EDITORIAL: Sen. Gillibrand
Wednesday, January 28, 2009 3:06 AM EST
THE selection of Kirsten Gillibrand, D-Greenport, to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was a train wreck for which Gov. David Paterson bears blame.It is apparent the governor never really thought outside of the box for his appointment. In a state of 19 million people, only Caroline Kennedy, by virtue of familial fame, was judged suitably qualified to vie with the conventional political suspects. In the end, it was hers to lose, which she quickly accomplished.A state this large should have a deep bench of non-politicians capable of representing the state and enriching the national political dialogue to boot.
THE selection of Kirsten Gillibrand, D-Greenport, to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was a train wreck for which Gov. David Paterson bears blame.It is apparent the governor never really thought outside of the box for his appointment. In a state of 19 million people, only Caroline Kennedy, by virtue of familial fame, was judged suitably qualified to vie with the conventional political suspects. In the end, it was hers to lose, which she quickly accomplished.A state this large should have a deep bench of non-politicians capable of representing the state and enriching the national political dialogue to boot.
