Caroline Kennedy wants Clinton's Senate seat. In other news, a good portion of America thinks Oprah should be Ambassador to Mars.
We knew Caroline Kennedy was after a nice prize like this when Susan Rice was named UN Ambassador (a position Kennedy was floated for, and it seemed at first like she would get). Kennedy was also previously mentioned as Ambassador to the Court of St. James, a position her grandfather Joseph Kennedy held before World War II. And then, everyone seemed to lose interest in sending Kennedy to Great Britain.
For us, this all seems to be about Ted Kennedy’s illness. From what we consistently hear from people long-involved in Democratic politics, Ted Kennedy is much sicker than the media’s been admitting. A suspiciously large number of Kennedy family and friends are headed to Massachusetts this year to have a big Christmas honoring the last of the Kennedy brothers — much more so than usual. It all very much reads like it will be Kennedy’s last Christmas, because his malignancy is advancing much more rapidly than the public knows.
With Ted Kennedy so ill and no heir apparent, the Kennedy family needs Caroline in the Senate now. Like it or not, she needs to fill the role her younger brother would have played, had he lived into the new millennium. Caroline’s aggressive campaigning for Obama (alongside Oprah, most notably in California) was a strong break from personal tradition for her — one we knew would be well-rewarded after Obama won the national election. UN Ambassador is what we pegged her for — that, or possibly taking over for Uncle Ted before the New Year, with Obama and Ted urging Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick to appoint Caroline to fill a retiring Ted’s seat (just like with Obama’s Senate seat and Governor Rod Blagojevich here in Illinois, a replacement should be appointed before the incoming class of Senators takes office, thus ensuring extra seniority points for the Democrats’ Senate replacements).
Ted Kennedy, however, shows no sign of retiring, despite his illness — and certainly not before the incoming Senators are sworn in.
Clinton, however, has stated firmly that she will remain in the Senate until she is confirmed as Secretary of State — and that can’t happen until after January 20th (and after the new class of Senators arrives in Washington). So, Clinton’s replacement will have less seniority than the newly-elected freshmen.
That’s an interesting piece to this puzzle to consider: whomever replaces Clinton will have to win re-election in her or his own right in 2010 in the special election Clinton’s vacancy sets in motion. More seniority points means Clinton’s replacement has a leg up on the other new Senators, which means, theoretically, that this person would have a slightly (but not much) easier time making a mark in those two years than someone who would come in with what could very well be the lowest rank in terms of Senate seniority (because, assuming Clinton’s not confirmed as Secretary of State until a week or two after the new Senate is in session, then Clinton would not vacate her seat until that late date, and her Senate replacement would then be #100 in terms of Senate seniority, as all other Senators would be sworn in, including replacements for Obama and Biden).
Caroline Kennedy would have no trouble raising the enormous sums it will take to win Clinton’s seat outright in 2012. It seems doubtful she’d have to face Mayor Bloomberg, who fought hard for a third term as New York’s mayor and is thus unlikely to try for a Senate seat in 2012. Rudy Giuliani could make another bid for that Senate seat, picking up where he left off in 2000, though it remains to be seen how much he damaged his brand with his 2008 campaign strategy.
It seems like Caroline Kennedy would have no trouble winning the 2010 special election or the 2012 Senate race either (while other names being mentioned for the seat, like Carolyn Maloney or Andrew Cuomo, would not be such slam-dunks).
Governor Paterson also wants to win his own special election in 2010: and having Caroline Kennedy on that same ballot would help his own chances, we imagine. Much more so than Carolyn Maloney (who would be a great Senator, but who lacks the name recognition of someone like Kennedy). And it would be bizarre if Clinton’s seat did not go to another woman, considering only 17 women sit in the Senate (and a very definite point is being made to replace Obama with another black Senator, even if that ends up being someone as repugnant as Emil Jones).
The bigger question in all of this is what Caroline Kennedy wants in the future: she’s never shown any interest in elected office before, so we wonder if she intends to replace her uncle in the Senate, or if she aspires to challenge Clinton in 2016 to follow her own father into the White House. Caroline’s never shown that sort of ambition.
Oddly, Richard Nixon said repeatedly that he believed, to his dying day, that the first female President of the United States was going to be Caroline Kennedy. That was, of course, long before George W. Bush — and whatever distaste that will leave in the electorate for putting another “legacy” administration into the White House. That very much remains to be seen, though we can’t imagine the public holding Bush against Caroline Kennedy.
Already, in the articles linked above regarding the Senate seat, Obama followers are giddy at the prospect of Caroline taking Clinton’s place in the Senate…and then taking the nomination in 2016 to become the first female president instead of Clinton. And please remember these were largely the same people who said all year that Clinton should not be president because America does not need a royal family and we should never support dynasties (except when it’s a Kennedy kingdom). Now, this same crowd seems ready to hand that 2016 nod to Caroline Kennedy here and now.
We doubt the Democrats will make the same mistake the Republicans did with George W. Bush and fail to annoint an immediate heir for 2016 when the time comes. Just as Dick Cheney was never going to be the nominee in 2008 after Bush, 74-year old Joe Biden will be unlikely to run for president in 2016 (assuming Obama gets a second term — and it is obviously much too early to read tea leaves on that).
But, if he does get a second term, Democrats would be smart to signal who’ll lead the party next. We obviously want that to be Hillary Clinton in 2016, but no one knows if she’ll even want to go through all of this again. Considering how vile the media behaved for the past 2 years, we would not blame Clinton if she never wanted to run for anything else, and instead considered herself retired after her tenure at State.
There are definitely a lot of possibilities and what-ifs floating around…so a lot of things really do come down to who ultimately lands in Clinton’s Senate seat.
We don’t believe we’ll have an answer on that until well after Obama’s inauguration.
We’d love to get Oprah on a rocket to Mars well before then, though. 2009 is a launch window to the Red Planet, and Oprah’s special blend of New Age quakery seems tailor-made for a diplomatic post as far off into space as we can possibly send her.
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I am sorry but what droopy frumpy looking women. Yuck. I can’t stand either one of them. Where is Sarah?
I love Caroline. She IS a New Yorker above all else–it’s not a stretch.
I hate Caroline, that traitorous turncoat. I will never forgive her for what she did to one of her late mother’s best friends. I hope the Republicans eviscerate her and expose her for the fraud that she is.
She should be more worried about getting her teeth whitened than seeking Hillary’s Senate seat. Coffee stain much?
Hate her.
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Likeable Enough, what best friend of her mother?
It’s funny you hate mongers think Palin is better than these two beautiful Democratic women. Hillary is ashamed of all of you.
What small minded people roaming around here. Take Hillary down.
I hear Oprah is still crying that Sarah won’t go on her show. Cry me a river Oprah, no one gives a flying hoot about ya
One of the most disturbing things about the Obama win came AFTER the election (if that’s possible) when Newsweek revealed the Kennedy involvement… the “passing of hte torch” and the machinations that went on – most of which we will never know… combine Soros and Kennedy and you can understand why the media was so compliant.
This is horrid.
Disgusting. If this happens, my fellow New Yorkers will be cheated. Losing Hillary in the Senate is bad enough but Caroline Kennedy has no claim to such an office. This political season continues to leave a bad taste in the mouth.
I don’t believe John John would have run for public office, don’t understand why Caroline is so interested. Strangely, it’s not in their blood. Caroline is from Manhattan, Maloney from Queens, which are both nowhere near New York, State. I’m still holding out for Kirsten Gillibrand, up and coming Dem from largely GOP district upstate, has won two tough elections to Congress, would have Hillary’s support for 2010. David Paterson will do what is best for New York State, I hope. Kennedy is a MA brand.
My Japanese is bit rusty, but the posting above from Matoron (maybe a warrior avatar?) says s(he) hopes the blog will be strong and keep kicking ass. Cool. You’ve got bloggers from Japan!
HillBuzz
Please e-mail me from the wordpress info. There’s a petition circulating for Gov. Paterson to appoint a “Qualified” woman that has “paid her dues”!
Our example is Carolyn Maloney, but we would accept someone else along those lines. Maybe, Caroline Kennedy can take one of their jobs?
Women do not benefit by him just “appointing any woman”.
I have been thinking about this..I hope Hillary makes sure it is all legal and on the up-and-up…as there has been mention of some “clause” that could render her ineligible for SOS..with all of the dirty tricks..I could see Hillary resigning her seat..Caroline takes her seat..and then..somthing “happens” and Hillary is left out in the cold…be careful Hillary..I”m just sayin.
Ok..good..I read she will not resign until she is confirmed..thank goodness.
Mrs. Kennedy had true affection for Hillary.She and the former president held her, in turn , in the highest esteem. I suppose Ted Kennedy’s prognosis figures into all this.
I remember in the early 70′s in NY an incident involving Caroline. She was at an ice cream shop in Manhattan and she demanded to be served ahead of all the other New Yorkers waiting in line. This was when she had long hair and before her size 2 days. Thinking of this it is interesting to remember that incident. Caroline simply should not have to wait because don’t you know she’s ready now to be senator.
I have never seen two more miserable looking people! This is what you become if you are obamazombies.
Oh, and I’ll chip in to help pay for oprahs ticket to Mars!
As a public servant Caroline Kennedy makes perfect sense in company with Al Franken, Chris Matthews, and Barack 0bama—the new Democrats. Never done anything for anybody, no experience, no ideas, nothing but hype. Paterson is a joke, he’s going down in the next election, and appointing her would help seal his fate. Upstate voters will not swoon for Caroline, however sweet she may pretend to be. Hillary Clinton set a high bar. I think Rudy would beat Caroline.
Poor Caroline, she looks like someone just cancelled her account at Louis Vuitton, and poor oprah looks like Gayle just told her their vibrator is broke!
whatever, her cousin, bobby jr. has already expressed interest in the seat, while backing senator clinton during the primaries. i’d much prefer him.
Why all of a sudden does Caroline want to be in the senate, before you never hardly ever saw her in public, I think the MSM used always say she wanted her privacy, to bad she didn’t stay hidden, she is a waste, why doesn’t she just run her Kennedy family business and stay out of the senate, I don’t like her, I think she is probably a pretty awful person.
forget Caroline. bring on Bobby, Jr., who has already said he would love to run for his father’s old seat (although, he said it during the primaries, assuming that Senator Clinton would become President).
No thank you! There are too many other women who are qualified for this position to choose Caroline. Writing an Op-Ed doesn’t make you a good choice. How about Carolyn Murphy instead? She’s a choice I could get behind.
Do any of you realize how hypocritical you are? Take down the photo of Obama’s SOS please.
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As a resident of NYS, I can assure you we Hillary supporters will give her a run for her money when she runs for election in 2010. We will never forget her not supporting Hillary, and supporting someone that her kids told her to support. Are her kids gonna tell her how to be our Senator, and how to vote on our issues. I will fight to the end to keep her from being elected. We’ll never forget!!!!!!!!
Oh yes, she wants her pay back, she is a Kennedy after all. The White House, NEVER!
We women in NYS will fight to the end to keep her from being elected in 2010, I can assure you all of that. She supported the guy her kids told her to support. Are her kids going to be telling her how to vote on our issues here in NY? Go back into the shadows Caroline, I’m already sick of you droopy dog face!!
God, when will we end this stupid fascination with the Kennedys? Why do we need anything resembling royalty in this country? Caroline going for public office only now for the idiotic reason that Ted’s dying is so un-American. We don’t pass on public offices to family members. This is not North Korea, or Cuba. What has she done up until now to qualify as a Senator? Can she just give up her own career because the Kennedy clan needs to have a standing Senator or better in the family at all times?
When I think of the Kennedy family and Obama getting cozy, I recall the opinion Obama’s best friend (and buddy who helped him write his books and get him elected in Chicago) had about the Kennedy family. For those of you who didn’t catch the story on Fox’s Hannity & Colmes before the election, Billy Ayres and Bernadette Dohrn were two of four authors of the book, Grass Fire, published when they were still throwing bombs. They dedicated the book to 100 fellow radicals, one of whom was Sirhan Sirhan, who offed Bobby Kennedy in 1968.
Politics surely makes weird bedfellows! (My feeling about Obama bringing Hillary close as SOS to keep her under surveillance and loyalty ties until she has been neutered regarding any chance for another White House run! And her willingness to buy into the deal.)
When I think of the Kennedy family and Obama getting cozy, I recall the opinion Obama’s best friend (and buddy who helped him write his books and get him elected in Chicago) had about the Kennedy family. For those of you who didn’t catch the story on Fox’s Hannity & Colmes before the election, Billy Ayres and Bernadette Dohrn were two of four authors of the book, Grass Fire, published when they were still throwing bombs. They dedicated the book to 100 fellow radicals, one of whom was Sirhan Sirhan, who offed Bobby Kennedy in 1968.
Politics surely makes weird bedfellows! (My feeling about Obama bringing Hillary close as SOS to keep her under surveillance and loyalty ties until she has been neutered regarding any chance for another White House run! And her willingness to buy into the deal, a mistake, IMHO.)
why bother when you never print my notes anyway? You have lost a potential convert to Hillary and your blog, which I gave such good publicity to — including getting you noticed by Rush Limbaugh before the election. I have posted from this computer under both my own and my spouse’s email addresses, to no avail, so I assume there is something your site does not like about my computer, not me, personally. But I won’t be bothering to come here much longer to read opinions posted here, when my own is apparently not wanted!
The sense of entitlement is disgusting. Obamabots kept screaming about Hillary’s sense of entitlement during the primaries (which was totally BOGUS), and yet NO ONE has a greater sense of entitlement than Caroline. What a hag.
Carolyn Maloney (ardent and vocal Hillary Clinton supporter) is an experienced, distinguished congresswoman. The seat better be hers.
The Kennedy’s are a good reason for term limits. Of course, with all the kids in the Kennedy family their being in public office could go on forever.
I wonder how Hillary feels with all this? The media, the Kennedy’s, Obama and Oprah, all worked against her. With enemies like that, how could she stand to be around people like this..These people that have such power and misuse it to ruin lives, they are a scary bunch
Oprah should retire and Caroline go back to your life style of the rich and famous
Gee…is there any need at all to discuss qualifications? Or, it that reserved for Republican Vice-Presidential candidates only?
I guess this is the change?
Kennedy, Clinton, and Bushies…are they the only people on the planet? So when Uncle Teddy finally leaves..one of Caroline’s children steps in? You know ..it was Caroline’s children who wanted her to support obama. nice!!
“So when Uncle Teddy finally leaves..one of Caroline’s children steps in?”
Betty, it’s even worse than that. Here in MA, there is talk of Teddy’s wife Vicky taking over when he finally steps down. Believe me, there are plenty of qualified people just waiting to run (my favorite – Martha Coakley, the current AG). MA a few years back also elected Nicki Tsongas (another Obot), the spouse of the late Paul Tsongas, who was very popular and ran unsuccessfully for President in (I think) 1988.
If we have to have a Kennedy, can we at least get one of the qualified ones – like Bobby Jr. or Joe Kennedy?
Don’t ever take down the picture of Hillary! It gives me great pleasure to think of the heartburn it causes John the Troll. In fact, can you make the picture even BIGGER?
The possibility of Caroline Kennedy in one of the New York Senate seats is a scary thought.
Caroline Kennedy’s resume (from wikipedia):
B.A. from Harvard University
J.D. from Columbia Law School
Wrote two books with Ellen Alderman:
* In Our Defense: The Bill of Rights In Action (1990)
* The Right to Privacy (1995)
Edited several books, wrote one on the Kennedy family.
Currently President of the Kennedy Library Foundation, a director of both the Commission on Presidential Debates and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and Honorary Chairman of the American Ballet Theatre. She is also an adviser to the Harvard Institute of Politics, a living memorial to her father.
The Senate would not only be getting another Kennedy and all the stuff that goes along with that but also Jackie’s daughter, A girl raised at arms length fromt he rest of the clan. She would probably be the first Kennedy to serve in the Senate or House who has not been to rehab since Bobby back in 1968. She would be great, if she wants it.
Shit. I really think Carolyn Maloney would make a much, much better Senator. As for name recognition, I think New Yorker’s know her and they are the ones that will be voting. Maloney has experience and knows how to move legislation. Kennedy, not so much.
I am sick to death of putting “idols” in power. Bush2 – no experience; Obama – no experience; Arnold – no experience. When are we going to stop election the next American Idol and start rewarding politicians who have proven records of working for the people who elected them?
Another thought – we New Yorker’s should come together somewhere and use our collective voices to support Maloney or another strong woman. We need to make our voices heard. If Kennedy is given this seat simply on name recognition, we may as well all throw in the towel. I’m from Upstate. Any takers?
Another joke on America. Some people think she just so precious. However, she is uniquely unqualified. This is no time for a celebrity. America needs people in government who have ideas and solutions, now more than ever.
I was really taken by surprise when Ms Kennedy got involved in the last election cycle. When did she become a voice for anybody? Before now, we all respected her family’s losses and ours too. But there has never been a reason to think Caroline was qualified for any political office other than her family name. When she backed Obama, she said it was because her children were attracted to him just like Claire McCaskill. Since when are those qualifications for political office? Since when is that even thought of as intelligence in any circumstance?
tillthen Says:
However, she is uniquely unqualified. This is no time for a celebrity.
Hell-O! Have you seen a newspaper lately? Do the names Barack Obama, Al Franken, or Chris Matthews mean anything to you? Celebrities are exactly what this dumbed-down, spoon-fed Nation of Sheeple WANT! Expect her to get the job.
Thank you Suggestions 4 Obama for illustrating what is wrong with politics in the United States of Entitlement. Degrees from Ivy League schools and two books (co-written at that) published do not qualify one to serve as a US Senator. Let alone “advising” on a “living memorial” to one’s father. In her case, the relevant memorial may be found on the Mall in Washington D.C., and it features the names of more than 50,000 Americans who died in the tragic war that is the principal legacy of JFK and his Ivy League team of the “best and brightest.”
I have a graduate degree from Columbia, too, and I teach here. I’ve also published books (written without help). Should I call David Paterson and say I expect the job? How will we ever convince farsighted, compassionate people to devote their lives to public service when empty suits like 0bama and empty pantsuits like Kennedy/Schlossberg are granted free passes to office in our celebrity-driven society?
Caroline did make a good choice serving on the comittee for VP. We hit the jackpot with biden…don’t you think? By the way…where is biden? It’s ..I scratch your back..you scratch mine!!
I am sick of the great state of New York being a stepping stone. Hillary and Schumer are hacks and now we are being used to repay politic favors with Kennedy who offers nothing but a famous last name.
Distinguished New York statesman in the Senate like Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Jacob Javitz are a thing of the past.
I’m afraid I could never support Caroline Kennedy – my children tell me not to!
Perhaps the reason Caroline ‘helped’ Biden to VP is because she planned to knock him off the ticket in 2012 (if Obama gets a second term) to be VP herself. If Hillary were VP, she’d see Caroline coming and wouldn’t turn her back for the knife to go in so easily. Biden is a one term VP I think.
Anne- I am stealing your line.
Caroline should get it because she is soooooo qualified. She is the daughter of a dead president and a soon to be dead senator and I’m sure there is something else????? She did have a pony named Macaroni! With qualifications like that, how can New York go wrong??
When will Americans grow up and stop looking for an aristocracy?
The Kennedys are about as far from aristocrat material as one could find. From their illegal rum-running roots to their adolescent violence against women (girls), all I can see is that they have money, can wear fine clothes, live in nice homes, raise a legion of kids and look nice (the men, anyway).
Folks, we’ve got to learn to judge people by their accomplishments,(Caroline’s have nothing to do with making her qualified to hold public office on this level) their good deeds, their intelligence and their willingness to obey the Constitution. Instead, we’ve become so used to a Hollywood romanticization of politicians that we’re willing to buy the slick marketing of a candidate (candidates) because we think it’s sophisticated. No, it’s not, really. It’s called being cattle, willing to be driven wherever our ‘owners’ want us to go.
Whatever happened to free will and thoughtful reflection coupled with intellectual honesty?
#32 and #33 –
Got the post twice, so I think you can safely come back and read opinions. Vagaries of computers and all that might be more of an explanation as to why your post didn’t show up right away?
2005 article as relevant tody as it was back then!
Oprah: Daytime Talk’s Jihadi Sister
http://www.debbieschlussel.com/columns/column052505.shtml
This is an insult for NY. I will never vote for the brat!
I find it odd that people who supported Hillary could object to Caroline Kennedy being unqualified. NY dems wanted Hillary to run for the same reasons many want Caroline- name recognition, fundraising ability etc. Hillary didn’t live in New York State, had never held an elective office, & basically had the primary field cleared for her to run. Yes, she ran & got elected but CKS will have to do the same thing in 2010 and after. If you feel other candidates like Nita Lowey or Kristen Gillbrand are better for the job then okay. But opposing this woman because she’s a Kennedy or well connected or supported the President elect don’t strike me as very good reasons.
It’s a shame that the two best Kennedys died from assassins’ bullets. The rest of them suck. Of course, if a supremely unqualified candidate can be elected president, why not a senator?
nikkitn22: Obviously you are far less concerned with quality than with your adoration of all things Kennedy. The rest of us don’t have the narrow, young (obviously) and clouded vision you do when it comes to suitability for public office.
Hillary Clinton had 35 years of a variety of private and public service positions in her resume and as someone else has already said, she had an active role in trying to find a solution to this nation’s health care problems, learned from the inside about foreign and domestic problems, and served as a spokeswoman for Clinton’s administration around the world.
Caroline Kennedy makes speeches at the opening of ballet seasons, et cetera. She has not had enough interest in the affairs of this nation to come forward over the years and be involved, except on the most mundane of levels, almost at a ‘hobby’ level.
It’s time for America to grow up and put competent, involved people into Congress and Caroline isn’t it!
The photo above of UGH! and UGH..lier! are all the demwits feel they need as qualifications. Sad and pathetic.
Seeing as Oprah is from Chicago, I’m shocked that I haven’t heard her wanting O’s senate seat. Wouldn’t that be a F’n nightmare?
There’s a nice warm seat in hell, to the left side of Satan waiting for Ted Kennedy. The murderous bastard!!!!!
As for Joe Biden, he’s the living, breathing manifestation of why uninformed people don’t know who the vice-president is.
Scary to think Caroline would get into the senate and without an election and by doing nothing before. Not a fan of this especially when she trashed Hillary.