New York's Next Senator

Anyone have any thought on our next Senator?

Some folks have suggested that Gov. Paterson should appoint a woman, so we had both a male and female representative. So Ms. Kennedy, Ms. Lowey and Rep. Gillibrand have been suggested.

Some folks have suggested that New York should have a national figure, not just someone known in New York, so Ms. Kennedy stands out, but of course there are a lot of nationally known New Yorkers, Mr. Bloomberg could be one, AG Cuomo could be the choice.

Of course many have tried to determine what is best for New York, and want someone who will really represent the interests of New Yorkers, someone who really fights for us. New York generally gets a pretty bad return on our investment for our federal tax dollars, so someone in the mold of Sen. Schumer, a real New Yorker, might be a good choice. This avenue leads us to a number of non-obvious choices, including local hero Rep. Hinchey.

Of course many Democrats would like to make sure the person appointed has a good chance of being elected. And Paterson supporters want to make sure he picks someone who helps his chance at being elected governor. The problems in Illinois makes the likelihood of Paterson appointing himself almost nil, but who knows?

And still others would like to see political problems in New York be solved by the appointment. So soon to be NYS Senate Democratic leader Sen. Smith might help smooth things over in that chamber, but it isn't clear that Upstaters would be too pleased by this choice.

And finally, some want an appointment of a real thinker, in the mold of the late Sen. Moynihan. We in New York are blessed with a good number of intellectual giants.

What do you think? Comment away!

Photos from Saugerties Dems Holiday Party