The New York Times is reporting that Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg has decided that she would like to be considered for the US Senate vacancy left extant by the pending departure of Senator Hillary Clinton as she prepares to head the State Department.
Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of an American political dynasty, has decided to pursue the United States Senate seat being vacated by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York.The decision came after a series of deeply personal and political conversations, in which Ms. Kennedy, whom friends describe as unflashy but determined, wrestled with whether to give up what has been a lifetime of avoiding the spotlight.
Kennedy made calls on Monday morning to alert political figures to her interest.
Gov. David A. Paterson of New York confirmed that she was interested in being appointed.
“She told me she was interested in the position,” Mr. Paterson said at a news conference. “She realized it wasnot a campaign, but she was talking to other people because she thought that a number of people, she felt, should know that she’s interested in the position. She’d like at some point to sit down andtell me what she thinks her qualifications are.”
The blogs are weighing in. Elizabeth Wurtzel of The Daily Beastdoesn’t think her qualified.
Caroline Kennedy has shown no evidence of being able to hold down a regular job—all her fundraising work has been voluntary—so the only logic for making the Senate her first employment opportunity is that we actually like the amateur hour that has become the Congress. Kennedy is a Harvard graduate with a law degree who has written a few books and duly served the public on some prestigious committees and blue-ribbon panels. I don’t want to scare anybody, but on this basis, I could be the succeeding senator to Hillary Clinton’s abandoned post. If all it takes are some fancy credentials and some impressive hobnobbing, I daresay the Senate is open to many comers.
The Senate should be open to all comers. It’s not a club for career politicians. Others are more concerned with the political horizons of 2010 and beyond. In this camp is David Neiwert of Crooks and Liars who wonders if Caroline can defend the seat.
We’re still unsure whether a new Senator Kennedy is a good idea, mostly because we know so little about her. If she wants the seat, that’s going to have to change. Already there’s a backlash building, and it may turn out to be well earned.
The main criterion, I think, is that we need someone who can defeat Rudy Giuliani in the election to follow. Could Caroline do it? Perhaps. But we’d want to see more, thanks very much, before handing her the incumbency.
If you are worried about Giuliani, you’re putting electoral concerns over the public interest. Take care of the public interest and the electoral concerns will take care of themselves. Markos over at the Daily Kos argues for “a caretaker senator for the next two years, and let the voters make their decision in 2010. If Kennedy wants to enter the scrum at that time, all the power to her.” Fair enough but why can’t she be the caretaker for starters? Still I think this assertion is grossly unfair:
When you’re rich and come from a political family, and are heir to American royalty, you can apparently dispense with dealing with pesky voters by simply ringing up the governor.
My understanding of this story is that Governor Patterson first broached the subject. Here’s ABC News from December 5, 2008:
A Democrat who would know tells ABC News that New York governor David Paterson has talked to Caroline Kennedy about taking the seat, which was once held by her uncle, Robert F. Kennedy. It’s not exactly shocking that Paterson would reach out to one of the most highly respected public figures in New York, but this is: Sources say Kennedy is considering it, and has not ruled out coming to Washington to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate.
Governor Patterson approached her and she’s now saying yes she’d like to be considered. Sorry but I am not sure how this qualifies as “avoiding that pesky “democracy” thing.”
I like Caroline. Not because she’s a Kennedy but because she’s Caroline. She’s not a career politician but a citizen who is willing to serve the public interest. Caroline is a graduate of Harvard and holds a law degree from Columbia Law. She is co-author of two books: In Our Defense: The Bill of Rights in Action and The Right to Privacy. So clearly, she knows something about preserving our Constitutional rights. She is 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. And she’s a close friend of the President-elect. But mostly she’s just Caroline and there aren’t many people in the country who can get first name recognition and so it’s doubly rare that she will be following another first name Senator, Hillary.
There are certainly others for whom a credible case can be made, but there is a strong case for Caroline.