Results tagged “senate”

Even though he hasn't officially declared his Senate candidacy yet, Harold Ford has been on a very strange charm offensive the past couple weeks, with a bonanza of increasingly weird insults and interviews alike. Following "his handlers" trading jabs with potential rival Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Ford sat down with the Post's own Woodward-in-residence Cindy Adams for a brief chat in a Brooklyn coffeehouse, in which the "New Yorker at heart" told her "New York is a city of transients," and described some of he and his wife's favorite haunts: "And we both love our neighborhood. Places like Rosa Mexicana, Starbucks, BLT Fish or, after church, First Presbyterian on 12th and Fifth, it's Big Daddy's on Park and 20th. They do great fried chicken." Jeez, I wonder if he travels to Starbucks via helicopter too. more ›

The increasingly bizarre and still unofficial race between Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and former Tennessee lawmaker Harold Ford Jr. just keeps getting stranger. After Ford escalated his attacks against the appointed Senator by calling her a "parakeet," Gillibrand called up the Post to rant about her possible rival. "I really don't know who Harold Ford thinks I am but I'm not gonna be pushed aside [by] his banker buddies," she said in what the tabloid described as an "unsolicited phone call." She added: "Him calling me names doesn't hurt me but it affects New York because it distracts from issues." more ›

Following New Jersey's decision to legalize medical marijuana, New York cannabis activists say now is the time to push for similar legislation in the Empire State. Though New York City might be the marijuana arrest capital of the world, the state has "relatively liberal possession laws and actually passed a medical-marijuana law in 1980 but never put it to use," according to the Times. And considering the fact that 14 other states have already given medical marijuana the greenlight, Assemblyman Richard Gottfried (D-Manhattan) says there's no reason why it shouldn't be New York's turn. more ›

In his still unofficial Senate campaign, former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford Jr. called his likely rival Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand a "parakeet" and blasted her for her ties to high-ranking Democrats. Ford — who once donated money to Gillibrand's campaign — lashed out against the Senator in an interview with Fred Dicker, noting that candidates need "to be more independent" and "understand that you're not elected to the United States Senate to be a parakeet or to take instructions from the Democratic leadership." more ›

Although it seems like every day is a no-good day for our permanently embattled Governor, today is maybe extra-bittersweet. This morning, top strategist and chief spokesman for Gov. Paterson's election campaign Tracy Sefl announced her sudden resignation. In her statement, Sefl said it was a "privilege" to work under the Governor, and her decision was a "business one;" and City Room confirms from insiders that she left of her own accord. Could it all be so simple for Paterson's bad luck express? more ›

According to Boston.com, Scott Brown, the Republican candidate for the Massachusetts Senate seat, has 53% of the vote in the special election. Hope you like your health insurance— because you probably aren't going to be getting any help with that for quite some time! Update: the Brown campaign is saying that Coakley, the Democratic candidate, has already called to concede. more ›

After a disastrous Q and A with the Times in which former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford Jr. revealed he officially moved to New York last year, gets chauffeured to work, and has only visited Staten Island by helicopter, the likely Senate candidate tried to prove he's a real New Yorker in an interview with the Daily News. "I love New York, I love the smell of New York. ... I love the subway," said Ford, who listed his hobbies as walking down Fifth Avenue at sunrise with a cup of coffee, strolling in Central Park, and jogging along the Hudson River. (Gawker has drafted a handy map so you can track Ford's appearances around the city). more ›

Just one week after a bizarre Q and A in which he revealed he has only been to Staten Island by helicopter and has only been a full-time New York resident for a year, former Tennessee congressman and likely Senate candidate Harold Ford Jr. sat down with the Daily News — and refused to talk about the issues. In an interview "granted under the condition that the questions be limited to his rationale for running, and not issues," Ford blasted Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand as "weak in many places across the city and the state." more ›

It seems that Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand does not know how to make friends or influence people, and her political career may suffer as a result. Sources say that since being appointed to Hillary Clinton’s old seat in January 2009 Gillibrand has failed to connect with voters and colleagues. Her lack of charisma, which makes her vulnerable to potential opponents, may be part of the reason her supporters have tried to scare Congressman Harold Ford Jr. out of the race. more ›

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is leading former Tennessee Congressman and likely Senate candidate Harold Ford by 19 points, according to a Marist Poll. In a survey that doesn't look particularly good for either Senate hopeful, 43 percent of Democratic voters favor Gillibrand and 24 percent favor Ford — who after announcing his interest in running has come under fire from the Democratic establishment. more ›

After letting her powerful Democratic friends try to scare former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford Jr. out of running for office in New York, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand lashed out against her potential rival for the first time yesterday — mainly because he wrote her a letter. Gillibrand took Ford to task for a note he penned urging Senators to oppose the health care reform bill to "protect hardworking New Yorkers from paying the additional fees and taxes." more ›

After a week of widespread Democratic opposition against his proposed Senate campaign, former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford Jr. launched his own publicity tour, which got really interesting when he sat down with the Times for a lengthy interview yesterday. There are gems throughout the far-reaching Q and A, but it's likely that no part of it will be as closely scrutinized as his statements on gay marriage — which he twice voted to ban: more ›

Sen. Hiram Monserrate (D-Queens), the most unifying man in the Senate, will go neither quietly nor gently into that dark night. A special Senate panel recommended that he be expelled or censured after being convicted of a misdemeanor assault. Never one for inaction, Monserrate is planning on going on the offensive, legally challenging any effort to expel him from the Senate. more ›

Since he said he was considering challenging Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford Jr. has received the coldest welcome of any politician in New York since Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke at Columbia. Influential Democrats including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Sen. Chuck Schumer, and Gov. David Paterson have discouraged the 39-year-old from running, while pro-choice and gay rights groups have been on the attack against the former Congressman's record. So Ford took to the pages of the Post to tell potential voters how he really feels: more ›

New Jersey will become one of a small batch of East Coast states to legalize medical use of marijuana. The measure has made it through both state houses of legislature and awaits Gov. Corzine's signature. Just nine months from now patients who suffer from chronic illnesses like AIDS, Lou Gehrig's disease, muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis will be able to get their hands on the green stuff at one of six locations, says the Times. According to the NY Post, ID cards will be handed out to patients with "debilitating medical conditions." The cards can be used to collect marijuana and to ward off suspicious cops. And though they call it the Garden State there won't be any home growing or toking up in public; New Jersey's medical marijuana practices are set to be some of the most stringent in the nation. more ›

Update Below: In another sign that he's serious about challenging Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford Jr. went on the record in support of same-sex marriage. Though he twice voted to change the constitution to ban gay marriage as a congressman, the 39-year-old who moved to New York three years ago stated: "My support for fairness and equality existed long before I moved to New York." more ›

After sparking the ire of the Democratic Party when he said he was considering running against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford Jr. says he won't be "bullied or intimidated" by "party bosses," the Times reports. But that didn't stop an influential group from trying to force him out of the race. more ›

Since former Tennessee Congressman and three-year New York resident Harold Ford Jr. announced that he was considering running against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, his candidacy has been met with widespread opposition from Democrats. Backers of Gillibrand are doing everything they can to keep the 39-year-old politician from running — but before we delve into the details, here's a brief primer on this New York newcomer. more ›

Two days after a second devastating fire destroyed several businesses in the Norwood section of The Bronx, a Mercedes Benz registered to controversial State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr. was observed illegally parked in front of a fire hydrant with a Police Vehicle Identification placard in the window. The Benz was noticed by Boogie Downer, whose photos were then picked up by the permanently galled Uncivil Servants blog (which specializes in photos of parking placard abuse). Police parking permits are not typically issued to legislators, and parking at a hydrant is illegal at all times, even for those with official permits. more ›

After vowing to use every procedural roadblock at their disposal to delay a final vote on the health care overhaul bill, Senate Republicans finally gave up and headed home for Christmas, hopefully in time to beat the blizzard spanking middle America. With Vice President Joe Biden presiding over the Senate, the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" (read it here) passed with a 60-39 vote along party lines this morning. Beginning at 7:05 a.m., Senators began casting their aye or nay votes, and when Biden came to ailing Robert Byrd, the 92-year-old Democrat from West Virginia, he said, "Mr. President, this is for my friend Ted Kennedy. Aye!" more ›

While former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani will make an official announcement that he's not running for office next year during an appearance with NY State gubernatorial hopeful Rick Lazio, he did speak with WABC 7's Lisa Colagrassi about why he wasn't running. more ›

Governor Paterson and Mayor Bloomberg both criticized the Senate health care reform bill yesterday, because they say the bill gives goodies and funding to states that currently offer weak assistance to poor sick people, while penalizing New York. "We are in a sense being punished for our own charity," Paterson told reporters. The Governor is reportedly upset that states like Massachusetts and Vermont got last-minute deals that erase their extra costs, and other states whose senators were holdouts got cash incentives. Nebraska, for instance, will have 100% of its Medicaid costs covered by the Senate bill, while New York will continue to cover half on its own. more ›

After months of speculation, former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani won't be running for office next year. He's expected to announce that he won't run for Senate against junior Senator Kirsten Gillibrand when he endorses former Senate candidate Rick Lazio's bid for Governor! more ›

At 1 a.m. this morning, with D.C. still digging out from an historic blizzard, the Senate voted 60-40 along party lines to cut off debate on an expansive health care legislation. After securing the vote of Senator Ben Nelson, Democrat of Nebraska, on Saturday, the Senate appears on track to pass the bill by Christmas Eve. At this point, Senate Republicans are fighting the bill with parliamentary tactics, demanding the full 30 hours of debate allowed under the rules after each filibuster is broken by a vote of 60 senators. Because the storm had severly delayed Amtrak, a government plane was sent to retrieve New Jersey Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez. more ›

Yesterday, Senate Democrats announced they had 60 votes to pass their health care reform bill. One of the central issues that was revised in order to get the support of Senator Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska) was over abortion. And the compromise didn't make those supporting and against abortion rights happy. more ›

Yesterday Senator Al Franken denied Joe Lieberman's routine request for an "additional moment" to drone on about an amendment to the health care bill on the Senate floor. If you're someone who's felt any degree of frustration with Lieberman's recent role in killing the public option, it's a trivial but deeply fulfilling video: more ›

Independent Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman surprised Democrats yesterday by declaring he would vote against the Senate health care bill in its current form. In an interview on Face the Nation, Lieberman said that he would "have a hard time" voting for the bill if it includes a compromise, reached last week, to set up insurance plans run by nonprofit companies supervised by the government, and allow people without insurance to buy into Medicare at age 55. His remarks seemed to surprise some Democratic leaders who thought Lieberman had agreed to go along with the compromise. more ›

Depending on how you read it, the public option in health care legislation could be dead or just sidelined. more ›

CNN reports: "The Senate on Tuesday rejected an amendment to tighten restrictions on federal funding for abortion in the health care bill," in a 54-45 vote. "Rejection of the amendment means the Senate health bill, if approved with the current abortion language, would differ from more restrictive language in the House version passed last month." The Prescriptions blog adds, "Abortion rights advocates said that [Senator Ben] Nelson’s proposed language, which would mirror restrictions included in the health care bill approved last month by the House, posed one of the greatest threats to women’s freedoms since the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision." Now it's unclear what kind of support the overall bill will have. more ›

Yesterday City Council Speaker Christine Quinn urged angry New Yorkers to keep the blame focused on the politicians who voted down a bill legalizing gay marriage in the Senate Wednesday. But blame is a burning thing and it makes a fiery ring, and at the center is Governor David Paterson, a longtime supporter of same-sex marriage. Some Democratic party officials believed that Paterson, with his basement-level approval ratings, didn't have any leverage to apply to swing-vote Senators. But others, like suddenly known Staten Island Senator Diane Savino, thinks he could have made the difference. more ›