As the intense debate over the economic stimulus bill wound to a close on Friday, I had the chance to ask Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) about Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), the conservative-leaning freshman congresswoman who has had something of a rocky ride since being appointed to Hillary Clinton’s Senate seat less than a month ago.
Gillibrand’s record and persona have sparked a string of heartburn-inducing headlines for liberals, from her stint as a defense lawyer for Big Tobacco — exposed in last week’s Village Voice — to her Palin-esque penchant for keeping rifles under her bed, reported just this morning.
One New York Democrat, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, already has vowed to pursue a primary against Gillibrand on the gun control issue. During our discussion, Maloney also declined to rule out a challenge, citing an entirely different policy dispute with Gillibrand.
“As one who represents New York City, her vote against funding to save the financial system of our country” is troubling, Maloney said. Gillibrand voted against George Bush’s initial banking rescue plea as well as last month’s $350 billion bailout request by Barack Obama.
“A lot of people are looking at running,” Maloney added. “I’m trying to figure out whether I should support another candidate, and how I should react to it. … People are concerned.”
New York’s House delegation has any number of experienced Democrats who could battle Gillibrand from the left, including Reps. Jose Serrano and Nydia Velazquez, who are said to be dismayed over the appointed senator’s votes against giving illegal immigrants a path to citizenship.
But the key question is whether one potential primary opponent can amass sufficient support from his or her colleagues to take on Gillibrand. The new senator already has a powerful weapon in her corner, with Senate Democratic campaign chief Robert Menendez (D-NJ) standing by Gillibrand and predicting last week that by 2010, “she will have convinced her fellow Democrats that she deserves their support.”
