Four More Dem Senators Join Push For Vote On Public Option

Not going to get too excited, but Greg is reporting some good news.

Yesterday four Dem Senators made a big splash by signing a letter pushing Dem leaders to pass the public option via reconciliation, suggesting the provision may have a faint pulse.

Now four more Dem Senators have added their names to the list, their spokespeople tell me, doubling the number of signatories to eight and perhaps upping the volume of the public option’s pulse ever so slightly.

The new signatories: Al Franken, Pat Leahy, John Kerry, and Sheldon Whitehouse.

They join yesterday’s signers: Michael Bennet, Kirsten Gillibrand, Jeff Merkley, and Sherrod Brown.

The letter asks Harry Reid to stage a full Senate vote on the public option under budget reconciliation rules. It argues that there’s a history of using the technique for passing significant health care legislation and that a majority of Americans has consistently supported a public option.

The letter — the work of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Democracy for America — also bears the signatures of over a hundred House Dems.

Mort Zuckerman Considers Senate Bid

Zuckerman and McLaughlin have totally turned the McLaughlin Group into a half hour of PUMA style Obama bashing. Hopefully New York rejects another millionaire trying to buy a seat. Via Taegan-

Mort Zuckerman, real estate tycoon and publisher of The Daily News, is considering a run against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), the New York Times reports.

Zuckerman regards Gillibrand "as vulnerable to a challenge and is convinced that, at a time of economic tumult and political unrest, his background as an outsider to government, and his record as a businessman, will appeal to the state's electorate."

He is also conducting a poll testing his viability.

Gillibrand, Maloney headline event to protest anti-abortion amendment

By GottaLaff

These two deserve kudos and extra crispy bonus donations:

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) will join with other elected officials and national and local leaders of the women’s movement in New York on Monday to protest a provision in the House health care reform bill to limit federal funding for abortions. [...]

Speakers at the news conference will take direct aim at the amendment inserted into the House health care bill by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), which would restrict the ability of health care plans to reimburse women who get abortions.

Thank you for having the guts to stand up to those who don't respect the constitutional rights, health and welfare of women.

Don't Ask Don't Tell Hearing Expected in November

By GottaLaff

Ana Marie Cox tweeted:

SenGillibrand tweets she's getting a DADT briefing from Defense officials. SenateArmedServices hearing on DADT expect in Nov.

And here is Sen. Gillibrand's own very tweet:

There is no reason whatsoever to discriminate against and eliminate talented people who could benefit our military. None.

I'm tired of saying that.

'Don't ask, don't tell' to get Senate committee review, senator says

By GottaLaff

Do tell!

A key U.S. Senate committee will hold a hearing on the military's controversial "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays and lesbians, according to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat.

The Senate Armed Services committee will hold the hearing in the fall, she said in a written announcement.

A committee spokeswoman confirmed that there will hearings, but that no specific legislation is under consideration.

Enough with the hearings, pass something already.

"'Don't ask, don't tell' is an unfair, outdated measure that violates the civil rights of some of our bravest, most heroic men and women," Gillibrand said in her statement. "By repealing this policy, we will increase America's strength — both militarily and morally."

Nearly 13,000 service members have been discharged for their sexual orientation since 1993, she said.

Stop asking, and start telling Teh Gay and America that equality extends to the military. Okay? Okay.

Since Obama took office, 265 service members have been discharged for being gay, according to Gillibrand.

That's very telling. Time for change.

The Secret Affair of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Philip Morris

By GottaLaff

I have this thing about smoking. And Big Tobacco. And death. And transparency:

The best-kept secret in the halls of Congress -- until today -- may have been the extent to which New York's new senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, helped cigarette maker Philip Morris during her former employment as an attorney with the global law firm Davis, Polk & Wardwell. Information about her relationship with the cigarette maker wasn't included in her official biography or her campaign materials, but on Friday, March 27, 2009, the New York Times published an article describing in detail how Gillibrand, under her maiden name Kirsten Rutnik, was involved at high levels in the legal affairs of Philip Morris.

In 1998, as an attorney at Davis Polk, Gillibrand served on Philip Morris' Privilege and Crime Fraud Committee, an elite group of attorneys from both inside and outside Philip Morris. Some of Gillibrand's colleagues on the Committee were full partners in their respective law firms, which reveals the respect she earned in her service to the company.

That information should have been made public.

UPDATE:

Here it is, better later than never -- and apologies to Gillibrand's staff, who passed it along Friday morning:

An unbiased look at Senator Gillibrand’s record shows that 100% of the time she has stood up for the health of our children, and stood firmly against big tobacco.

Senator Gillibrand has voted repeatedly to tax tobacco products to pay for children's health insurance and demand the FDA regulate tobacco products. She also strongly and consistently supports smoke-free laws, education initiatives and tobacco cessation programs to help tobacco users quit and prevent young people from ever starting to smoke. She is also advocating for tough Internet access regulations to ensure that children can’t purchase cigarettes online.

Scott Murphy Gains on Tedisco in NY-20

Oh oh. NY-20 is the race that looks to make or break Chairman Steele.

With less than three weeks until the NY-20 special election, Scott Murphy (D) has cut James Tedisco's 12 point lead to just 4 points, according to a new Siena Research Institute poll.

Tedisco now leads the race 45% to 41%.

Key factor: "While two weeks ago, voters said Tedisco would do a better job than Murphy representing them on six issues, Murphy now leads on two of those issues, including the most important issue for 20th C.D. voters: the economy."

A Democratic poll yesterday also showed the race tightening.

Poll-itics: King dethroned? edition

By GottaLaff

Like a polling stone:

The big news for national Democrats in the new Marist University poll of New York voters is the Senate trial heat.

If the 2010 election for U.S. Senate in New York State were held today, whom would you support?

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) - 49 percent
Rep. Peter King (R) - 24 percent
undecided - 27 percent

Whether King runs for Senate is a question of how bored he is with being a member of the minority party in the House, but it’s clear that his chances as a serious candidate for this seat crumbled when Caroline Kennedy did not get appointed.