I'm glad to hear Gillinbrand is inching to the left.

She may prove to be a very good pick.

"Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) for president? John McCain raised the possibility last night."

Oh please, please, please... Senator Kyl manages to make McCain look steady, rational and high-minded.

Kyl for president? Wow, if there's anything that can save the GOP now, it's running an old white guy for president. Lotta thinkin' Vern.

Kyl would be 71 in 2012 - just what we need another crotchety geezer, just pair him up with Palin and awayaaaa we go

"Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand's (D) selection as New York's new senator has pushed a whole lot of dominoes in the Empire State and 'appears to have thrown the state's political scene into a free-for-all.'"

I think the use of the phrase "free-for-all" is hyperbolic. Yes, there are going to be primary challenges. That's a good thing.

Another old white male Senator from Arizona--yeah, that'll be the salvation for Republicans. And even more conservative than McCain, I'm guessing.

New York is losing a House seat in the next re-districting. Maybe it'll be Gillibrand's, which eliminates one problem.

"As expected"? Can you tell me who in the blogosphere has said they expect that?

Your earlier comment was "We'll see". Hardly "expected".

And while it is a change, her earlier position was having a federal law making civil unions legal in all 50 states. That's hardly a conservative position.

* Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) for president? John McCain raised the possibility last night.

McCain let this accidently slip? Mr. Puddles suddenly comes to mind.

TPMDC expresses pleased surprise that support for gay marriage would be a political plus, but I think this is two areas -- the other being marijuana leglization -- where the country has gotten ahead of 'conventional liberals.' (In fact, I would expect support for either would be a plus for even Conservative Republicans, if they are running in 'frontier Conservative' states like Arizona and Wyoming (not "Christian" or "Mormon" Conservative ones), where conservatism has always had a tinge of libertarianism -- remember it was Wyoming that was the first state that gave women the right to vote.)

I think there would be considerable support for a bill that
a) declared marriage a 'state issue' (except as modiefied by Loving) and
b) required states to give 'full faith and credence' to any marriage legal in the state performed, whether it was legal for those people to get married in the second state.

(I also think an announcement from AG Holder or Obama that the federal government will accept a state's right to pass -- at first -- 'medical marijuana' laws without interposing federal criminal sanctions would be overwhelmingly accepted, if recent polls I've seen are even slightly accurate.)

Hillary Clinton's replacement is amazing! She gave a passionate, very Obama-like policy speech at the end of her press conference just now.

Of course the major networks had cut out before this happened, so only C-Span had it.

She seems to have absorbed the Obama approach while sounding authentic. Of course that is the main key to Obama. She talks about faith, family and public service in ways which should scare the hell out of Republicans.

She seems to have the intellect of a Hillary, with the passion of Obama. Today was her version of the Obama 2004 convention speech.

In striking contrast, Chuck Schumer took the stage and remained partisan, ideological and praised her for being a woman from upstate NY, just like Obama is black, giving hope to other blacks. What a jerk.

Jon Kyl?

McCain's just a goofy old guy compared to Kyl. Kyl's a real extremist - thinks a lot like Cheney. Hopefully the nation has had enough of old white guys from this state.

Hillary Clinton's replacement is amazing!

Yeah, if by "amazing" you mean a pro-gun Blue Dog.

Then, yeah, she's amazing. Whatever.

It doesn't surprise me that McCain thinks Kyl would be a good choice for President. After all, he thought Palin was a good choice for Vice President.

I find it VERY hard to accept the idea that Obama has a 60% approval rating in rock-solid Republican states Texas and Tennessee (and where most registered Democrats are probably DINO, Zell-Miller types).