Gllibrand: Chuck's girl

This is not encouraging:

Democratic insiders say the selection of Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand to fill New York's vacant U.S. Senate seat showed the pivotal influence of senior Sen. Charles Schumer.
Gov. David Paterson selected the little-known congresswoman over candidates Caroline Kennedy, backed by President Barack Obama and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Andrew Cuomo, backed by Hillary Rodham Clinton and former President Bill Clinton.
But at the news conference introducing Paterson's choice Friday, one big smile gave it all away, and it was on the Schumer's face.
"Schumer was pushing her, he was really pushing," said a Democrat on Saturday who was told by Paterson that Schumer favored Gillibrand.

So even though Paterson stuck it in the face of Obama and the Clintons, the enhanced influence of Schumer is not exactly something conservatives can cheer about. On the other hand, there's this in the New York Times:

[S]ome of Mr. Paterson’s own advisers say their worst fears have been realized. A process that they had hoped would elevate the governor, demonstrate his statesmanship and introduce him to the nation instead damaged his credibility and divided his party. Its final days were by turns intensely secretive and astoundingly public, culminating with personal attacks on Caroline Kennedy from the governor’s camp that astonished the state’s political establishment.

A story that would have more credibility if Caroline Kennedy wasn't rumored to be having an affair with the publisher of the New York Times, which was transparently in the tank for Senator Princess. So, of course, now that their candidate didn't get the seat, they're trashing Gov. Paterson.