Kirsten Gillibrand has about had it with reporters asking her about her career of flip-flopping on major political issues.
I mean, who do they think she is anyway? A candidate for president?
The New York senator was asked Tuesday afternoon to explain how she came to be so liberal in her views on illegal immigration, given that she now supports making illegal border crossings a mere civil offense, when her position once closely mirrored the one now held by President Trump.
“It’s a dramatic reversal. Why such a change of heart?” CNN’s Poppy Harlow asked, contrasting Gillibrand’s current beliefs with her past record from when she served in the House of Representatives.
The 2020 Democratic long shot was not thrilled with the question.
“Well, Poppy, I’ve answered this question about a dozen times, including on your network,” Gillibrand responded. “Ten years ago, I became senator for the entire state of New York, and I not only had the humility to recognize my positions were wrong, but I had the courage to lead from a new position, and I’ve been leading on those issues for over a decade.”
The senator continued, claiming her ability to change so drastically on the issues is actually a quality that voters should want in their president. “That’s who I am, and I have the courage to actually lead from a better position and have been doing so for over a decade,” Gillibrand added.
Gillibrand’s reversals coincided perfectly with her ascent to the Senate. It is almost as if her flip-flopping is more about political expediency than it is a genuine change of heart.
Remember that when she served in the House of Representatives, she was a proud moderate on key issues, including immigration and gun control. As a member of the House, Gillibrand received an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association. But then Gillibrand was elected to the Senate, and she was soon fighting the House version of herself. She went from bragging about “keeping shotguns under her bed” to calling for a “women’s crusade” to support stricter gun control laws. And all in a matter of months. The only thing that changed in all that time was her job title.
The same can be said for immigration, where she went from opposing “amnesty to illegal aliens” to calling for the elimination of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (she has since flip-flopped even on that position).
And do not forget about Gillibrand’s “evolution” on LGBT issues. She went from opposing the legalization of same-sex marriage in the Empire State, earning her the lowest rating of any New York Democrat from the Human Rights Campaign, to supporting same-sex marriage as a senator.
Who knows, maybe Gillibrand really did miraculously change after being appointed to the Senate. Or, more realistically, she just flip-flopped on issues she supported as a representative of a fairly conservative district because it keeps the Democratic base happy.
