The New York Times is reporting today that Caroline Kennedy refuses to make financial disclosures pursuant to her oddly handled campaign to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate. In short, Princess Caroline refuses to comply with either the standards Obama has set for application to any post within his administration (which includes a 63-page document listing every text message, email, resume, or other correspondence ever sent) or the requirements to actually run for a United States Senate seat in a proper election (10-page publicly available document listing mortgages, credit card debt, financial assets, book deals, and any payments made to her over $5,000 in the last three years).
Princesses ain’t gotta!
That seems to be Caroline’s attitude, anyway. Since she’s appealling to Governor David Paterson for an appointment to the Senate, Princess Caroline is trying to have things both ways, to get HER WAY. She wants to pressure Paterson to hand her the seat, so she’s awkwardly campaigning in places like Harlem, where she appeared uncomfortably with Al Sharpton last week, and has made sporadic appearances in upstate New York, where previously she didn’t seem aware there was even an UPSTATE New York to appear in (“What’s a Utica?”). But, she also wants to keep her finances secret, so presumably no one knows how much she and her late brother made selling all of her mother’s throw pillows and afghans at auction back in 1996.
She’s also refusing to note what companies she has a stake in or whether she’s ever been charged with any crime. She says she will not disclose any of this until she becomes a Senator.
So there! Princesses ain’t gotta!
Now, you know we like to make fun of things around here, especially ridiculous things the spoiled and privileged do to make themselves look ridiculous, but the way Caroline Kennedy has been handling herself lately is just too much. We’ve known small children who’ve behaved better while hounding their parents for that shiney new Christmas toy, that remote controlled dinosaur or doll that wets itself in some fabulously realistic new way. We ALL know what Princess Caroline wants in her Christmas stocking this year, and we’re all certain she’ll throw a mighty tantrum if she doesn’t get her way, but even the most spoiled little children feign respect and good manners around Christmas. When Santa is watching. That’s part of the wonder of the holiday season – that magical dusting of snow and glitter on everything turns the most terrible tykes into expiration-dated angels, good until Christmas morning at least.
Well, princesses ain’t gotta, we guess, because Caroline wants her present tied up in glorious Christmas gift wrap, with none of the pedestrian good behavior normally required for such fabulous gifts.
Thinking back to her mother’s old throw pillows (which sold for $400-900 bucks a pop back in the mid-90s), we can’t stop wondering about how Jackie Kennedy would have behaved in this situation — a situation Jackie Kennedy would have never gotten herself into.
If she would run for office like any other person and win in 2010, we’d imagine Jackie would be very proud of her little girl for, above all, finally getting her first full time job at the age of 51.
But, the entitled appointment to the Senate that Caroline wants gift-wrapped and hand-delivered to her…well, that’s something we can’t imagine Jackie being very proud of. We bet she’d want all of her throw pillows back, too, and would probably tell Caroline to brush her teeth once in a while if she suddenly wants to be in pictures all of the time.
But, of course, princesses ain’t gotta!
December 23, 2008 at 8:37 am
I am sure no one is surprised. She knows that Patterson really wants her to be the Senator for fundraising and being on the ballot reasons. I am not sure if she really wants to be the Senator or if the family is pressuring her becuase God forbid we would have not have a Kennedy in the Senate. It would be interesting if Chelsea ran for it in 2010.
December 23, 2008 at 9:21 am
Hillbuzz,
Lookie what the New York Times is NOT reporting today:
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-op-ed-the-new-york-times-wouldnt-run/2/
December 23, 2008 at 9:24 am
While not entirely disagreeing with your point in this post it seems worth noting that there could (not saying that there is, mind you) be a simpler explanation. Caroline’s expertise (if her more widely known book is any indication) is in “right to privacy” issues. I know a lot of folks don’t want to interperet that 4th amendment that way, but to those of us who do there’s not really that much amiss in her actions.
That said, when someone enters the public arena or wishes to certain elements of desired privacy fly out the window by default. It’s perfectly right to note that without making up (more or less out of thin air) how someone’s dead parent would behave, act, or think. That bit was just rude y’all.
December 23, 2008 at 9:49 am
This is why I’m so dead set against this woman waltzing into Hillary’s seat. She shares a very obvious entitlement complex with her beloved faux Kennedys, Barack and Michelle Obama.
I’m a New Yorker. I’ve put together a petition to appoint a qualified woman to Hillary Clinton’s Senate seat, and I’ll deliver it to Governor Paterson after the New Year.
Please sign it if you are so inclined. Thank you!
Appoint a Qualified Woman to Senator Clinton’s Seat
December 23, 2008 at 10:57 am
The questionnaire is seven pages, with 63 items.
December 23, 2008 at 2:09 pm
This whole caroline wanting the senate seat crap is just too twisted for color TV. My dogs are just as qualified as she is. I really think the government in this country has lost their collective mind. First the morons in the country elect bush jr simply because of his “star power” and now they want this woman because she’s got name recognition? Geeze, what happened to people voting for a QUALIFIED person or giving a qualified person a place in the senate? Guess that died around 2000 when journalism DIED!
December 23, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Here’s a solution to the whole disclosure issue….DON’T PURSUE THE SENATE SEAT. There are deal-breakers all the time and if this isn’t something she is willing to abide by, as with other applicants, then she needs to be done.
Democrats need to stop pushing this one quickly or the common citizen will grow evermore irritated that this clear nepotism is being shoved down their throats.
December 23, 2008 at 3:19 pm
I guess she feel’s she can do the same thing Obama has done no experience, hasn’t been asked to many question’s, everyone is supposed to agree with them, although people know nothing about their stand on different issues, and such things, I don’t think you have to be to qualified to become president or a senator, it seems anymore these are just entry level position’s.
December 24, 2008 at 7:15 am
Caroline has no class. Maybe she, like Chris Matthew’s got a tingle up her leg when around Obama, and mistook that for the call to save America. I am a little tired Political dynasties in general, and the Kennedy’s in particular. How long do we have to pay for JFK & RFK’s assassinations? One was done by a Leftist Communistic Fanatic, and the other by an Arab Fanatic, yet ever since, the Country has been giving the Kennedy clan free get out of jail passes, and lots of power. From what I understand, much of Caroline’s expertise has been in raising money, and much of the money Caroline raised was for training School Principles in Liberal indoctrination….which to my mind is helping to further destroy the education system in this Country…..some resume.
December 24, 2008 at 10:55 am
am reading this on christmas eve and it’s a great Xmas-eve post!
merry christmas to all you crazies over there. This is still the funniest political site around!
December 25, 2008 at 9:18 am
I respectfully dissent with the notion that a woman has to replace Clinton in the Senate seat. “Affirmative” action leads to mistakes like picking an inexperienced person of the right demographics with the correct last name. It is the same thing in Illinois with having to pick a black man or in Delaware picking someone who will hold the seat warm for Beau Biden.