The NY Times is reporting that Gov. David Paterson (D-NY) has chosen Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand to replace Hillary Clinton, who resigned from the Senate to become Secretary of State. It is an unusual choice because Gillibrand, 42, is only a one-term representative. She has to stand for election in both 2010 and 2012. On the other hand, she is a prodigious fund raiser even as she just represented part of the Hudson Valley. Once she starts raising money in New York City, there is no telling how much she can rake in. Women's groups will clearly go all out for her and New York is a very blue state, so any Democrat starts with a huge advantage there. Finally, although it is politically incorrect to mention it, she is probably the best looking woman in the Senate and maybe all of Congress. Like it or not, that is going to sway many male voters in her favor. While we may not get the kind of frenzy we saw around Sarah Palin, it is a factor. Only unlike Palin, Gillibrand is not in over her head. She performed well in the House and the day-to-day routine of a senator is not that different from that of a representative (beg for money, go to committee meetings, beg for money, vote on the floor, beg for money, talk to constitutents, beg for money, etc.). Politically, Gillibrand is hard to pigeonhole, as she is supported by both the National Rifle Association and the American Civil Liberties Union. She has also demonstrated her ability to get Republicans to vote for her, winning 62% to 38% last November in an R+3 district (NY-20).

Unnamed Republican sources are urging aging and infirm Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) to retire in 2010. If these reports are true--and they probably are--it is almost without precedent for a party to push a sitting senator to retire--unless he likes to play footsie in airport mens' rooms. Bunning is seen as a very weak shot at hanging onto his seat and the Democrats have several strong contenders for the nomination, including Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo and Rep. Ben Chandler. Mongiardo ran against Bunning in 2004 and despite a huge advantage in money, Bunning won by only 1 point, even though George Bush carried Kentucky by 20 points. Many observers feel that had it not been for Bush, Mongiardo would have won. Without Bush on the ticket to help him in 2010, Bunning is probably very vulnerable, which is why the Republicans want him out of there.