in there.
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Gay marriage doesn't concern me, Gun rights DO.
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as a NY'er (against my will :) ) If the NYSR&PA or the NRA had come out with a big show of support she wouldn't have gotten the nomination from paterson, by keeping it low key they got us an ally in the senate. That's just my own opinion.
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Here's some more info on Gillibrand:
http://www.freep.com/article/20090124/NEWS15/901240342/1285/Gillibrand+appointed+to+Senate+vacancy
According to the article, she voted against a PIF ban, which is good. She states that she supports women's rights (I suppose that includes abortion) and same sex marriage. Now its starting to make more sense. The two things that are sacrosanct to liberal/progressives are death and sex; the one exception to that is capital punishment. If she is willing to keep Roe vs. Wade and vote for gay marriage, they can stomach her views on guns....for now.....
About Gordon Smith:
I wonder if the A- rating was before or after the vote. If the rating was after the vote, that is outrageous! Anyone who votes to ban a category of weapons should get an "F".
I received an orange card from the NRA before the 2008 elections stating Smith has an A- rating. The New York pick for SINator may or may not be a good one for gun owners and only time will tell.
Here's a quote from her:
At the news conference, Gillibrand commended McCarthy for her "outstanding leadership in fighting against gun violence and keeping our children safe," and added: "I pledge to work with her on her signature bill for updating background checks to keep guns out of the hands of criminals." Gillibrand said she would support gun control "but also protect our hunters' rights."
Little-known congresswoman picked for Clinton seat (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090123/ap_on_re_us/ny_senate_seat)
Any time I hear a supposed pro gunner talk about hunters rights it raises a red flag, same can be said about keeping guns out of the criminals hands since we all know gun control doesn't accomplish that.
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as a NY'er (against my will :) ) If the NYSR&PA or the NRA had come out with a big show of support she wouldn't have gotten the nomination from paterson, by keeping it low key they got us an ally in the senate. That's just my own opinion.
I agree Majer, any public support from the NRA or NYSRPA would have killed her chances. She's not perfect but the best by far we could have hoped for. The other benefit is we probably pick up a pro 2A'er for the 20th congressional district in the speciial election as well.
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People, People,People....(Sigh).
We are being snookered big time by Chuckie S. This lady for all her blatherings is simply a FUDD. A Jim Zumbo clone. She is no friend to our cause.
The Dems have figured out how to retain power, find Quislings like Ms G to capture seats in normally Conservative (Not Republican mind you, Conservative) districts. This is happening in CD's all over, even My district in PA.
She is a hunter, big deal, The 2nd Amendment is not about hunting, as many of you good folks have said many times(You too Mikey).
Not that the RINO's in NY who call themselves Republicans are even worthy of consideration. The Repubs are almost extinct in NY, much to the distress of the upstate (Red) regions who are trampled on by downstate (Blue) interests.
Mr Magoo Gov Patterson is either very shrewd or more likely taking marching orders from Chuckie. Chuckie has his agenda and will do what is needed to keep his party in power. This appointment gives the NY state democraps the opportunity to appeal to the upstate folks that they aren't all bad and are looking out for them. Hey, we like guns too doncha know, see your new senator is a hunter, her mammy shoots turkeys. Meanwhile they are planning a whole host of new "Sensible gun laws" to cut off our privates.
Noo Yawk still has the AWB on it's books.
Believe me the NYSRPA and the NRA are smart by staying out of this. The NRA folks in Noo Yawk know the score, best to keep our mouth shut and work the system.
When the Dems, led by Chuckie, have all the power they will come down on our cause hard and we will have no effective opposition.
Ever notice every time Harry Reid is on the toob Chuckie is there over his shoulder. Chuckie is the real power in the Senate.
As to McCarthy, who lost her Estranged hubby to Colin Ferguson and had her son partially paralyzed in the same incident, she is the most useless meat pile in the Congress. Has done nothing for the State or her district, yet gets reelected in the CD that has the highest number of Pistol Permits in the State!!!
Once again, this lady is a FUDD. Bye Bye AR's
HH, who escaped from Noo Yawk on '03.
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Harmony, great post for a newbie. I haven't been worked up enough to pursue her background. I did read that Chuckie had pushed her hard time to Paterson, and Paterson, being a good lib, would not pick a Sarah Palin type. As I noted previously, we will see what her true colors are, esp. embracing other liberal causes. I think you may have hit the nail on the head, esp. fiven her comment to McKinney.
Fight on!
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ABC Spins New Empire State Senator as
'Conservative Democrat'
On Friday's Good Morning America, reporter John Berman spun U.S. Representative Kristen Gillibrand, the soon-to-be announced Senator from New York, as a "conservative Democrat." Although she is only beginning her second term in the House, Gillibrand has been endorsed by the aggressively pro-abortion group NARAL: www.prochoiceamerica.org
According to the New York Observer, she supports gay marriage.
Additionally, the American Conservative Union (ACU) ranked her voting record as a meager eight: www.acuratings.org
I will never support those who support the murder of babies, and I will never support a person who supports nasty grotesque sodomites.
http://www.mrc.org/cyberalerts/2009/cyb20090126.asp#2
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From the http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/women/
Obama supports a Woman's Right to Choose: President Obama understands that abortion is a divisive issue, and respects those who disagree with him. However, he has been a consistent champion of reproductive choice and will make preserving women's rights under Roe v. Wade a priority in his Adminstration. He opposes any constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's decision in that case. - President B.H. Obama
You know, sometimes, I get the idea that I’m the only person in America who can clearly see both sides of the abortion issue. Or, to put it another way, I think the zealots on both sides of the controversy should be hosed down until they come to their senses.
Frankly, I wish that a woman’s right to have an abortion had never become a national issue and that the Supreme Court had kept its nose out of it. But the justices of the Supreme Court long ago gave up even the pretense of merely interpreting the Constitution in favor of creating legislation. And who can blame them? In Hollywood, after all, everybody wants to direct. In Washington, everybody wants to make laws. In both cases, it’s the natural human inclination to boss people around.
It has become such a major and divisive issue that I sometimes think that if liberals didn’t have their pro-abortion platform to rally around, the Democrats would go the way of the Whigs and the Bull Moose.
I can understand why the right to legal abortions is so important to so many women. The nightmarish memories of backroom operations performed by butchers remain too vivid to be forgotten. As a man, I am convinced that abortions would be readily available in all 50 states if men were the ones who got pregnant.
However, I can also understand why some people regard abortions as immoral. Where the so-called pro-lifers go wrong is in equating abortion with cold-blooded murder. If that were truly the case, people who killed abortionists would be heroes, not lunatics, and people who did not kill abortionists would be cowards. Right?
Here, then, is my own take on the subject: I think the voters in each state should decide the law. I believe that no minor should have one performed without parental consent; it is bizarre to imagine that a teenager should require a parent’s consent to have a tooth removed, but not a fetus. I think if an unmarried woman has the sole authority to abort or not to abort, she then has no right to demand child support of her sex partner. However, I would have a Siring Tax. Society should not do anything to encourage illegitimacy, either by providing the mother with an annuity or allowing the father a free ride.
As people once argued over how many angels could dance on the head of a pin, they now argue over when a fetus becomes a human being. At one extreme, we have Norman Mailer, who regards masturbation as immoral because he holds his sperm in such high regard. Then we have those at the other end of the spectrum, who argue that so long as the fetus is in the womb, abortion is a viable option. So far as they’re concerned, the difference between a perfectly legal medical procedure and murder can be a matter of minutes.
For my part, the pro-abortion crowd surrenders the moral high ground every time that insist that a woman has an inalienable right to do what she will with her own body, and that removing a fetus is the same as removing a wart. No wart, these feminists should be reminded, ever became a living, breathing child. Nobody ever celebrated the announcement that a wife, daughter, sister, niece or friend, had just discovered she had a wart. Nobody ever painted a room pink, bought out a toy store and threw a party, in anticipation of a wart.
And nobody ever named a wart “Junior.”
Voting record of Barrack Obama on this issue
--Ok for state to restrict late-term partial birth abortion. (Apr 2008)
--We can find common ground between pro-choice and pro-life. (Apr 2008)
--Undecided on whether life begins at conception. (Apr 2008)
--Teach teens about abstinence and also about contraception. (Apr 2008)
--GovWatch: Obama's "present" votes were a requested strategy. (Feb 2008)
--Expand access to contraception; reduce unintended pregnancy. (Feb 2008)
--Rated 100% by NARAL on pro-choice votes in 2005, 2006 & 2007. (Jan 2008)
--Voted against banning partial birth abortion. (Oct 2007)
--Stem cells hold promise to cure 70 major diseases. (Aug 2007)
--Trust women to make own decisions on partial-birth abortion. (Apr 2007)
--Extend presumption of good faith to abortion protesters. (Oct 2006)
--Constitution is a living document; no strict constructionism. (Oct 2006)
--Moral accusations from pro-lifers are counterproductive. (Oct 2004)
--Pass the Stem Cell Research Bill. (Jun 2004)
--Protect a woman's right to choose. (May 2004)
--Supports Roe v. Wade. (Jul 1998)
--Voted NO on defining unborn child as eligible for SCHIP. (Mar 2008)
--Voted NO on prohibiting minors crossing state lines for abortion. (Mar 2008)
--Voted YES on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines. (Apr 2007)
--Voted NO on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions. (Jul 2006)
--Voted YES on $100M to reduce teen pregnancy by education & contraceptives. (Mar 2005)
--Sponsored bill providing contraceptives for low-income women. (May 2006)
--Rated 0% by the NRLC, indicating a pro-choice stance. (Dec 2006)
Ensure access to and funding for contraception. (Feb 2007)