Congresswoman Maloney's Husband Dies

by: robert.harding

Sat Sep 26, 2009 at 19:10:50 PM EDT

Here is the AP report:

The husband of U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney has died on a mountain climbing expedition in the Himalayas, aides to the congresswoman said Saturday.

Clifton Maloney, a millionaire investment banker and avid climber, was resting in a high-altitude camp after a successful ascent to the summit of the world's sixth-highest mountain when he died.

He was 71, a late age for such a grueling endeavor, but had been in excellent health, aides said.

"I am told that his last words were, 'I am the happiest man in the world. I just climbed a beautiful mountain,'" said Barry Nolan, a congressional aide who works with Carolyn Maloney.

...

Maloney was a former vice president of Goldman Sachs who made millions of dollars in investment banking and real estate after establishing his own financial firm, C.H.W. Maloney & Co. He was a director of several companies, including The Wall Street Fund Inc. and Interpool Limited.

A Navy veteran and graduate of Princeton College and Harvard Business School, Maloney also was a seasoned athlete and adventurer. A publicist for the family released a biographical statement saying Maloney had completed the New York City Marathon 20 times and was the oldest man to reach the summit of Cho Oyu.

The family was informed of his death by the Department of State early Saturday.

Carolyn and Clifton Maloney married in 1976. He is survived by his two daughters, his mother, his sister and nine nieces and nephews.

Having lost my dad last year, I know how difficult this is and I know what pain exists. Our thoughts and prayers are with Congresswoman Maloney and her family during this difficult time.

NY-Sen: The Pros And Cons Of A Primary

by: robert.harding

Tue Jul 07, 2009 at 09:11:09 AM EDT

But I wanted to put this in the proper context. I wanted to look at the advantages and disadvantages of a primary.

There are those who believe that democracy must be exercised. There also those who believe that there is someone better (someone more progressive or more in line with their views) than Gillibrand. Sometimes those views overlap, but the same can be said for those who support Gillibrand and believe that an unnecessary primary should be avoided.

Here are the list of pros and cons for a primary:

PRO: A primary that focuses on the issues can help make any candidate, whether that's Gillibrand, Maloney or Tasini, a stronger candidate. The key there is a campaign on the issues. To date, both Maloney and Tasini have taken a very negative tone in their approach. Maloney has said less about issues and where she would stand as a U.S. senator than she has attacked Gillibrand for Gillibrand's views or perceiving changes to positions. But a primary that features candidates talking about what is important to New Yorkers (something that is lacking at the state level lately) will be a refreshing change from the politics that we have seen over the last few years.

CON: The time between the primary and the general election. In New York, our primaries fall in September, giving the winner of those primaries less than two months to prepare for the general election in November. In 1992, we probably wouldn't have lost to Alfonse D'Amato if the primary was held earlier. But a hard-fought primary left the Democratic Party picking up the pieces and having to bring everyone together in two months. That is not an easy thing to do.

Those that have said that we did last year with President Barack Obama have a valid point, but also must remember that after the Barack Obama-Hillary Clinton battle was done, we had five months to prepare for the general election. Five months is better than seven weeks.

PRO: A primary will be democracy in action. There are those who have been critical of how Gillibrand has netted many endorsements, but that is only part of the game. Endorsements are a two-way street. Remember: Someone has to do the endorsing. But a primary in this case was inevitable and that will enable the nearly six million Democrats in New York to voice their opinion about who should be the party's nominee for the general election in November 2010.

CON: A primary can be very damaging. This primary, at least the way it looks right now, could be a damaging one. As mentioned before, the timing of the primary makes a damaging primary tough to overcome. If attacks are exchanged and that is the only thing primary voters are hearing, they will be turned off by the process. That makes a candidate who stays out of the mess a more appealing choice and a possible upset winner should the primary get very messy. But whether or not that candidate (or any candidate who pulls it out in a nasty primary) is a viable one will depend on many things, namely just who the Republicans put up to oppose the Democratic nominee.

PRO: There are those who say that a primary would be a good thing for Gillibrand. In fact, I have heard those who are thinking about supporting Gillibrand but also support a primary say that a primary would show them just how good Gillibrand is. The same could be said for those who support Maloney. A primary is a test. It will be a big test for Gillibrand. It will be just as big for Maloney and Tasini.

CON: In a year when there will surely be a contentious fight for the New York State Senate (after the coup, it is hard to disagree with that) and in a year when we could face the prospects of a Democratic primary for governor, it would be nice to have a seat that is without drama. The U.S. Senate seat could have been that seat, but the primary will only add to the drama that New York will experience in 2010.

I am certain there are more pros and cons, but I want those to play out in conversation and debate. These are the ones I could immediately think of and be reminded of.

One thing that I didn't know how to group was the tie that a few people have made between Governor David Paterson and Sen. Gillibrand, essentially saying that because Paterson appointed Gillibrand, that should raise serious questions about Gillibrand's ability because of Paterson's own leadership woes. I don't believe the two are connected. Gillibrand's approval ratings and popularity are on the rise. Paterson's numbers aren't so lucky.

The primary is underway though. It is something we can't avoid now and something we should not shy away from. It will be an interesting race and I hope that it is one where the issues are at the forefront. Attacks have proven in the past to be something that turns off voters, so we should see less attacks and more substance in the months ahead.