| Gillibrand and RFK Jr. did an event with students from the Urban Assembly New York Harbor School to publicize her proposal to provide $100 million over five years for environmental education programs that are endangered as local school districts across the country deal with difficult budgets.
Here's Gillibrand's take on the issue, from her website:
During these tough economic times, we need to continue investing in environmental education to prepare our students for the new green economy. The Urban Assembly New York Harbor School is a model for environmental education. Their focus and dedication needs to be replicated here in New York and throughout the country.
No Child Left Inside provides critical funding to ensure that our children receive hands-on education that connects them with environment and prepares them for the future. Investing in education is one the most important things we can do, and I am committed to improving educational opportunities for all of our children.
Kennedy also had good things to say about about environmental education in the press release, but what was really newsworthy is what he said about Gillibrand to NY 1:
She's been great.
She's been taking direction from the environmental community and we've found it very, very, very easy to work with her and she's going to be a great Senator.
After that, the reporter asked if the Kennedy family is behind Gillibrand.
Kennedy replied:
Oh yeah.
We have been from the beginning.
I assume that what RFK Jr. means by the "beginning" is after his cousin decided to withdraw from consideration for the appointment, and Gov. Paterson decided to appoint Gillibrand.
Kennedy did not formally endorse Gillibrand, but he came pretty close.
Whatever, RFK Jr.'s on-camera statement belies the idea that some pundits and blog commenters have promoted that the Kennedys are still pissed about Gillibrand's appointment, and will work to defeat her in a primary next year.
RFK Jr. has been devoted to environmental issues for most of his adult life, working to clean up the Hudson River, and as co-director of the Environmental Litigation Clinic at Pace University School of Law and as senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Gillibrand is excellent on the environment, earning a 95 percent rating from the League of Conservation Voters in 2007, and a 100 last year.
I know that RFK Jr. and Gillibrand are not perfect -- he has opposed the Cape Wind project in Nantucket Sound and she had taken positions on gun control and immigration as a representative of a conservative upstate district that she is naturally modifying now that she represents the whole state.
I also know that Gillibrand is now serving in the Senate seat that RFK Jr.'s father served in, until he was assassinated.
So his informal endorsement yesterday has a lot more real meaning than the absurd sniping from the downstate pundit peanut gallery.
Gillibrand has the support of Chuck Schumer, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and now, evidently, the New York part of the Kennedy family.
Those who might challenge her in a Democratic primary next year have no such support.
Which is yet another political indicator that Gillibrand will be our Senator for as long as wants to be.
|
