Monday morning: Gillibrand, Romney and Cuomo

Morgan Pehme on City and State writes that Kirsten Gillibrand could be viable presidential candidate in 2016.

Gillibrand defeated Republican John Sweeney in 2006, and survived a challenge by Republican Sandy Treadwell in 2008. Shortly after that victory, she was selected by then-Gov. David Paterson to fill Hillary Clinton's U.S. Senate seat, after Clinton became President Barack Obama's secretary of state.

"Two and a half years later, Gillibrand, 45, has a 60 percent approval rating statewide and is well on her way to carving out her own national profile, with a headline-grabbing record of legislative achievement over her brief time in office, including the 9/11 health bill and the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,'" Pehme writes. "She has stood out as one of the nation's most ardent advocates for women in politics and built a network of admirers as one of the Democratic Party's most formidable fundraisers."

Pehme writes that Gillibrand has a strong ability to adapt:

"In the blink of a media cycle, Gillibrand went from being dismissed as a no-name to being disparaged from both the right and the left as a 'flip-flopper' for apparent shifts on issues like gun control, immigration and gay marriage when she moved from the House to the Senate. While Gillibrand has long since outlasted this initial dustup of bad press to become a darling of progressives, it is worth noting that her ability to adapt, once derided as a lack of principle, has become one of her greatest assets in winning over the diverse constituencies she represents across the state."

Last week, I wrote briefly about a Cuomo aide who wrote press releases for two pro-Cuomo organizations. This week, the New York Daily News reports that the Democratic governor isn't a fan of communicating via email. This from reporter Kenneth Lovett:

"Cuomo refuses to communicate with his staff by email, sources close to the governor revealed to the Daily News," Lovett wrote on Sunday. "If aides can't talk in person or by phone, they are told to use the BlackBerry PIN-to-PIN messaging system — a function that leaves no lasting trail because it bypasses data-saving email servers. It allows users to connect directly through their devices using Personal Identification Numbers."

That means less of a paper trail for Cuomo, who is also thought to be a top contender in the 2016 presidential candidate.

Finally, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney isn't caving to calls for him to release records of his tax returns.

As always, your comments are welcome.