Condolences to Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney

2 years ago

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Carolyn Maloney is the kind of working woman lots of other working women want to be -- the embodiment of that '70s bumper sticker "A Woman's Place is in The House." Prior to being elected to Congress in 1992, the former Southern belle had served Spanish Harlem for 10 years as a New York City Council member, where she was the first council member to give birth during her term in office, twice.

Once she got to D.C., she showed the boys and other girls she could play in their league. She is chairwoman of the Joint Economic Committee. Even for a New Yorker, Maloney has sometimes been brash and given to hair-pulling competitiveness (an ugly comment about her sister Democrat and N.Y. delegation member Kristin Gillibrand was particularly regrettable), but in an already long run, the distinguished lady has continued to learn from her mistakes.

Maloney hoped to be temporarily appointed to Hillary Clinton's Senate seat when Caroline Kennedy declined but recently gave up plans to run in a special election against Gillibrand, who got it instead. Her political survival record shows unintended consequences often bounce in her favor, though, so a future Senator Maloney may still be in the cards.

Even big girls with great big jobs do not go though life immune to sorrow or safe from tragedy, however. Yesterday Mrs. Maloney's 71-year-old businessman husband, Clifton Maloney, the kind of up-for-challenges life partner you would expect her to have, died suddenly at the top of a mountain in Tibet. As a woman who respects strong women, I am so very sorry for her profound personal loss.

Filed Under: Woman Up

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