Slate "Alone Among Senate Democrats, Kirsten Gillibrand Is Standing Against Trumps Cabinet"

[NRaleighLiberal]

http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2017/01/26/alone_among_senate_democrats_kirsten_gillibrand_is_taking_a_stand_against.html

By Christina Cauterucci

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is getting all kinds of props this week for being the only Democrat to vote against all Donald Trump’s appointments besides Nikki Haley for United Nations ambassador. High school student and Democratic activist Rachel Gonzalez tweeted out the news on Tuesday afternoon, imploring readers to remember Gillibrand’s votes “in 2020.” The tweet has been liked 81,000 times as of Thursday afternoon.

Insofar as hearts on a tweet can offer insight into the conventional wisdom of a political party, it seems like Gillibrand’s principled stance is setting her up as a recognizable Trump opponent if she decides to run for president, as many have speculated she might, in two years or so. The Senate, with its filibuster, is one of the only bulwarks the country has left against an authoritarian administration that is already following through on its most damaging campaign promises. Massive marches, like the ones that went down in hundreds of communities around the world the day after Trump’s inauguration, are good for keeping the people engaged and energized. But without leaders in office who will turn progressive, humane values into votes, the worst those people can imagine of a Trump regime will likely come to fruition.

That’s why liberals were incensed to learn that Sen. Elizabeth Warren, another oft-proposed 2020 presidential candidate, gave Ben Carson her vote to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Carson has never worked in government, knows not one thing about housing nor urban development, and has repeatedly expressed contempt for the marginalized and low-income Americans he’d be tasked with serving as HUD secretary. Thanks to the likes of Warren and fellow progressive darling Sen. Sherrod Brown, who claim Carson is better than any likely alternative because he’s never literally threatened to demolish the department he may lead, Carson now has a unanimous mandate from the Senate’s banking committee.

Snip. Hope...

[vi5]

1. Well I'm sure the rest of them have good reasons....

I mean Trump will probably be really nice to them since they voted for some of his cabinet.

And that probably means that Republicans will be willing to negotiate with Democrats because voting for some of his cabinet gave them some good will.

And plus, the public is going to be informed enough to look at this and go "Hmmm, it is really nice that so many Democrats took the time to vote for some of Trump's picks so I think in the next election we shall reward them for the bipartisanship."

And the media is definitely going to give them credit for this and do countless pieces on how great it was that the Democrats really reached across the aisle and voted for some of the cabinet picks.

Or maybe they're just keeping their powder dry.

Or maybe still, after all this time, after all this evil, after all this illegality and shenanigans and everything else.....maybe too many elected Democrats still just don't fucking get it.

[justiceischeap]

2. Looks like she's positioning herself for 2020. nt

[FreeStateDemocrat]

3. How would FDR vote? If you can't stand-up for the underclass, you ain't really a Democrat!!!

We are devolving into a one-party plutocracy, way to go millionaires club.

I had high hopes for Al Franken???

[Trust Buster]

4. Another reason why I would like to see her by our 2020 nominee. She has the smarts of Hillary

with better people skills.

[Thrill]

5. Face it. They'll never be as ruthless as Republicans

Sad but true

[Danascot]

6. She's my Senator!

I saw her speak at a town hall meeting a couple of years ago and came away very impressed.

[pnwmom]

7. Meh. I refuse to get enraged at Elizabeth Warren or any other Dem

who has decided to choose his or her battles.

Thanks to the likes of "Christina Gauterucci," and anyone else who pushed the idea that liberal politicians must meet a purity test, Hillary Clinton lost to DT.

[alarimer]

8. What is this bullshit about picking battles?

They ALL need to vote against ALL his nominees. Any excuse is horseshit. Send a goddamn message they don't like the pieces of shit he chose.

Dammit, grow a damn spine, Democrats? Or are you going to be as worthless as you were with Bush?

[SammyWinstonJack]

9. +1000000!

[pnwmom]

10. Someone like Carson is just ordinary GOP crap. Sessions is a nuclear bomb.

Senators like Warren are trying to highlight the difference.

[alarimer]

16. Yes, I prefer incompetence to malevolence.

But still, many lives will be deeply affected by that incompetence.

[vi5]

12. Especially since it is all symbolic.....

They don't need any Democratic votes to be confirmed. So this is all optics and it looks really shitty and really cowardly for any Dem to have their fingerprints on any of these horseshit nominations. No, it doesn't matter if they could be worse because they are going to be confirmed and there won't be anyone else. Period.

[kentuck]

11. Good for her!

Somebody can recognize a train wreck when they see one. This is no time to "go along to get along".

[Tatiana]

13. I had thought her a milquetoast moderate Democrat. How happy I am to be proved wrong.

She actually represents the absolute best of Democratic principles. She's clearly moved left instead of right during her tenure in the Senate.

[leftynyc]

17. I think a lot of people thought that

when she was a rep in a moderate-but-leaned-right district in NY (just above Westchester County). She was representing her district - exactly what she was supposed to be doing. Then Gov Patterson appointed her to fill Hillary's senate seat (when she became SOS) and her true colors shone through. I'm (obviously) a bit fan of hers.

[Blue Idaho]

14. The rest of her Democratic colleagues should hang their heads in shame.

if they don't understand why this is important - they can all go to hell.

[Kingofalldems]

15. 2020. We have our candidate.

I bet the repubs are already after her email phone conversations.