New York's Gillibrand Has Become Lockstep Liberal

[t0dd]

Source: FiveThirtyEight

New York voters seeking a progressive alternative to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand may have found one: Gillibrand herself.

According to ratings compiled by ProgressivePunch.org (Progressive Punch founder Joshua Grossman is a contributor to FiveThirtyEight.com), Gillibrand has thus far compiled a progressive score of 98.45% in the 111th Congress, and 94.12% on critical votes. Although there has been little to distinguish the first 30 or so Democratic senators, most of whom have voted in lockstep with the President's agenda, those scores rank Gillibrand 15th among the 59 Democratic Senators; her ratings are essentially identical to those of reliably liberal Senators like Tom Harkin and Pat Leahy, as well as those of her colleague in the Senate, Chuck Schumer. Gillibrand has also been among the most liberal of the 11 freshman Democratic Senators:

Progressive Scores for Freshman Democrats
ProgressivePunch.org

Merkley OR 98.69%
Burris IL 98.65%
Kaufman DE 98.65%
Gillibrand NY 98.45%
T. Udall NM 96.73%
Shaheen NH 95.33%
M. Udall CO 92.16%
Warner VA 90.20%
Begich AK 89.47%
Bennet CO 88.89%
Hagan NC 88.08%

It's not as though Gillibrand, who rated as a relatively conservative Democrat while representing New York's 20th Congressional District in the House of Representatives, has done much to conceal her newly more liberal politics; she flipped to become a supporter of gay marriage almost immediately upon taking office, for instance, and she has become a regular contributor on progressive websites like Daily Kos and The Huffington Post.

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Read more here: http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/06/new-yorks-gillibrand-has-become.html

[BlooInBloo]

1. But... but... I read on DU that she was BAD!

:rofl:

[closeupready]

3. Oh, I know, lol.

Gotta love how that works. :D

[MADem]

15. A smart legislator will listen to one's constituency and provide them with

representation that matches their mindset and goals.

Sounds like she comprehends the relationship.

[blueclown]

2. She knows she better get her ass into shape if she wants to win her primary next year.

So far, so good.

[KittyWampus]

4. Her ass was already in shape. It's the asses on DU who are the real issue.

[blueclown]

7. Good grief.

Is it too much to ask for her to represent New York now that she is in the Senate instead of her little tiny conservative district in the House?

[Rowdyboy]

9. I was a bit disappointed when she was chosen but she has proven the skeptics wrong....

I'm very happy with her record thus far. I've also noticed a lot of support for her online from other New Yorkers. Who better to know....

[Dragonfli]

5. As a NY resident I applaud her move to the left

If only Schumer would follow suit, but alas, he loves the taste of corporate ass so much I think he is addicted.

[AlexanderProgressive]

6. She's the New York Arlen Specter

From moderate to liberal because it's good for her future.

Although I welcome this shift, I'm not going to lie and pretend that grossly opportunistic people without principles are my heroes. Why wasn't he also liberal before when she also had to be?

[Captain Hilts]

8. New Yorkers still have a right to have a competitive primary. nt

[liskddksil]

10. I have no assurances she will not just go back to being a blue-dog

right after she wins in 2010. I'm going with someone who has always been progressive out of principle not opportunity.

[BlooInBloo]

13. This is life. There are no assurances about ANYTHING.

[Captain Hilts]

19. Most our Dems turn right once elected, it seems. NY should have a primary. nt

[notesdev]

11. Oddly enough

She also makes the elite top-10 list of AIG political donation recipients.

[Odin2005]

12. Oh how the tables have turned.

The whiners can suck it!

[BlooInBloo]

14. It's funny watching them make up criteria post-facto to "justify" their continued whining.

[dsc]

16. what happens of the liberal positions become unpopular again

clearly she is bending to her constituents will which is in our favor now but we can't be sure later that it will be and thus she will be. Between her and a person that was always progressive I would prefer the latter. That said, she is certainly better than I would have first thought on issues I care about.

[Chovexani]

18. This is why I'm not ready to throw rose petals at her feet yet

As for the jackasses upthread high-fiving each other, I doubt either of them are actually from here and know anything about politics in this state.

Of course Gillibrand didn't have a choice but move to the left if she wanted to keep her new job. That Blue Dog shit she was pulling when she was upstate was not going to fly here in the city, trust.

I'm more interested in seeing how she votes in a non-election year. Then I'll make a judgment call about how progressive she is.

I know better than to blindly trust politicians to vote for sanity.

[UTUSN]

17. Um. Good. Why does it seem like a question mark is expected after the "good"? n/t

[Libertyfirst]

20. I could take a few more lockstep liberals. n/t