The Hillary Watch, continued

Briefly, on my way to the gluttonous celebration of the Native American Holocaust, two more interesting pieces about what might happen if Sen. Hillary Clinton gives up her New York Senate seat to become Barack Obama's secretary of state:

On The Daily Beast, Benjamin Sarlin suggests the job might go to 20th District Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand [left], a relatively conservative Democrat whom he describes as: A bizarro version of Sarah Palin: she proudly touts her 100 percent rating from the National Rifle Association, and has two young children, aged 4 years old and six months old.
The really troublesome thing about that piece is that Sarlin refers to Gillibrand, whose district borders Connecticut, as "a true upstater." By those standards, Buffalo is part of Ohio. [Or, as occasionally I still dream of, Canada.]

But here, via The Washington Post, is a really interesting idea about who should take over Hillary's spot in the Senate: Bill.
Hey, why not? Observers back to John Quincy Adams have wondered why we don't make more official use of the experience of ex-presidents. He'd be more likely to give up his foundation and its shady financing. And, if he were busy in the Senate, he'd wouldn't be a fifth wheel tagging along on Madame Secretary's world trips.

Digest that.

- George Pyle/Editorial Writer

Comments

[Buffalo Libertarian]

Senator Slick Willie Clinton. Now there's an interesting thought. Of course, if that happened there would likely be a sex scandal involving female pages young enough to be his daughter.

But what is it with so many of the people in New York State and their sick, perverted desire to put carpetbaggers and out-of-staters into political offices as representatives of New York State? Slick Willie (like his carpetbagger wife) is not FROM New York and doesn't have an experiential understanding of what it means to be a New Yorker. You can't truly represent New York unless you're actually FROM New York!

[Mike]

"Native American Holocaust"? Dear George, I hope that comment was in jest.

[Mark]

Go to Gillibrands website and read it, unfortunately Brown, Hoyt, and Higgins are not in that league plus she is a woman.

[Marty_B]

Always good to know that an editorial writer at The News refers to Thanksgiving as the "Native American Holocaust", believes NRA members are "bizarro", and would rather live in Canada than the United States. Liberals are such depressing people. George, lighten up and enjoy life a little! It must be terrible to wake up every morning when you hate our country so much!

[BobbyCat]

Hillary, Hillary,Hillary. More than half of Doug Turner's blogs feature Hillary or Bill.

There are tons of local blog topics that go begging. Why no blog about local virulent talk radio that tears this region apart?

Why no blog about West Valley Demonstration Project? If an earthquake or terrorist breached that facility, radioactive water could flow down the the Cattaraugus Creek to L.Erie and and then L. Ontario and contaminate drinking water for millions from Buffalo to Toronto. Sufficient interest, yet no blog.

Just a gentle reminder that many of us are not fixated on Hillary while many local issues are raging.

[john]

Thank God for talk radio. It provides the opposite point of view of the network TV and liberal newspapers. Kinda like the fairness doctrine. No wonder air america went broke. People are sick of the lies and hate form THOSE people.

[john]

What is the attraction of that hillary? In a stae of over 20 million, she represented only one person -herself. She's obviously very intelligent, but to use it simply for her own gain of power over us is baffling to me.

[Marty B]

I fail to see the need to complain about so-called "virulent" talk radio. If someone doesn't like anything that's on the radio, there are plenty of channels and other forms of media - satellite radio, television, cable, podcasts, etc. How come liberals are all for free speech until it's speech that they don't like. Hit the off button if you don't like it, Bobby Cat.

[BobbyCat]

Some talk radio hosts are honorable and give all voices a fair chance to be heard.
Others are hate merchants spewing vicious venom. They're a disgrace to WNY. So cut the BS "Marty", we all know who is who.

Let's open-up a blog topic on it - and on many other issues.

[Marty B]

I guess a talk show host is "honorable" if you agree with them. Very scary when Americans starting thinking that. I disagree with many thigs I hear on many forms of media, but I would fight to my death for the right of them to say those things. When rights are taken away from some, they are taken away from all.

[BobbyCat]

Marty,
I can understand why the radical right loves it when local talk radio hosts slime Democrats, daily. How these station/s get away with it, is a mystery to me. How their account executives sell ads is also a mystery. Why would any advertiser in a democratic town, buys ads on a radio station that insults Dems is something I truly can't fathom. Why would they alienate the majority of their market?

From time to time I phone these sponsors and tell them I'm sick of the liberal/democrat/ progressive insults that they pay for and tell them them I will NEVER darken their doorstep.

Never mind the ethics, from a business point of view, it's crazy.

But ethics do matter. These hate merchants tarnish the image of WNY. What Canadian firms would want to relocate to a city that sounds like a hub of redneck hatred?

Turning the channel won't stop the hatred and intolerance from staining the reputation of our region.

Where will it end? Will they start sliming Jews or Catholics or blacks? Who's next?

[Marty B]

Bobby, you're getting closer to seeing the big picture. By eliminating points of view, we're really hurting all of us. All sectors of society, including Jews, Catholics, and blacks have all taken major abuse over the years due to the freedoms we have to speak as we please. It's a price that we pay for living in a society where we have these freedoms. I think you're well-intentioned, but remember that thevoices you're trying to silence may someday be yours. We need to protect all people's freedoms in order to truly live freely, not just the ones with which we agree. Do you see that by attempting to silence some, you're actually taking away freedom? I think you're alomost seeing that point.

[BobbyCat]

Marty,

Please spare me your patronizing tone. I get it, all too well.

You're using a lot of verbage trying to intellectualize hate speech on hate radio. We don't need that in Buffalo.

If we had a big selection of talk radio options and a lot of competition in Buffalo, that would be one thing, but we don't. We have one broadcasting company that controls the Buffalo talk radio market. They specialize in hate radio that destroys the fabric of this region with fear mongering, hate mongering, insults and lies. And for what? A few ratings points.

Freedom of speech does not protect hate speech on public airwaves. Your argument in defense of hate speech is garbage.

I think the new FCC will take a long look at the "voice of Buffalo" hate radio.

[Kitty]

John, what "liberal" media are you listening to or watching? The media in general have given the Bush administration a free pass for the entire 8 years that he violated the Constitution (which he swore to uphold) and led this country into a serious mess. There is ONE radio station in this area that features liberal talk and it is constantly pre-empted for stupid baseball games.

I agree with Bobby and would add that if this area was overrun with liberal talk shows, conservatives would be rushing the stations with pitchforks, screaming for it to stop. I find it very sad that we have to defend racial stereotyping, hate speech disguised as "political commentary" and plain old, flat-out lies as free speech. Oh, I agree that free means free for everyone, but it's amazing the crap we put up with in the name of freedom.

And Marty: why is it that you conservatives can only think in extremes? If I disagree with anything that happens in this country, I must "hate America." How stupid is that?

[Marty B]

I hope the FCC has more inportant things to worry about than talk radio in Buffalo. :) Calm down, change the channel to some relaxing Christmas music and breathe deeply! Life's too short!