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A few weeks before playing a central role in fraud charges against Goldman Sachs, hedge fund titan John Paulson invited colleagues to a fundraiser for Senator Chuck Schumer -- "one of the few members of Congress that has consistently supported the hedge fund industry" -- according to a copy of the invitation obtained by POLITICO. Paulson is not a defendant in the SEC's lawsuit against Goldman Sachs, though he was Goldman's partner in the alleged fraud, and Fortune reports that he may yet be an SEC target. Schumer has been an ally on "important issues such as finantical regulation, carried...

Half of all community districts in Queens lack reliable access to fresh and healthy foods, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. The problem has contributed to increasing rates of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases — the leading cause of death in the United States. In many high-need communities like Jamaica and Far Rockaway, which have been labeled “food deserts” by lawmakers, corner delicatessens or bodegas are the only convenient sources of food, and while most may stock up on canned items, few offer fresh produce and meats. Additionally, the USDA reports that 23.5 million people in the United...

Kirsten Gillibrand, New York's junior senator, doesn't just flip-flop on is sues as convenient -- she also revises her past. Voters, beware: Gillibrand is a chameleon on plaid, a woman who has and will do anything, say anything, forget anything, spin anything to get elected. Her 180-degree reversals on gun control, gay marriage and immigration -- making her one of the most liberal members of the Senate -- are old news. But that's far from the only way she remakes herself, as we discuss in our new book, "2010: Take Back America." Start with her habit of censoring her own...

New legislation proposed by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Nuydia Velazquez, both of New York, would invest $1 billion in federal loans and grants to help build 2,100 grocery stores in under-served areas throughout the U.S.

New York Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand remains in a vulnerable position in her bid for a full Senate term in New York even though no viable Republican running against her. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely voters in the Empire State finds Gillibrand earning just 40% support, while an unnamed generic Republican candidate picks up 39%. Seven percent (7%) prefer some other candidate, and 14% are undecided.

The entry of David Malpass into the lists for the Republican nomination for United States Senator from New York is one of those opportunities for which the state has been have been waiting. A former official in the Reagan administration, he is a successful businessman and public intellectual who is short on gimmickry and long on substance. He has thrown his hat into the ring in hopes of gaining the nomination to challenge the Democratic incumbent, Senator Gillibrand. It’s too soon for an endorsement, since the field is not yet complete and the primary is not until September. But it’s...

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is very popular in New York. Governor David Paterson and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand are not... and they're both up for re-election. Conventional wisdom has had it that Cuomo will run for one of their jobs: Paterson's. Amidst unsourced press reports that Cuomo would begin his campaign for governor sometime in March, Paterson even announced he would not be seeking re-election. But now March has come and just about gone, and there's no announcement. Cuomo, in fact, keeps insisting he's running for attorney general. But it's hard to believe the heretofore ruthless politician, suddenly lacks any ambition...

Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is losing out in the polls to an opponent who hasn't even announced his candidacy yet. "We'll see down the road," said Republican ex-governor George Pataki, when asked if he would vie for the seat. Marist College research shows Pataki beating the former upstate congresswoman by two percentage points, 47-45. As for job approval, a scant 27 percent of the electorate believe Gillibrand, who critics say fails to connect with voters, is doing good work, reports the Post.

A new Siena poll (810 RVs, 3/15-18, MoE +/- 3.4%) is the first in New York to test the potential Republican primary for governor between former Rep. Rick Lazio (R) and Steve Levy, the Suffolk County Executive and soon-to-be-former Democrat. Lazio leads Levy 45-16 in an initial test, with 40 percent undecided. When Republican voters are informed of Levy's political affiliation, Lazio's lead expands to 60-19, with 22 percent undecided. Democratic Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, meanwhile, continues to be the early heavy favorite to ultimately win the seat in November.

Attention Ryan Seacrest: This DioGuardi wants to go to Washington – not Hollywood. Former Congressman Joe DioGuardi, better known these days as the father of “American Idol” judge Kara DioGuardi, launched Tuesday a bid to become the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in New York. Mr. DioGuardi, who represented suburban Westchester County in the House of Representatives for two terms in the 1980s, appears to be getting plenty of media attention

WASHINGTON — He gripes about her in private conversations with his aides and her colleagues on Capitol Hill. He has yet to take up her invitation to sit down for dinner. And his political team is constantly shopping for potential candidates to oust her. As New York experiences a tumultuous election season, one question is captivating political insiders: Why does Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg so dislike Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand? It is more than a passing concern for Ms. Gillibrand, who is still working to win over New York voters, especially downstate. The mayor’s top political advisers, with Mr. Bloomberg’s...

Encouraged by state and national Republican Party leaders, Dan Senor, an author, private equity executive and Defense Department adviser in the last Bush administration, is seriously considering a political challenge against Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand, according to three people told of the discussions. Mr. Senor, 38, who is married to the CNN anchorwoman Campbell Brown, is expected to decide in the next month whether to run. The discussions between Mr. Senor and the Republican leaders reflect their dissatisfaction with the existing field of Republican candidates in the state and their consensus that Ms. Gillibrand remains vulnerable to a challenger in...

DioGuardi Gets Hometown SupportBy Elizabeth Benjamin Former Westchester Rep. Joe DioGuardi has locked up the support of his hometown party organization as the jockeying for position among would-be GOP challengers to Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand intensifies, the DN's Glenn Blain reports. Westchester Republican Chairman Doug Colety said his committee will formally announce its endorsement of DioGuardi as early as next week. The decision was made at a committee meeting about a week ago. "We want to give him the hometown support and a very strong kickoff,” DioGuardi said. DioGuardi, who turns 70 this year, is a certified public accountant and...

The field in the battle for a New York Senate seat became a little clearer Tuesday when Mortimer B. Zuckerman announced he would not join the race. Mr. Zuckerman, chairman and publisher of the Daily News, said personal and professional reasons were behind his decision not to challenge Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. "I was encouraged by many major political figures in New York to look closely at running for Senate," Mr. Zuckerman said. "However, at this time, it is very difficult to see how I can devote the necessary time to either a campaign, or to working in Washington, if...

Former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford announced Monday evening that he will not challenge incumbent Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) in the upcoming Democratic primary. Just six weeks ago, the former Tennessee Congressman was putting together his campaign team and warning top Democrats that he couldn't be bullied. Evidently he could be.

WHEN it was reported two months ago that I was thinking seriously about running for the United States Senate from New York, Democratic Party insiders started their own campaign to bully me out of the race — just as they had done with Representatives Carolyn Maloney, Steve Israel and others. But as I traveled around New York, I began to understand why the party bosses felt the need to use such heavy-handed tactics: They’re nervous. New Yorkers are clamoring for change. Our political system — so bogged down in partisan fighting — is sapping the morale of New Yorkers and...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Harold Ford, a former representative from Tennessee, will not challenge Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in the New York Democratic primary, The New York Times reported on Monday. In an opinion piece it said would be published in the Times on Tuesday, the newspaper quoted Ford as writing: "If I run, the likely result would be a brutal and highly negative Democratic primary -- a primary where the winner emerges weakened and the Republican strengthened." "I refuse to do anything that would help Republicans win a Senate seat in New York, and give the Senate majority to the Republicans,"...

Of all the Democrats who sighed with relief at the news that New York Gov. David Paterson won't run for a full term in office this year, perhaps none was louder than that of Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. While his exit clears the Democratic primary field for Attorney General Andrew Cuomo -- saving him both money for the general election and a potentially bloody, intraparty battle -- Gillibrand is assured she won't be running her first Senate campaign with a politically anemic governor at the top of the ticket. Paterson was scheduled to announce his decision to leave the race this...

The emergence of real-estate magnate -- and Daily News Publisher -- Mortimer Zuckerman as a potential candidate for the United States Senate is an event all New Yorkers of good will can welcome. This isn't an endorsement of Zuckerman's candidacy. Indeed, it's not at all clear that he'll even make the run. But here's hoping he does. The Senate seat in question is now held by David Paterson protégé -- and Chuck Schumer hand puppet -- Kirsten Gillibrand. She's an upstate cipher whose sole qualification for the job is that Paterson appointed her to it when Hillary Rodham Clinton gave...

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand boxed out Harold Ford on his own turf Thursday night, reeling in the coveted endorsement of the New York County Democratic Party. The committee chose to pass over Ford, a Manhattanite who is mulling a challenge against Gillibrand, to endorse the incumbent from upstate. "In just a short period of time ... Gillibrand has proven herself to be a smart, hardworking advocate for the people of New York," said Assemblyman Keith Wright (D-Harlem), the county chair. Ford had met with Wright last month and recently had urged him and other county leaders to hold off on any...