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New York Democrats have every reason to be frustrated with Sen. Kirstin Gillibrand's refusal to take on the Wall St. banksters and brokesters who are destroying New York and destroying America.

One of the reasons why she is doing this is that she is part of the exact same Republican political machine as former Sen. Al D'Amato and Joe Bruno. The latter is a convicted felon and the former GOP Majority Leader back when they had a majority in the state Senate.

The other reason for Gillibrand's pandering to Wall St. sleaze is that she gets a lot of money in campaign contributions from those sleazebags. Her Democratic primary opponent, Jonathan Tasini, has called for her to return that money. (Note: I'm not sure why a rightist Republican like Gillibrand is allowed by the state party to get away with pretending she's a Democrat.) Here's the text of Tasini's press release:

Today, my opponent, Kirsten Gillibrand, did what New Yorkers find increasingly troubling: she claimed she stands for one thing, while her actions contradict her public relations talking points. On WNYC’s The Brian Lehrer Show, referring to yesterday’s Supreme Court decision that allows unlimited corporate spending on elections, my opponent said, “I think it’s terrible.”

I agree—the Supreme Court decision hands over to corporations control over our democracy. It reinforces the notion in the voters’ minds that our system is dysfunctional and is not helping average people.

But, by her actions, not words, my opponent stands side-by-side with the conservative Supreme Court majority (as she did when she supported the National Rifle Association-backed overturning of the D.C. ban on handguns) by continuing to pocket huge amounts of corporate-influenced cash, particularly from the elite bankers and financial mainpluators who engineered the collapse of our economy, robbing Americans of their jobs, savings and retirement.

Yesterday, at a rally in front of Goldman Sachs, I called on my opponent to stop taking the massive amounts of money she is receiving from Wall Street and the very corporate interests that are blocking real change and to give back every dollar she has taken from the Wall Street bankers who destroyed our economy. That money is legalized corruption and is hurting every New Yorker and the American people. (The specific demand can be seen on this video at the 4:40 mark: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9y8I9qFsRU)

I renew that call today. A majority of New Yorkers, and a majority of Democrats, do not support the election of the appointed Senator because they believe that she has no core principles. By rejecting Wall Street money—and, thereby, showing that she, in fact, does not support corporate control over our elections—my opponent will actually show voters that her words are not merely talking points to win over voters simply to get elected.

Democrats can respond to the Supreme Court in a forceful manner—and stand with the people. The Democratic Party can declare that it will cease accepting corporate cash today, immediately, as a signal to the American people that our party stands with the people, not with the corporate interests who have done great harm to the economy and the lives of millions of Americans.

It's no secret that Gillibrand is an NRA loving, bloodthirsty gun extremist. However, more people need to realize she is completely beholden to the banksters.