Kirsten Gillibrand on 60 Minutes

This past weekend's 60 Minutes included a long feature about Kirsten Gillibrand.

It covers a lot of what you'd expect -- her ongoing fight against sexual assault and harassment, her call for Al Franken to resign (clip embedded above), the back and forth with Donald Trump on Twitter, even a visit to her family's home on Noonan Lane in Albany.

But Sharyn Alfonsi also pressed Gillibrand on the way her positions have changed on issues such as gun regulation and immigrant since her time in the House. And that was maybe the most interesting moment of the whole segment. A clip (emphasis added):

Sharyn Alfonsi: So can you understand President Trump's position on immigration, since you were there?
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand: No. I think his positions are racist.
Sharyn Alfonsi: You were against amnesty, against sanctuary cities. You supported accelerated deportations. You become senator...Why the flip?
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand: I came from a district that was 98% white. We have immigrants, but not a lot of immigrants. And I hadn't really spent the time to hear those kind of stories about what's it like to worry that your dad could be taken away at any moment, what it's like--
Sharyn Alfonsi: But you're reading the paper--
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand: Yeah. And I just didn't take the time to understand why these issues mattered because it wasn't right in front of me. And that was my fault. It was something that I'm embarrassed about and I'm ashamed of.

KG seems to be reading the recent political currents in a way that differs from a lot of other national politicians. And that sort of response feels atypical for national figure of her stature. So it's interesting to watch if the way she talks about things -- her energy, her demeanor, her style -- represents some sort broader shift.

Say Something!

We'd really like you to take part in the conversation here at All Over Albany. But we do have a few rules here. Don't worry, they're easy. The first: be kind. The second: treat everyone else with the same respect you'd like to see in return. Cool? Great, post away. Comments are moderated so it might take a little while for your comment to show up. Thanks for being patient.

What's All Over Albany?

All Over Albany is for interested and interesting people in New York's Capital Region. In other words, it's for you. It's kind of like having a smart, savvy friend who can help you find out what's up. Oh, and our friends call us AOA.

Search

Recently on All Over Albany

Thank you!

When we started AOA a decade ago we had no idea what was going to happen. And it turned out better than we could have... (more)

Let's stay in touch

This all feels like the last day of camp or something. And we're going to miss you all so much. But we'd like to stay... (more)

A few things I think about this place

Working on AOA over the past decade has been a life-changing experience for me and it's shaped the way I think about so many things.... (more)

Albany tightened its rules for shoveling snowy sidewalks last winter -- so how'd that work out?

If winter ever gets its act together and drops more snow on us, there will be sidewalks to shovel. And shortly after that, Albany will... (more)

Tea with Jack McEneny

Last week we were fortunate enough to spend a few minutes with Jack McEneny -- former state Assemblyman, unofficial Albany historian, and genuinely nice guy.... (more)

Recent Comments

My three year old son absolutely loving riding the train around Huck Finn's (Hoffman's) Playland this summer.

Thank you!

...has 27 comments, most recently from Ashley

Let's stay in touch

...has 4 comments, most recently from mg

A look inside 2 Judson Street

...has 3 comments, most recently from Diane (Agans) Boyle

Everything changes: Alicia Lea

...has 2 comments, most recently from Chaz Boyark

A few things I think about this place

...has 13 comments, most recently from Katherine