November 20th, 2009
When Kirsten Gillibrand was selected to fill Hillary Clinton’s remaining term as US Senator from New York, some questioned the depth of her commitment to equality. A blue-dog upstate Democrat, she had previously spoken more favorably of civil unions.
But it appears that her commitment was not just of the ‘promises in public’ variety. Gillibrand is proving to be the kind of ally that doesn’t magically discover higher priorities or some mystical need for unanimity before acting on our behalf. (Daily News)
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who has put LGBT issues on the top of her “to-do” list as she works to shore up her liberal credentials, has placed personal phone calls to on-the-fence Democratic state senators in hopes of getting them to vote “yes” on gay marriage.
Gillibrand’s office confirmed calls had been made, but refused to say who the recipients had been or if anyone had specifically asked the junior senator to weigh in.
“She made calls, yes; and they were private conversations,” Gillibrand spokesman Matt Canter said. “She did it because it’s an issue she cares deeply about.”
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GreenEyedLilo
November 20th, 2009
Not many Brooklynites can say the same, but I had a really good feeling about her. (Probably mostly because she seemed smarter than Caroline Kennedy.) I’m glad that feeling’s panned out as far as LGBT civil rights go.
Matt
November 21st, 2009
I too admit to being very pleasantly surprised. I am still holding out supporting her for 2010–I’ve always liked Jonathan Tasini–but may throw my support to her in the end.
Pender
November 23rd, 2009
I knew she’d come through. She was a young partner at a large corporate law firm, and those people are always socially liberal unless they are Mormon or of some other kind of fundamentalist religion.
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