Sam has been following the identity politics at play in Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's decision of whom to appoint to Barack Obama's empty Senate seat. Obama, after all, was the only African American serving in the Senate. And it's no surprise that although there are currently 16 female senators, similar concerns are arising over Hillary Clinton's soon-to-be-vacant seat. After all, women still make up just 17 percent of Congress.
Yesterday, the Feminist Majority PAC and NOW PAC announced they are supporting Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney for the job. Maloney has served 16 years in Congress and previously was a New York City councilwoman for a decade. She represents the 14th District, which includes a strip of Manhattan stretching from the Lower East Side to the far Upper East Side, as well as Astoria and Long Island City, Queens, traditionally working class neighborhoods that are gentrifying due to an influx of young artists and writers priced out of Brooklyn's trendier areas.
Maloney was the co-founder of the House 9/11 Commission Caucus, and has advocated for a credit card holder's bill of rights. In the New York City Council, she introduced the first legislation recognizing gay domestic partnerships, and in Congress she has introduced legislation that would extend family and medical leave benefits to gay couples. In 2004 Maloney passed the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program, which authorized $755 million over five years for states and local authorities to eliminate their backlogs of rape kits. More controversially, in 2007 she introduced legislation to fund further scientific study into possible links between common childhood vaccinations and autism; large studies have already demonstrated no difference between the autism rates of vaccinated and non-vaccinated children. On Sept. 24, Maloney's office hosted an event featuring David Kirby, author of the book Evidence of Harm, which argues that the vaccinations are unsafe.
Trading Clinton for Maloney wouldn't exactly preserve the stature of this Senate seat -- but then again, it's hard to think of someone who would be as powerful, high-profile, and whip-smart as Hillary. With Maloney, advocates for some of Clinton's pet issues will at least know they'll continue to have a friend in New York's junior senator. Other suggestions?
--Dana Goldstein
