Opinion

A reasonably ripe target

Another day, another political transformation for chameleon Kirsten Gillibrand, New York’s ever-shifting junior senator.

Capital New York reports that the moderate congresswoman turned hard-left senator (but Wall Street cash favorite) is now lurching back to the center.

Last week, Gillibrand formed a political action committee called “Moderate Senate 2012” to raise funds for seven of the Democrats’ less-far-left senators who are up for re-election next year.

That includes herself, says the group’s Federal Election Commission filing.

Which is what the Republican Party gets for giving her a free pass in last year’s interim election. And which she seems likely to get again this time around — unless a serious opponent can be found, of course.

But except for former comptroller candidate Harry Wilson, who says he’s considering a run, no Republican of any note has stepped forward.

Perhaps if Gillibrand had to worry just a bit about her re-election, she might be forced to build a coherent record.

Instead, as senator she’s been allowed to veer all over the ideological map, repudiating every position she took while representing a conservative House district.

With no one in the political arena even trying to hold her feet to the fire.

Polls suggest that even in blue-state New York, unseating Kirsten Gillibrand, though an uphill battle, is not unthinkable.

She is holding below a 46 percent approval rate — which suggests that, after nearly three years, New Yorkers still aren’t sold on her.

But the GOP has to wake up and find a genuine candidate to make the race.