Tobacco Facts.

If the tobacco regulations that congress passed last week are any indication, it’s safe to say that cigarettes aren’t very good for your health, and they tend to be rather addictive. Not according to now-New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand however. In 1996, Gillibrand fought tooth and nail on behalf of Philip Morris to keep important research on the links between tobacco and cancer out of US lawmakers’ hands. While she doesn’t like to talk about her work for Philip Morris these days, the New York Times tracked her deep involvement with the project:

Now in the Senate seat formerly held by Hillary Rodham Clinton, Ms. Gillibrand plays down her work as a lawyer representing Philip Morris, saying she was a junior associate with little control over the cases she was handed and limited involvement in defending the tobacco maker. But a review of thousands of documents and interviews with dozens of lawyers and industry experts indicate that Ms. Gillibrand was involved in some of the most sensitive matters related to the defense of the tobacco giant as it confronted pivotal legal battles beginning in the mid-1990s.

If Kirsten Gillibrand worked diligently to defend and cover up tobacco’s dirtiest secrets, how now can we trust her to stick to her “morals” (wherever they may lie)? How are we to believe that her allegiance will not go to the highest bidder as it has in the past? As New Yorkers, we need to really examine this candidate who has been so quickly thrust upon us. We need a Senator who we know will represent us when she’s not just campaigning.