This woman stepped up, stepped aside, and took it like a grownup.

[DogPoundPup]

http://rising-hegemon.blogspot.com/2008/05/riding-high-in-april-shot-down-in-may.html

You're a brand name in New York politics. You've got twenty-five years of experience serving the state, twelve years of those in elected office. You know New York. You know D.C. For the last decade you've probably spent more time on the Eastern Shuttle and Amtrak Metroliner than most people have in their own houses. You've worked your butt off. You've paid your dues. You've fund-raised. You've schmoozed. You've been a Democrat in Congress when being a Democrat was not much fun. You're a player. And you must have been doing something right, because your constituents kept sending you back to do it over and over again. You gear up to run.

Not so fast.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, someone else wants the job, too. Someone who's never held elected office. Someone without your experience in state government. Someone who's not even a New Yorker. But even you have to admit it: this person -- this would-be interloper -- might make a more glamorous candidate. They might bring a little more oomph to the race. They might bring more people out to the polls out of sheer curiosity. They might have more influence in the senate. They might bring New York more attention -- and more goodies. You've always been there. You'll always be there. You're a standby. A stalwart. You're part of the machine. But the interloper is the machine. And the interloper could make history! "Let this hysteria die down," you think. When it does, you'll be there. So while your opponent dithers and dances with the press, you play understudy. The press calls you your potential opponent's Handmaiden. Finally, the decision comes down from the Powers That Be.

It won't be you.

The soon-to-be-former first lady of the United States, Hillary Rodham Clinton, wants that seat. And the Democratic Establishment -- the one you've been part of for twenty-five years -- wants her to have it. What do you do? You don't cry. You don't complain. You don't throw a public tantrum. You don't stay in the race. You do what you have to do, which is to step aside. For the good of the party. You become famous for what you didn't do.

Incidentally, later you'll become one of Senator Clinton's most reliable allies.

Why am I telling you all about Nita M. Lowey?

Because Hillary Clinton is not the first woman (or man) to work for something she wanted badly and for which she was probably very well suited and have someone come seemingly out of nowhere and take it away from her. She's done her share of that taking and when she did, Nita Lowey, for one, stepped up, stepped aside, and took it like a grownup.

Read more at: http://rising-hegemon.blogspot.com/2008/05/riding-high-in-april-shot-down-in-may.html

[tblue37]

1. K&R n/t

[quakerboy]

2. Interesting

[riverdeep]

3. Great cartoon.

What worries me, is just how far will she go? She says she'll let it go until June now, but she's said a lot of things. I'm worried she will pull a Lieberman, and go Independent.

[DogPoundPup]

4. Pull a Lieberman? You may have something there...

She is vindictive enough.

[DJ13]

7. I dont believe she'd go independant

But I could easily see McCain choosing Hillary as his VP nominee to try his own version of a unity ticket.

And her accepting, thinking he will only serve one term, prepping her to run as the incumbent in 2012.

[Raejeanowl]

16. This Was Something I Was Concerned About

And frankly, I didn't even know whether it was possible or has had any historical precedent. A Clinton supporter, I don't LIKE the idea.

[last_texas_dem]

18. I doubt this, simply because

I believe that McCain has become convinced, since his loss of the Repug nomination in '00, that running to the right is his only chance of winning- in either the primaries or the general election. I think McCain feels like he is dependent upon the right-wing base of the Repugs to get into office, so he would never do something like select Clinton for the purposes of unity; such a tactic would guarantee that a substantial portion of Repug voters- who are already feeling queasy about having to vote for a man who they (largely erroneously) believe is a moderate- would sit out the election altogether.

[VolcanoJen]

19. Michelle Malkin's head would f'n explode.

Seriously, that's a pretty batshit-crazy idea. Just because Obama hasn't brought up the Right Wing's hatred of Clinton as a general election issue doesn't mean it ceased to exist.

[Kool Kitty]

22. If McCain took Hillary on as his VP,

the entire panel on Brit Hume's show would spontaneously com bust on-camera.

[dbmk]

5. K/R -

Lets the talk about Obamas way to the Senator seat again? No?

[DogPoundPup]

20. Why? You looking for a problem where there isn't one?

[NashVegas]

6. Funny, I Grew Up in NY State and Never Heard of Nita Lowey

You know why? Lowey was an NYC congressperson serving in DC. Odds are likely no one above Poughkeepsie ever heard of her, either.

Had she made as much noise as Sheldon Silver or Joe Bruno she might very well have been known statewide. But to call her a "Brand name" anywhere outside of NYC is hallucinatory. Pick up the Times-Union sometime and see how much mention the SoS gets, while you're at it.

Being a brand name to people in politics is not the same thing as being a brand name to voters.

[DogPoundPup]

8. It often times ACTUALLY helps to read the entire article

before adding comments. Maybe you're 'from' NY state, but not inside the democratic political circle?

[NashVegas]

9. It Blows Your Model

If you're trying to draw an analogy, Hillary Clinton does not = Nita Lowey.

[DogPoundPup]

10. Whatever...I was just asking you a question

If that was your point...so be it, no skin off my back...still you didn't answer the question.

[NashVegas]

14. Correct

I am not a part of the political circle there.

PS - who was HC's opponent in that election?

[DogPoundPup]

17. Her opponent was Rick Lazio n/t

[nomorewhopper]

11. lol

[SoCalDem]

12. There once was a filly, named Hillie

People may have thought it silly
She wanted to win the big race
Which was fine on its face
But she was undone as it all went south
Thanks to Filly Hillie's own Billy's big mouth

[HockeyMom]

13. Yes, I remember this

At the time, I felt very, very bad that Nita stepped aside for Hillary. Although I lived on LI, I had heard a lot about her and she seemed like a very good person to run for the Senate.

What a shame.

[TragedyandHope]

15. A good lesson to put things in perspective.

[Lugnut]

21. K&R n/t

[ekwhite]

23. K&R

I had never heard of Nita Lowey before. She took a bullet for the party so that Hillary Clinton could get a Senate seat. That is what being a loyal Democrat is about.