http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrush/0109/King_Cloud_over_Gillibrand_pick.htmlRep. Pete King, the quote-machine Long Island Republican who is mulling an '10 Senate run, tells us he wants Gov. David Paterson to "come clean" about the Gillibrand selection process to dispel questions about pay-to-play and the stunning withdrawal of Caroline Kennedy.
"There is a crisis of confidence, there is a cloud over this appointment," said King, whose opposition to stringent gun control, illegal immigration and round two of the bank bailout track closely to the new New York Senator's right-of-center views.
"I'm calling on the governor to produce a timeline on the decision—who he met—what was the basis for his decision to suddenly pull her out of nowhere...It puts a cloud over her appointment. He's got to fully disclose everything that went into this, any influences, who spoke on her behalf."
Asked if he was claiming the possibility of Rod Blagojevich pay-to-play scandal lurking, he replied, "I'm not saying anything illegal was done."
A more likely scenario, he added, was that Paterson was attracted to Gillibrand's funding network and the business connections of her father, Democratic lobbyist Douglas Rutnik.
"If don't know if there's any pay-to-play connotation, but if she has contacts who can raise money for
that should be out there... If her access to money trumps experience, he should tell us."
King said he's "seriously considering a run" and has planned trips to Brooklyn and Rockland County.
He also said he expected to Gillibrand to quickly alter her positions to diffuse anger from liberals.
"I don't know what she is," he said when asked to describe her political philosophy. "But I do know that Chuck Schumer is telling everybody she's gonna do a 180 on gun control."
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