Reports out of my hometown of Albany, NY are that U.S. Rep.
Kirsten Gillibrand, who just started her second term in Congress, has been called to Gov.
David Patterson's office for 11 a.m. on Friday. This is significant since Patterson has announced he will name
Hillary Clinton's replacement as NY Senator at noon. Gillibrand represents the reddest of red districts in New York (the late U.S. Rep.
Gerald Solomon once made
Patrick Kennedy cry on the floor of the House.) Gillibrand would never have won this seat in the first place had the then office-holder
John Sweeney not gone on a self-destructive binge. As such, she has had to portray herself as a moderate in order to get reelected and even went as far as to receive the endorsement of the NRA. This is where it gets very good for the GOP. First, long-time U.S. Rep.
Carolyn Maloney, who ran for Congress after her husband was killed by a crazed gunman on the Long Island Railroad, has indicated that she will challenge Gillibrand in a primary, specifically because of her support from the NRA. What plays for Gillibrand in her upstate district is a liability where the bulk of Democratic primary voters live. Second, a nasty contest on the Dem side will drag on until the second Tuesday in September when the New York primary is finally held. That leaves the victor with only 7 weeks or so to restock a campaign warchest for the general election. That isn't much time and it certainly doesn't allow much time to pass in order to heal fresh wounds. Third, the GOP seems to be rallying around U.S. Rep.
Peter King of Long Island as their standard-bearer in the race. King is very close to
Rudy Giuliani who we now turn to... Fourth, Gov. Patterson was not elected to that post, rather he took over when
Eliot Spitzer was forced to resign after getting caught with a hooker. By passing over NY AG
Andrew Cuomo for appointment to the Senate, Patterson has just ensured that he will be challenged for the Gov. nomination himself by Cuomo. Again, a brutal primary between these two benefits Giuliani who is expected to run for Gov. and would likely be unopposed for the GOP nomination. Finally, in the short-term, there is a
long-list of very well-qualified Republicans waiting to run for this House seat. (This is such a good Republican seat -- think Virginia's 1st Dist. -- that I'd almost be tempted to return and run for it. Almost.) So, there you have it. In less than two years, Republicans may very well be able to point to New York and see Gov. Giuliani, Sen. King and another U.S. Rep. with the last one coming much, much sooner.