User talk:MattWade/Gillibrand

Proposed changes from User:Todd Beeton

Taken from an email to UpstateNYer (talk · contribs). Posted here so he doesn't have to keep jumping between windows...

As for piecemeal changes, see below.

INTRO

As a member of the House, Gillibrand was considered to be a centrist Democrat,[1] appealing to some Republican and conservative Democratic voters in upstate New York.[1][2]

I've twice added a bit at the end of this intro about having a progressive Senate voting record and twice it's been removed. The fact that this line remains -- in the intro -- signifies that editors want to perpetuate the "conservative Democrat" narrative. I'd propose just excising it for lack of relevance.

Gillibrand won the November 2010 special election to complete Clinton's Senate term. That term is to end in January 2013.[3]

Propose adding "Gillibrand is currently running for a full 6-year term. That election will be in November 6, 2012."

POLITICAL CAREER: US House of Representatives

Recently, 11 members of the NY Congressional Delegation, including 5 from the NYC area, endorsed her 2010 Senate campaign.[21]

Propose changing to: "However, 21 of her former colleagues in the NY delegation of the US House endorsed her for election in 2010." Our campaign endorsement list is the only source for this since they're not listed all in one place:

http://www.kirstengillibrand.com/about?id=0002 Lame Duck Session of 111th Congress

During the lame duck session of the 111th Congress, Senator Gillibrand scored two substantial legislative victories: the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell and the passage of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. Both were issues she had championed during that session. In the aftermath of these victories, many commentators opined that these victories marked her emergence on the national stage.[32][33][34]

Should add references to Food Safety Modernization Act, Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act and dropside cribs ban.

Press releases:

http://gillibrand.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/?id=b0dff5ee-96b1-49ee-a162-0d6fdd4fd04b http://gillibrand.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/?id=391fa8b0-874c-40e7-ab52-54b91e9a6216 http://gillibrand.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/?id=4603ad82-e255-4802-ba39-9d340a5958ff

POLITICAL VIEWS

During her tenure in the House of Representatives, Gillibrand was a member of the Blue Dog Coalition[35] and was considered a centrist,[1][2][36] Gillibrand has received an 8% rating from the American Conservative Union,[37] 70% from Americans for Democratic Action,[38] and 90% from the American Civil Liberties Union.[39] OnTheIssues.org rates Gillibrand as a "Populist-Leaning Liberal."[40]

Ditto what I said before. After "centrist" could add "As Senator, she's ranked by National Journal as the 11th most progressive Senator."

http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/nw_20100225_4841.php

Health Care Legislation

When confronted with these criticisms, Gillibrand responded, "What the mayor and the governor are talking about is the Medicare reimbursement rates... I've been fighting on this issue for over six months. What it is, Erroll, is when it comes to funding formulas in the Senate, there are more small states than big states, and so the funding formulas tend to help small states. And that's something Senator Schumer and I have to push back on every single time, because the fact of the matter is, for every dollar New York sends to Washington, we only get 79 cents back, and that's largely due to these formulas. We win on the formula debate on the House. So what I've been trying to do is fight for the House version of the bill when we are in conference... If we are successful we can close the $1 billion gap." [46]

Add "The final version of the bill filled that gap." -- need source

Also add to the end of the section "On January 18, 2011, the US House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Gillibrand opposed this effort."

http://www.facebook.com/#!/notes/kirsten-gillibrand/repealing-the-affordable-care-act-is-wrong-for-america/498654770797

source for health care section on closing the NY Medicaid gap:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704017904575409672161032294.html

Gun Rights

Also:

She also cosponsored the Gun Trafficking Prevention Act of 2009 with Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy, a longtime advocate of gun control.[63]

Should be changed from "cosponsored" to "coauthored."

Propose adding at the end: "in 2010, Gillibrand received an F from the NRA and was endorsed by The Brady Campaign and New Yorkers Against Gun Violence."

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local-beat/NRA-Shoots-Down-Kirsten-Gillibrands-Rating--104050029.html http://www.bradycampaign.org/media/press/view/1280/ http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/1483/p/salsa/web/press_release/public/?press_release_KEY=413

F grade from NRA included; Brady Campaign NYAGV not included (unnecessary detail, we don't really need every endorsement listed here). I think this section is complete. upstateNYer 04:14, 21 February 2011 (UTC)

Illegal Immigration

Add: "In December 2010, Gillibrand supported the DREAM Act in a procedural vote and spoke out on the floor of the US Senate in support of it, calling it a 'moral imperative.'"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Im4dCuhjov0

2010 Election

Gillibrand won the November 2010 Special Election to formally retain her seat.[3]

Propose adding "with 63% of the vote."

http://elections.nytimes.com/2010/results/new-york

Also, add to the end: "A Quinnipiac poll from October 2010 showed that 54% viewed her favorably versus 24% who viewed her unfavorably. Only19% were unsure."

http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1318.xml?ReleaseID=1526

2012 Election

Gillibrand will likely run for a full term in office in 2012.

Propose changing to "Gillibrand is currently running for election to a full six-year term. The election will be held on November 6, 2010."