“Kirsten Gillibrand” on The Daily Caller

Well Charlie: you’ve disappointed me, and while I may not be one of your close, personal, friends, I was offering you some friendly advice in my last missive when I urged you to fight these scandalous charges against you from the comfort & safety of The Dominican Republic. (more)

NEW YORK (AP) — New York’s Democratic political establishment came out in force for embattled U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel on Wednesday, packing a sold-out fundraiser to praise Rangel’s service to the city and state over a 40-year career recently tainted by ethics charges. (more)

LONDON — Scottish lawmakers demanded Tuesday that their government publish full details of the medical advice that led to the release from prison of the Lockerbie bomber almost a year ago. (more)

Democratic leaders and major party donors plan to hold a lavish 80th birthday gala for Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) at The Plaza Hotel in Manhattan next month, despite 13 ethics charges pending against the veteran lawmaker. (more)

WASHINGTON (AP) — BP’s oil spill notoriety is reviving unwelcome attention from Congress on another issue: whether the oil company sought the release of convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdel Baset al-Megrahi to help get a $900 million exploration agreement with Libya off the ground. (more)

Democratic Sen. Carl Levin blocked the bi-partisan Earmark Transparency Act from coming to a vote during a committee hearing Thursday after expressing concern that posting all earmarks online would be too complex. (more)

WASHINGTON — Rachael Ray’s signature smile evaporated during a car ride to the Capitol on Tuesday. None of her trademark catchphrases — “Yum-o” or “fantabulous” — tumbled from her mouth. (more)

A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation that aims to shine a little more light on similar congressional pet projects, commonly known as earmarks, and the proposal is receiving praise today from watchdog groups. (more)

Political writers and thinkers on the left have criticized Barack Obama for considering a SCOTUS nominee who’s not sufficiently to the left. This morning, as word spread that Elena Kagan would indeed be Obama’s choice for the Supreme Court, liberals weighed in. (more)

A tax even a Republican can like: A hot topic in certain circles is the possibility of the federal government enacting a “value-added tax,” or VAT, as one solution to America’s fiscal mess. Basically, a VAT is a more easily enforced (and collected) retail sales tax. Democrats tend to love it and Republicans tend to hate it, because it adds revenue to fund more federal programs. Paul Volcker, head of President Obama’s economic advisory board, said a VAT was “not as toxic an idea” as it used to be. In April, Sen. John McCain, Arizona Republican, offered a “sense of the Senate” resolution expressing opposition to a VAT, which passed in the Senate by an 85 to 13 vote. So it interesting that five Republican House members are co-sponsoring a bill by Rep. Pascrell, New Jersey Democrat, that would impose a VAT on imports from countries that use the tax. In the Senate, Republican Senator Voinovich, Ohio Republican — who was the sole Republican vote in opposition to that sense of the Senate resolution — now has suggested that replacing income taxes with a VAT could be one way to streamline the tax code. (more)

The elaborate foreplay of contemplating a run for high office gives pundits, cable-TV hosts, and even conceited bloggers (such as neoliberal, knee-jerk counter-intuitivist Mickey Kaus, eyeing Barbara Boxer’s Senate seat from California) the opportunity to preen their opinions even more and practice the false humility of pretending to answer a clamor that is mostly in their heads. Lou Dobbs, the former CNN heavyweight host who frittered away a rock-solid image with intemperate flare-ups and kooky talk about immigrant-borne diseases and Obama’s birth certificate, claimed he was being wooed by prominent nobodies to consider the presidency, then dialed down such speculation. MSNBC’s Chris Matthews toyed with our affections, hinting at a Senate run in Pennsylvania against Arlen Specter, though that fancy seems to have whiffed into smoke. The post–Eliot Spitzer, post–Hillary Clinton disarray in New York State encouraged a spate of alpha males to lace up their racing shoes for a possible sprint at the U.S. Senate seat held by Kirsten Gillibrand, whose freshman status and cream-puff cheeks give the impression of a soft target there for the taking. Up popped Harold Ford, a smooth operator whose knowledge of his adopted state seemed scanty but who knew the best places in town for power breakfasts and manicures. Although Ford served in Congress for his home state of Tennessee and lost a Senate bid after a racy, racist smear ad hinted he was a “playa” (“Call me,” winked a saucy blonde), he is probably more familiar to New Yorkers as a frequent guest on MSNBC’s Morning Joe and similar Socratic forums where his sensible, centrist moderation is catnip. Political pietists worship at the sacrificial altar of bipartisanship, prizing those who “reach across the aisle” even if no hand is reaching back. For many Democrats, however, “centrist” is a euphemism for sellout (see Joe Lieberman, consider his trespasses), and Ford’s slinky facility for slipping into and out of positions (opposition to gay marriage, for instance) made him too obvious a quick-change artist. He eventually heeded the roar of indifference from the public and scratched himself from contention, while insisting he could have beaten Gillibrand. (more)

Maybe this is an exaggeration on our part? We don’t know. The woman is untouchable! (more)

The always-on-fire NY Daily News has published a report from a reader suggesting that former NY Lt. Gov. Betsy McCaughey might be running for Senate or governor. According to the reader’s anecdote: (more)

Today’s Idol Tracker Monday morning wrap is all Kara, all the time. Here’s the latest in Kara DioGuardi news: (more)

Have you ever been to Disney World and gone on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride? New York is a lot like that: (more)

It took some prodding from other Democrats, but Harold Ford has finally made a decision: He’s not running. The former Tennessee congressman had been testing the waters for months, considering challenging the incumbent Kirsten Gillibrand for the New York Senate seat left vacant by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. (more)

Tennessee transplant and former Rep. Harold Ford Jr. has decided not to challenge unelected incumbent Kirsten Gillibrand for her New York Senate seat, sources said tonight. (more)

Rep. Joe Sestak’s admission that the White House tried to lure him out of a primary challenge to Sen. Arlen Specter made Pennsylvania the fifth state this cycle in which the Obama administration has tried unsuccessfully to clear the field for Democratic senate candidates. (more)

She’s known worldwide for her nasal voice, New York accent, and starring role in the sitcom “The Nanny,” but now actress Fran Drescher has recast herself as a high-profile foreign envoy, fierce political candidate and potential TV talk show host. (more)

As Senate Democrats find themselves playing defense in key races throughout the nation, one consistent theme has been the number of campaigns where Democrats are locked in contested primaries. (more)