Gillibrand in New York Magazine

New York: Kirsten Gillibrand shuttling between meetings in New York in April.
(Photo: David Burnett/Contact Press Images)
New York: The Reintroduction of Kirsten Gillibrand
After a shaky first hundred days, the junior senator from New York is trying to start over.

More of the Tracy Flick nonsense. If Gillibrand were a man, she'd be the Next Big Thing for her smarts, ambition, and savvy.

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.

Gillibrand Sworn In

Kirsten Gillibrand is now the junior Senator from New York. Pretty meteoric rise for someone who entered the 20th NY Congressional race in 2005 as a virtual unknown.

She is the youngest member of the Senate, and is the 37th woman ever to serve in the United States Senate.

Albany Times-Union Goes There

Whenever I visit my friend who lives in Albany and the subject of Kirsten Gillibrand comes up, she always tells me that "everyone knows" that Gillibrand's grandmother Polly Noonan was Erastus Corning's mistress. (Erastus Corning was the long-time mayor of Albany and the leader of Albany's Democratic machine.) I have never written that on my blog because, you know, I don't want to be sued for libel! The Albany Times-Union delves into the rumors today.

Political legacy arives on stage
Kirsten Gillibrand received her first experiences in Albany politics from her grandmother, the legendary "Polly" Noonan

Mayor Corning [] was an intimate of Polly Noonans for more than four decades.

Gillibrands parents and other family members have described Corning as a father figure who taught the Noonan kids how to hunt, fish and enjoy outdoor pursuits. The mayor was a regular guest of Noonan and her husband at the Noonans house. Corning and Noonan frequently attended political functions, dinners and dances together and the mayor occasionally joined the Noonan on family vacations.

Even on Gillibrands heady day that resembled something of a coronation, her family members could not escape the unquenchable rumors that Corning and Noonans long association produced offspring. It remains one of Albanys great abiding political myths, a mystery wrapped in an enigma, likely never to be resolved.

Until her death in 2003 at age 87, Noonan bluntly dismissed the rumors with salty-tongued retorts. Corning deftly deflected such speculation with his cool, urbane personality. He died in 1983 at age 73.

Noonan and Corning each remained married to their respective spouses throughout their lives. If there was a romance, family members say, the two took the truth to the grave with them.

"I don't think there is any truth to that. Its pure conjecture," Gillibrand's father said.

[]

Corning and Noonan became close in 1937, when Corning, 28, was a Democratic state senator who headed the Scenic Hudson Commission and Noonan, 22, was hired as the commission's secretary. He was a product of Groton and Yale; she was a tenacious Scot who touted her tartan but did not have a college degree.

Giving weight to the rumors that their union "produced offspring" is that fact that Corning left the bulk of his estate to Noonan's children (that would include Gillibrand's mother.)

CHAPTER ONE
Mayor Erastus Corning
Albany Icon, Albany Enigma

Grow Up

Why must politicians treat their work like jr. high school?

There were plenty of smiles as she [Kirsten Gillibrand] was introduced in Albany last week, but Gillibrand is widely disliked within New York’s congressional delegation for her bullying personality and unwillingness to wait her turn in the Washington seniority queue. Already Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy, of Long Island, has vowed to challenge Gillibrand in a 2010 Democratic primary because of the new senator’s pro-gun stance. Paterson seems to believe that he has cauterized the intramural Democratic fighting. Instead, the elevation of Gillibrand has widened the wound. Last Thursday, one of the governor’s aides called Andrew Cuomo, asking the attorney general to attend Gillibrand’s unveiling. Cuomo, according to a friend, said he’d be busy reorganizing his sock drawer.

This is also completely sexist, for in a man, "bullying personality" would be described as "hard-charging go-getter". Every time I read something like this about Gillibrand, I like her more.

Still Some Races To Be Decided

Norm Coleman only leads Al Franken by 221 votes in the Minnesota Senate race. That .01 margin triggers an automatic recount. The recount will be by hand, and an analysis of the undervotes (ballots where a Presidential vote was counted, but no Senate vote was recorded) shows that most come from counties where Obama won. And you know Franken is likely to win a recount as Coleman has already sued to stop votes from being counted; and lost.

Alaska is another state where the Senate race is in doubt. Convicted felon Ted Stevens is leading by about 3200 votes, but the website FiveThirtyEight.com (which had the most accurate prediction of Obama's win) says counting the early and absentee ballots may put Democratic challenger Mark Begich over the top.

In New York's 29th Congressional District, Eric Massa leads Randy Kuhl by 4400 votes with approximately 11,500 absentee and military votes yet to be counted. Kuhl would have to win those votes by a 2 to 1 margin to overtake Massa. The vote count won't take place until November 17th as that is the date military votes must be received by.

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.