And the Next Senator from New York IS:

Kirsten Gillibrand. According to the Times, she was chosen by Gov. Paterson to replace Hillary's seat in the Senate. She'll have to run for reelection in 2010 and 2012. I know nothing about her except the fact that 1) she's a Democrat; and 2) she's a woman.

I'm glad that Paterson chose a woman to replace Hillary. The Senate is one of the last vestiges of Old White Dude political power. There's only one black man in the Senate, and now only 17 women. Now that the presidency can no longer be considered a WASP position, and the House has got its share of minority and female members, it's time to fully integrate the Senate. Good job Paterson!