Larchmont mayor floats Senate bid against Gillibrand

[ccharles000]

LARCHMONT — Republican village Mayor Liz Feld says she’s weighing a run for the U.S. Senate seat vacated this year by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Feld, 49, said Wednesday she’d decide “sooner rather than later” whether to run for the seat held by former Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, who was named senator in January after Clinton took her post in President Barack Obama’s administration.

“The ever-growing debt coming out of Washington is alarming,” Feld said in a statement. “Priority number one in this country has to be debt reduction and long-term tax relief. That will be the major focus of my campaign should I formally enter this race.”

Feld did not return calls seeking additional comment.

Bill O’Reilly, a spokesman for Feld, said in an e-mail that the Larchmont mayor would “stick with just the statement for now.”

Should she throw her hat into the race, Feld may face stiff competition. Gillibrand, a Democrat, is expected to seek to retain the seat in a state where her party holds a majority.

http://www.lohud.com/article/20091126/NEWS02/911260408/1026/NEWS10/Larchmont-mayor-floats-Senate-bid-against-Gillibrand

[AllentownJake]

1. Gillibrand isn't going to survive the primary

Harold Ford jr, is about to make a well funded carpet bagging move to New York.

[PBS Poll-435]

6. Dude

Really?

Really?

Really;Really?

Gillibrand will win the Dem Primary in a walk. I worry about Rudy, though, in the General Election.

I do.

[AllentownJake]

12. Just what I'm hearing

I could care less about NY politics....and a lot of people are worried about Rudy since he took a look at race against Cuomo and said that Senate Race looks pretty good.

[David in Canada]

7. Ford won't win.

He is way too conservative to win a Democratic primary in New York. In a Gillibrand vs. Ford primary matchup, Gillibrand would kick the stuffing out of Ford in New York City and probably win comfortably in upstate New York.

Paterson should have appointed Carolyn Maloney instead. She would have easily held the seat.

[girl_interrupted]

8. Agree. I like Gillibrand a great deal

She's an absolutely brilliant woman. And very open to change, so she can represent all of NY. She's pro-choice, pro-health care, pro-gay marriage, pro-Bernie Sanders credit card bill. So far I have not been disappointed with any of her votes. I also like Harold Ford, personally, and I think he got a real bum deal in Tennessee. Not really sure of his views. I really would like to see Gillibrand win this. But you are right..Maloney would have been the better choice in the long run. There is talk Rudy Ghoulanni wants to run for the seat too. This is going to be interesting.

[AllentownJake]

10. The amazing thing about Harold Ford

Is his ideology seems to change with the office he is running for...not unlike most other politicians...including Gillibrand. In fact there was an uproar on DU when she was appointed because everyone thought she was going to be a conservadem.

Got no skin in the game, just the rumblings I'm hearing.

[girl_interrupted]

11. True enough, but if they follow through with the votes

That's what counts. Gillibrand has always been pro-choice, pro- gay marriage, no change there. I know there was a concern about her views on gun control. If you live close enough to NY, then you know, that those views are not popular here except for upstate. But she is now a senator from NY and will be expected to support the whole state, not just one section of it. And her recent votes seem to support that. I think she can pull it off. Hillary won upstate NY twice and she was anything but pro gun. So I think Kirsten has a good chance. But Ford being a Derek Jeter look-alike. Lord have mercy...might be a problem there! LOL!

[Lord Helmet]

26. Gillibrand was a Blue Dog in the House scoring lowest in NY on gay rights.

You need to do some homework ----> LINK

Blue Dog Dem, with 100% NRA record, picked to replace Hillary

-- snip

More on Gillibrand:

Politically, Gillibrand, who is 41, is a conservative Democrat and a member of the Blue Dog caucus, which might make her more palatable to some of the more right-leaning areas outside the city. You might call her a bizarro version of Sarah Palin: she proudly touts her 100 percent rating from the National Rifle Association, and has two young children, aged 4 years old and six months old.

On civil rights for gays and lesbians, while Gillibrand has an 80% rating from HRC, the details are a bit more problematic.

On the issue of gay rights, Gillibrand received an 80 out of a 100 rating from the LGBT advocacy group the Human Rights Campaign. That was the lowest score out of New York’s Democratic representatives. According to the Human Rights Campaign, she voted against the repealing of “Don’ Ask, Don’t Tell” legislation, opposed legislation that would grant equal tax treatment for employer-provided health coverage for domestic partners, opposed legislation to grant same-sex partners of U.S. citizens and permanent residents the same immigration benefits of married couples and opposed legislation to permit state Medicaid programs to cover low-income, HIV-positive Americans before they develop AIDS.

There actually was no vote on DADT, she simply didn't cosponsor the legislation. The overall issue is that, for a NY Democrat, she's pretty darn Republican.

[girl_interrupted]

28. Gillibrand received the endorsement of the Human Rights Campaign,

the nation's largest LGBT civil rights organization. The HRC is the first LGBT group to back Gillibrand's quest to keep her seat in 2010.

The organization endorsed her for re-election to her old NY-20 House seat in 2008 and put "boots on the ground" for her in her battle against former state GOP Chairman Alexander "Sandy" Treadwell, Gillibrand spokesman Matt Canter confirmed.

The race cost close to $11 million, with Treadwell spending almost $6 million of his own money in his failed effort to unseat the then-congresswoman.

Even before Gillibrand was formally announced as Clinton's replacement, Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Alan Van Capelle released a statement announcing he had secured commitments from Gillibrand that she would support gay marriage as well as repeal of DADT and the Defense of Marriage Act.




Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2009/11/citing-dadt-human-rights-campa.html#ixzz0YBhg7AS6


Maybe you should do your homework.

[Lord Helmet]

31. You used the qualifier "always" which obviously isn't true as I pointed out.

The HRC once rated her 80:100 on gay rights (as I posted above), the lowest score for NY.

Gillibrand Inches Leftward, Now Supports Gay Marriage

Gillibrand's Gay Marriage Evolution

You can cheerlead all you want insisting she was "always" good on gay rights, but them's the facts, mam.
It is what it is.

[girl_interrupted]

32. Keyword "ONCE"

HRC backed her second run for congress.

And they back her now.

Personally I think it was great that Gillibrand changed her view. I wish others would reconsider.

If I'm not mistaken Obama ONCE backed gay marriage, then changed his mind. Too bad. "Obama backed same-sex marriage in 1996" http://blogs.villagevoice.com/dailymusto/archives/2009/01/obama_used_to_b.php

As for cheerleading, thats exactly what the HRC is doing for Gillibrand now. You don't like it? Take it up with them. They are the the nation's largest LGBT civil rights organization. They have endorsed her twice already..once for congress and once for senate. http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2009/11/citing-dadt-human-rights-campa.html

[Lord Helmet]

33. You said: "Gillibrand has always been --- pro-gay marriage, no change there."

I simply corrected the "always" part of that declarative statement.

[girl_interrupted]

34. Want to argue Semantics? John Kerry voted for the Iraq War

Does that make him a republican too? Guess I shouldn't have voted for him in 2004. How about Obama's change of view on gay marriage? Does that make him a republican too? Guess I shouldn't have voted for him in 2008. Guess it would make both of them too "republican" for your taste, according to your logic.

There are so many congressmen I wish would see the light on so many issues and change their views, but that just isn't happenning. When one finally does, I'm thrilled.

Would this make you feel better? Gillibrand "once" was against gay marriage, and now has been consistenly for it. Kerry "once" voted for the Iraq war, then was against it. Obama was "once" for gay marriage and now is against it.

You can argue Semantics all you want. The important thing is for gay marriage to pass in my state, thats the ultimate goal. If that takes Kirsten getting elected, I'm with the HRC.

You seem to want to insist that Gillibrand is a republican. That's cool, if it makes you happy. Too bad you are misinformed. What makes me happy is that she will vote for same sex marriage, and a few other issues that are dear to my heart.

So argue all you want... be as petty as you like..I'm happy!

[IndianaGreen]

23. Harold Ford is a raging homophobe!

Gillibrand supports full equality for LGBTs, unlike Ford and Obama!

[ruggerson]

24. That'll hurt him in NY, but not in GD-P

n/t

[IndianaGreen]

25. I forgot about DU's Donnie McClurkin and Rick Warren apologists

Thanks for reminding me!

:-)

[WCGreen]

30. And Harold Ford Jr. isn't RFK nor is he Hillary Clinton...

I suspect his name recognition in NY is somewhere between 5-15%...

[Smarmie Doofus]

2. Larchmont doesn't even have a public high school.

Is she going to market herself as an education "reformer"? Makes about as much sense as Duncan, Bloomberg and Obama doing so.

Point 2: Gillibrand is a mediocrity with a capitol M. If we don't come up with a serious candidate of our own we may find ourselves with another Al Damato ( AL *Who*? Supervisor of *what*?) representing the Empire State in DC. Sounds like Feld has $$$ and probably connections.

Though I gotta admit the resume is laugh-out-loud funny.

[AllentownJake]

3. Harold Ford

Prepare for your carpet bag, they couldn't convince Cuomo to not become Governor.

[Smarmie Doofus]

4. That's the guy that looks like Derek Jeter and sounds like...

Sam Nunn?

Yeah! The DEM pols in NYS like that sort of thing. Built in appeal to a smorgasborg of ethnicities and a foreign policy mentality straight out of the McKinley era.

The $$$ media here will swoon as it has never swooned before.

[AllentownJake]

5. It's coming

the one nice thing about being in a swing state next to NY is I got some contacts up there and know what is going on.

[girl_interrupted]

9. HAHA! He does look like Derek Jeter!

Well I guess that settles it. NY Yankee power! Ford wins! LOL! But if any of you haven't notice besides being brilliant, Kirsten Gillibrand is pretty beautiful in her own right.



Now Harold Ford:



Damn! If it depends on looks...this is going to be a close one....except for Rudy Ghouliani! He's toast!


LOL!

[IndianaGreen]

27. it is no contest! Gillibrand supports marriage equality for LGBTs

Harold Ford is a homophobe wrapped in a pretty package.

[AllentownJake]

29. I don't think he has many principles

I wouldn't be surprised if he comes out for Gay Marriage. Why not, Bill Clinton just did.

[girl_interrupted]

13. I cannot wait for Andrew Cuomo to announce for Governor

He has solid support from the Unions. I guess everyone is just waiting for Paterson to bow out gracefully. I don't know what that will take...polls show Cuomo 60 points ahead of Paterson. Hope Paterson takes the hint and just goes away peacefully...remember no one voted for him in the 1st place. Something that still hasn't dawned on him! LOL!

[AllentownJake]

14. He's a really bad politician

Honestly, I scratch my head on how he got to the Lt. Governor spot in the first place. The Senate replacement fiasco was just one example of him not being that great at the game.

[girl_interrupted]

17. Are you kidding?

You might live close to NY...but trust me, you have no idea what's going on here! Cuomo will win this in a landslide. He is known for his work as AG. Unions are backing him 100%. People love him here.

The Senate seat pick was in Paterson's incompetent hands. I don't think Andrew wants the senate seat..even if he did, you couldn't tell Paterson what to do anyway. Perhaps Andrew wants the governorship so he can eventually run for President. Seems governors are thought to have more executive experience. He could have either position if he wants. Polls showed Cuomo was the pick for the senate seat too, by a very large margin. I think NY state is in quite a mess right now, financially & we r in desperate need to get things straighten out. A Governor has more control over that.

You made me think of something....Cuomo has a younger brother...Christopher...a lawyer and also a tv host. Guy is so good looking you wouldn't believe it! Maybe he could make a run for Senate. Great credentials and very well known in NY too.

This could be really interesting!

How are things going in Pa? Do u think Sestak or Specter will get the nod? Bet that's got lots of people concerned there. I don't care for either one of them! How about congressman Patrick Murphy?

[AllentownJake]

18. No, you mistook me Andrew Cuomo is a political God

and will probably end up President.

Patterson is a fool.

Sestak looked good but his campaign looks like a mess. I haven't heard but I don't know who he has hired for the state wide race, that and he's putting ridiculous pressure on his staff early in the race.

Specter's campaign looks more measured and experienced. Should be interesting.

Pat Murphy, I'm not sure what he's up to. Think he's sitting out advancement in a traditionally off year for Democrats.

[girl_interrupted]

19. Thanks for the info!

Sorry if I misunderstood! I apologize.

I think you are going to have an interesting race there..same as here! Well who likes boring...right? LOL! I ask about Patrick Murphy because I have friends in Pa and they really like him. I guess it's because he has a D rating from the NRA, 100% Rating from NARAL &Planned Parenthood and opposes "Don't ask, Don't tell". He is also young, and is the 1st veteran of the Iraq War to serve in congress. Highly decorated vet. A lawyer and quite nice looking! They think he has a lot of potential. They were hoping he would make a run for the Senate race. But maybe it's too soon for that.

Anyways.. nice talking to you! Take care!

[girl_interrupted]

15. Liz Feld reminds of John Spencer, & Hillary beat his brains out

Feld's resume is laughable at best. Spencer was a former mayor of Yonkers, who ran against Hillary for her second term. And before him it was Jeanine Pirro fomer DA who made an absolute a** out of herself..much to everyones delight, because she was Hannity's candidate. God, that was so much fun! So she was replaced by Spencer. Hillary won 67 percent of the vote to Spencer's 31 percent.

I really think Gillibrand can pull this off. There was talk of a primary, but Obama made it clear that wasn't going to happen. Both Maloney & McCarthy then backed off. I wouldn't be opposed to a primary. I think we are going to have wait and watch Gillibrand's numbers. If they look really bad beginning of next year..Dems will have to call for a primary, no matter what anyone says. It's difficult because I like all three women. Gillibrand does have youth in her favor.

We shall see.

[Smarmie Doofus]

21. It's even more ridiculous than that.

Larchmont population is 6,485.

Yonkers is a couple hundred thousand, with a multiplicity of ethnicities and some hellacious big-city type problems. All of which the Yonkers gov't has dealt with ineptly over the decades. Nonetheless , Spencer had arguably some relevant real-world experience.

If Feld has anything to bring to be the table...experience-wise... it doesn't appear to be in the field of governance.

[robcon]

16. Huh? No public high school?

That's nonsense. Larchmont is a village within the Town of Mamaroneck, and its kids go to Mamaroneck High - a very good public high school. (School taxes are collected by the Town, not the village.)

The physical location of the school is irrelevant.

[Smarmie Doofus]

20. So are you saying Feld is the mayor of Mamaroneck?

Wiki: >>>>>Education

The village of Larchmont contains one of the six schools in the Mamaroneck School District, Chatsworth Avenue School, which was established in 1903. One other elementary schools, a middle school and the high school are in the Village of Mamaroneck, Central School, Murray Avenue School, although it has a Larchmont postal address, is located in the unincorporated area of the Town of Mamaroneck.>>>>>>>


Or are you saying that the village of Larchmont ( where Feld is mayor) is too small to support/justify its own public HS?

[robcon]

22. The Towns in Westchester were set up more than a century ago.

Larchmont "could" have its own school system if it changed its organization to a Town instead of a village (the NY state legislature would have to enact legislation to enable that.) By law, schools in Westchester are organized by Towns (whether their sizes have changed or not in the last century) or by cities - like Yonkers, Mount Vernon, Rye and White Plains.

Why do you think it's important that a mayor have a high school in her village? None of the mayors in Westchester County controls the schools in their city or their village: elected school boards do.

I don't know Liz Feld, and I certainly don't support her, but your issue is one of the reddest red herrings I've heard in a while.