From A Message from Lady Gaga to the Senate:

You know what's the difference between "queer loving" celebrities and Lady Gaga. When Lady Gaga says, "I love the gays" it doesn't mean, "I love the gays' MONEY". She does put herself out there as a crusader for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people; regardless of social economic or, for that matter, citizenship status.

This is an amazing piece of activism. Well thought out, well articulated and beautifully written. And wait until you see what happens when she calls the offices of Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand. A disgrace that proves the point of why it is important to lay responsibility for this piece of legislation on the shoulder of all US Senators, especially those who pay lip service to queer politics but don't pick up the phone.  read more »

This is awesome! Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is co-sponsoring the DREAM Act of 2009:

According to Gillibrand, estimates indicate 50,000 to 65,000 students would benefit from the DREAM Act each year.

The Senator says the DREAM Act would create better opportunity for New York's immigrant students in two ways:

First, it would repeal an outdated section of immigration law that discourages states from providing in-state tuition and other higher education benefits to New York students born outside the U.S., and without legal immigration status.

The bill would also allow students who are eligible for the DREAM Act to qualify for conditional permanent resident status which would put them on a path to citizenship upon acceptance to college, graduation from high school or being awarded a G.E.D.

Under this plan, students would have six years to obtain this temporary status, during which the student must have graduated from a two-year college or vocational college, studied for at least two years toward a bachelor's or higher degree, or served two years in the U.S. military. Any student who commits a crime or serious misconduct would not be eligible.  read more »

From the source that tipped me off about Gillibrand's appointment, here's a few quick stats about the potential electoral world of fundraising pain that would occur if  Gillebrand vacates her post at CD-20 :  read more »

Now that the nanny and taxes have convinced Carolyn Kennedy of dropping her ridiculous bid for Hillary Clinton's Senate seat, PIX News is confirming that Governor Patterson's choice to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate is Kirsten Gillibrand, Congresswoman to New York's 20th District. She is what I call a right-wingish Democrat for her opposition to gun-control. It's because of her support of the NRA that Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy has vowed to primary Gillibrand in 2010 if Paterson appoints her to the Senate. Yet it's Wayne Barrett who plunges the knife and kills the Congresswoman's "fairy tale" political ascent, which is often times used to explain her political currency :

The irony is that Paterson may be swinging from the nation's most prominent Democratic family to one with strong Republican ties. Gillibrand's father, Doug Rutnik, is an Albany insider and lobbyist whose ties to former GOP powerhouses Joe Bruno, George Pataki and Al D'Amato are legendary. In fact, Gillibrand won her seat when a state police domestic violence report about the GOP incumbent, John Sweeney, was mysteriously leaked, ostensibly with the acquiescence of the Pataki administration, which had its own reasons to oppose Sweeney. Bruno is under federal investigation now, and some of the subpoenas in the case involved a real estate deal that partnered Rutnik with Bruno and another lobbyist. Rutnik dated, and eventually lived with, a top Pataki and D'Amato aide for many years, until he broke up with her in 2006 to marry a cousin of his, Gwen Lee, who'd worked in high-paying state jobs secured by the same aide. Rutnik and D'Amato have been registered lobbyists for some of the same clients.

Yet my favorite bit of trivia about the woman is that, if indeed she will be appointed, she would have beaten her former boss, Andrew Cuomo, for the open seat. A low blow for a guy that should have had it in the basket with his solid Democratic "political dynasty" pedigree vis-a-vis her Republican background.  read more »

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists recent newsletter, the antibiotic resistant strain of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) that has been an increasing problem in hospitals around the world is now infecting apparently healthy schoolkids outside of hospitals. This is a major development. Up until now anti-biotic resistance was only occasionally a problem outside of hospitals (so-called community-acquired" cases). This may be changing. According to the Centers for Disease Control, MRSA was responsible for almost 19,000 US deaths in 2005.

Another part of this development is also important. Evidence from Europe indicate that the community-acquired cases of MRSA are often associated with livestock operations. This is yet further evidence that the idiotic practice of pouring massive amounts of antibiotics into the feed of healthy animals is contributing to the public health risk of antibiotic resistant bacteria that treatens our children and people with a compromised immune system.  read more »