Let me start out with a confession. I grew up in a Kennedy worshiping family. Like many Irish Catholic families we saw the Kennedys as the "home team." My grandmother, great aunt, and aunt all had photos of JFK hanging in the house alongside the photos of the Pope and the photo of the cousin, killed in Viet Nam, posed in his Marine dress blues. When I think of "for God and Country," these are the childhood images that pop into my head. I stand before you, a self confessed Kennedy worshiper.
Which is why you may be a little surprised at what comes next.
WTF is she thinking? She = Caroline. Does she not realize that she is putting David Paterson’s ass in a sling?
After going all public like this, if he doesn’t pick her, he looks ungentlemanly. This is pretty bare knuckled on her part.
She’s essentially pulling rank on him. Don’t forget how bitter Hillary must be about Caroline going for Obama during the primary. Where do you think Paterson’s re-election fund-raising is going to come from? He needs Big Dawg to go out there to help raise money for him.
Bill and Hillary have raised a lot of money for down ticket candidates all over NYS and were doing so BEFORE Hillary ran for Senate. In fact, it was this willingness to work for the good of the party that lead to Hillary being asked to run.
Caroline? Eh, not so much. If Paterson/ NYS Party Chair June O’Neill disses the Clintons, and the Clintons turn their back on NYS, the already declared dead NYS GOP will be Baaa-aack in a NY minute.
She is willing to fuck up some fragile current gains (hey, we just reached a bare majority in the NYS Senate and cannot manage to elect a Dem Senate Majority Leader and Malcolm Smith can swallow his pride and ambition to do the right thing), and the promise of future gains, because she has no skin in the game, having contributed not one ounce of energy to electing those down ticket candidates.
Further, such an appointment will re-open barely healed fissures in the the NYS Dem coalition and cause a cascading domino effect. For example, Brookhaven Town Supervisor (Brookhaven is almost as big as all of Nassau county) Brian Foley just ousted GOP 30 year incumbent Ceasar Trunzo. If we can’t put Dem replacement in Foley’s old supervisor’s spot, then Steve Israel will have a tougher time holding onto his Congressional district (with its GOP majority population). There are similar balancing acts throughout the state.
If the Clintons are not out stumping for Paterson and helping him raise money, we could lose the governor’s mansion, not to mention the opportunity to pick off vulnerable GOP State Senators including Kemp Hannon.
If you are Peter King, a month ago, you had the sobering prospect of a DOA NYSGOP and frightening spectre of being the next targeted race (King is the last Republican in the downstate delegation). Today, he’s so jubilant, he’s planning to run for Senate against Kennedy and finally realize his dream of putting his daughter Erin into his Congressional seat–more dreams of dynasty.
So, if you are David Paterson, do you NOT appoint Caroline and look like a cad? Or do you knuckle under to this public pressure and appoint her, knowing that you will wreak havoc on Dem officeholders and candidates all over the state, undo a decade of rebuilding, and insult two people who have worked tirelessly to elect Dem candidates all over the state?
Poor Gov. Paterson, his ***** really are in the nutcracker.
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LHP!
See Jane? This is how it’s done.
I would point out, however, that HRC has given her blessing to CK seeking the appointment.
Find someone who cares about what HRC thinks and let them know.
According to LRC, Paterson certainly cares.
LHP, rather
Bill and Hillary have raised a lot of money for down ticket candidates all over NYS and were doing so BEFORE Hillary ran for Senate. In fact, it was this willingness to work for the good of the party that lead to Hillary being asked to run.
Are you kidding? The Clintons were handed the democratic nomination by Charles Rangel, a not so wonderful hack, after Tom Delay stopped the Clintons plans to open a boutique Presidential office next to Carnegie Hall ( they then moved to Harlem). What is this nonsense about running for the Senate seat in New York with the Democratic nomination? It’s a con. Anyone can do it who does not pretend they are in Tuzla.
i’m thinkin she knows she doesn’t have a chance at the appointment but wants to establish an early interest for next election. she has to know that no one but her personal friends have any idea regarding her qualifications. of course, someone could be blowing sugar up her ass and she is just too dumb to know it. it’s very strange.
Well, I think we can take the concern that CK doesn’t have the nastiness required to do the job off the list. Anyone who would ‘put a gun’ to the head of the guy who just got made governor because his former boss is a jerk and an idiot AND who has to deal with a state budget battle because the economy is in the toilet, definitely has the nastiness quotient sewn up. On the other hand, besides the ‘diamond-studded Roladex” – does she have anything else to bring to the table? What’s she going to do about the fairly new and not-robust Dem recently-elected officials upstate?
If only Kennedy had some tangential dealings with Tony Rezko.
do you have a link to the endorsement? I can’t seem to find it.
I don’t really give a shit who gets appointed as long as they vote reliably with the party majority.
Has Sen Kerry indicated when he plans to hold a confirmation hearing on HRC yet?
Got a link for that? CAuse the last public statemnt I saw from HRC was that she was NOT going to comment publicly. Did that change?
i’m with you bud.
It seems that the Democratic Party in NY is pretty dysfunctional already so maybe an “outsider” can help coalesce the party and drag it out of the 19th Century. Also the, ass licker, Schoomer is going for a fall in this financial mess so maybe a name candidate can help rescue NY from an ongoing series of political disasters. In addition Caroline has her own money so does not have to become beholden to the “powers brokers” which, no doubt, is why some of them are opposed to Ms Kennedy…. the money men like to own people and I would bet that Caroline is not for sale.
And, as an additional plus for her, she is not DLC in any shape or form.
Go Caroline, you will make a great Senator, something lacking in NY for quite a while.
and insult two people who have worked tirelessly to elect Dem candidates all over the state
that is what sets me against her. I am really sick of big shots who treat Democratic volunteers like the help.
yeah.. I absolutely can’t find this endorsement. Just speedread every single article I could google and it doesn’t seem to be there. I’m also still on a couple Clinton mailing lists, and the steady stream of stuff she sends out have not included any statement on her prospective replacement.
Charlie Rangel may have some serious power in Congress, by virute of his committee, but he does not have enough power in NYS to “hand” anybody a statewide seat.
I agree rangel recruited her, but she and Big Dawg were raising money down ticket in NY while he was still in the Whitehouse. I know, I went to some of those fundraisers and invitations for many more
So the point of this post is that the Clintons can hold DemocratIC fundraising hostage in NY if they want to? Are we supposed to live in fear of the possible vindictiveness of the Clinton machine, so we’d better give them whatever they want, or else?
Just trying to follow the logic, even though I don’t even agree with the assumptions.
I would never call Caroline Kennedy dumb. Not just b/c i am a Kennedy worshiper. I have seen her do interviews, I read “Speaking Truth to Power” and I think she is very bright, articualte and mentally nimble
Thanks lhp, terrific post. CK is not coming across as a “team player.”
I think one place where CK might be weak is regarding the wind farm in Nantucket Sound. AFAIK, all the Kennedy’s are against it. If she can’t take on her neighbors on Cape Cod, over a wind farm, how will she stand against torture in the well of the Senate?
okay, then there is some other explaination for this bonehead move. I just don’t get it.
Well then, in your view, who handed the Clintons the Senate nomination? You do not suggest they earned it the old fashioned way, do you? After working in politics for years in various campaigns, I hold the view that running for office does not necessarily prove anything about one’s character or fitness for public office. The Clintons have done nada for NYS since their election to the Senate and expect them to move on. Bout time.
Once they had the Senate nomination, it was a cakewalk. Traveling upstate is exhausting but so are most jobs.
I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that Al Giordano’s position (takes one and two) is an outlier.
digg
get it lhp !
wonderfully clear lay of the land. unfortunately nothing rational is going to sway the sentimentalists
ps – loved the confession – yep, that’s me all over
No, my point was not nearly so simplistic and you are smarter than that. My point was, that right now, after a decade of really hard work, the Dems in NYS are beginning to make some real strides.
The GOP in NYS was declared dead only weeks ago. ALL of the other people on the short list have previously run for office, have helped other candidates besides themselves by stumping and raising money and there currently exists a fragile coalition–which felt and earthquake with the Spitzer scandal, yet managed to hold–mostly through the force of personality of David Patterson and June O’Neill (she doesn’t get nearly enough credit)
Now, everything they have worked for can be put in jeopardy because one person decides to work the phones in way that opens up old wounds. I’m not gonna air NYS Dem dirty laundry in public, but the list of calls she publicly released was a list of former/current enemies of people on the short list for the Senate seat.
Like I said, very bare knuckled.
You point out interesting and plausible dynamics resulting from CK putting her hat in the ring, but I keep wondering what our current crop of DINO Congresscritters have bought us. Schumer wouldn’t know ethics if it kicked him in the ‘nads, DiFink replaces Jello Jay as Intel Chair (Jello with a wig), Leahy continues to stager down the Judiciary isle with Specter while Reid nestles comfortably in McConnell bosom. Only Feingold seems an honest Dem Senator. I am disturbed CK sought out a repugnant Lieberman crony, as I thought someone basically uncorrupted by politics would be a nice change of pace. WTF!
Some other explanation? I think the stuff her camp has been putting out is probably true. She had a good time campaigning for Obama, her kids are grown so she feels free to do something fulfilling now, Teddy’s not long for the Senate (which breaks my heart) and the thought of a Senate without any Kennedys probably seems weird to the family, etc, etc
I also see a lot of blind quotes that sound like Chancellor Klein to me, so I think he is egging her on. Bloomberg seems to be as well, probably Teddy.
Well, her support of obama certainly was indicative of her politics, she has served on and done work for many social and cultural organizations but know I do not know her every position on every thing. However when Mrs Bill was “running” for Senate just how much experience in anything other than smiling during hubby’s stump speech and biting her lip at his many indiscretions? Her position on healthcare was pretty clear but bugger all else except that she “stood by her man”. Ms Kennedy has travelled the world, has more damn experience in “life” than many of the protected power elite (Cuomo?) and can be an immediate and beneficial upgrade over the present two Senators that are in NY.
Are you kidding me? Handed Hillary the seat? She spent a year on that listening tour going to every two cow dairy farm and diner in upstate NY. She can rattle off the names of eateries in towns I can’t find on a map.
And I beg to differ about not doing anything for Dems in NY since getting elected. Hilalry has done fundraisers up the ying yang, and shared relevant parts of her fundraising list, and done endorsement letters to be used as mailers.
She has been very active helping to rebuild the Dems in NYS
who besides carolyn kennedy is being considered for the seat?? and what backing do these other names have if any?? lots of drama re this seat……
Previous experience
She was counsel to the Watergate committee, she had a long record on chiudren’s issues, her health car position was well known, but most important of all
She went stumping for months and TOLD people what ehr positions were. She took press questions everyday for months. Whether we bothered to pay attention or not is another thing, but she delivered major policy addresses through out her senatorial campaign
Waaaahhhhhh!
sniff… Widdle carline wecked mah sanbox!!1… I want my mommy!!
I thought politics was for grownups?
HRC can suck it up. She’s a big girl and the road to where she is now is littered with those she’s stepped over and on to get there.
And don’t try to get all naive and think that the rest of the toadies in NY wouldn’t do to Caroline (in a NY minute…) what she’s trying to do to them.
But getting all civil and ‘line uv succession’ and trying to justify … ahem… entitlement jus’ ain’t gonna fly.
Thanks for these links pun…really interesting perspectives.
This list is not complete and includes some people who have since dropped out:
Jerry Nadler
Louis slaughter
Nydia Valsquez
Mayor of Buffalo (Brown I think his name is)
Christin Gillebrand
Andy Cuomo
Tom Suozzi
RFK, Jr.
There’s more, I’m just blanking out right now
Don’t be so sure!
I guess then I don’t understand the fear that Kennedy getting the seat would put things “in jeopardy” for NY Dems. The comments of most every post I’ve read (HuffPo, DKos), the majority of callers on every bit of radio I’ve heard, and a poll at Dkos today have shown a great deal of excitement for Caroline. Off the charts positive. My assumption is that she would have the opposite effect from what you’re describing.
Of course some people would feel like their camps “earned” it more, but that’s life in the big city, and if she indeed would really get people fired up (a la Obama), then I would hope those who feel bypassed would get on board for the good of the team.
okay, but your version suggests that she is easily swayed, a bit naive and frankly bored. Hey, i like smart people but not smart flakes. i’m worried about her being manipulated. of course, if she turns out to be another hillary but passive agressive we could do better.
Well, I’ve got Irish Catholic branches in NY and also had the ‘Kennedy worship’ thing in childhood and I think Caroline K.S. is showing really poor judgment.
Nothing against her, but it plays right into the sense of privilege, ‘noblesse oblige’, and other problems that are going to boomerang at some point for a woman who may be very nice, but doesn’t show any symptoms of being 1/10th as tough as HRC.
And not to put too fine a point on it, some of the relatives ‘ride to hounds’ and summer at The Compound on Cape Cod. They’re probably all mewling over Carolyn’s New Adventure.
I’m descended from one of them who said, “God, these people bore the sh*t out of me…” and moved a number of other places before ending up on the West Coast, to lead a decidedly, solidly middle class life lived far beyond ‘Kennedy worship’.
Patterson’s in a tough spot, but he does not ‘owe’ Kennedy anything — and if she’s not tough enough to recognize that basic fact, she’s got no damn business in the US Senate.
I’m fine with Sweet Caroline, but since when has any ambitious political candidate really cared about the political balance around them, or how it will affect the fund raising of the governor? Caroline will be the star, the princess of congress, if she gets the seat in the Senate and will have no problem raising money for herself or any other candidate she chooses to campaign for. Look what it did for Obama at a critical time in his campaign.
CK didn’t back Barack until January 2008. Federal election records confirm, she gave money to both HRC and Barack in 2007.
Per my comment above. AFAIK, CK won’t stand up to her neighbors on Cape Cod about a wind farm in Nantucket Sound. So now she’s going to stand against torture in the well of the Senate?
The Kennedys are well known for their constituent service and there is no doubt that Senator Kennedy will go to every backwater, and there are many, in NY during the two years to the 2010 election.
Citizen leftdcin:
Beg yer pardon, but it wasn’t Rangle who had the chops (and the upstate money) to seat Mrs. Clinton in the Senate…it was Chuck the Bookkeeper Schumer.
Can Paterson appoint himself? he should. Then, for the second time in one year we’d have a black man stomping on a woman who thought that because of her family connections she was entitled to high office.
louise slaughter was on msnbc earlier saying she backed CK….. i live in jersey and i try to keep up with politics in the tri-state area…. the other names i heard were RFK,jr and n. vasquez… do they have any chance now that most of the big dem guns are pulling for CK?
Who is Caroline Kennedy because I’m hearing many contradictory and essentially unsubstantiated claims? We or at least most of us around here concluded sometime ago that Barack Obama is not a progressive and in fact with each passing day he is coming across as more and more center right, very Establishment, very Beltway. So if Caroline Kennedy is such a big supporter of his what does this say about any putative progressive credentials she may have?
You know Republicans with Ronald Reagan mastered the empty suit candidate. People could read into Reagan or Republican spinmeisters could write in almost anything they wanted to. We saw this again with Bush in spades. But even Obama was largely an unknown which no doubt explains so much of the surprise at how traditional and center right so many of his choices for his Adminstration have been. Now we have Caroline Kennedy, another blank slate, empty suit. Is she a centrist or a liberal? Is she qualified or not? Will she be activist or DINO? She can be seen as any of these things because she is essentially a blank and what people see in her says more about them and what their hopes and aspirations are than anything she really is.
Ted Kennedy was against the Nantucket wind farm
Isn’t the steroid governator a kennedy?
sure, but no one knows about it or cares. she has been too low profile for too long, imo. she has a lot of ground to cover and NO time.
Caroline’s new hire, Josh Isay, used to be Chuckie’s communications dude. Wonder if Chuckie’s helping orchestrate some of this?
Well as much as I am a supporter of CK I would be the happiest if Patterson did appoint himself. He seems like an “honest” man and we do need a lot more diversity in the Senate, and every where come to think of it.
no he is still a thug. trust me.
No, I don’t think she is flake. I did not put those reasons for her interest out there, her “friends” did. She and I are almost the same age.I turned 50 not too long ago, and have been mulling over the “what do I want the next phase of my life to be?” question ever since.
I think she is ready for the next stage of her life, this golden opportunity presented itself and she knows she has the rolodex to line up some support.
Which is both understandable, from her vantage point, but opportunistic from another.
Voters have no clue what policy positions she would take, and from a party perspective she has not done squat for th NY Dems. Her approach to working that rolodex is to appeal to rivalries and old animosities that could rip the NYS Dems apart.
No wonder Pete King feels like Christmas came early for him
I know independents/Repubs who ended up voting for her because they thought she was tough and hard working. My offhand guess is that they’d have had more respect for Kennedy if she’d run for NY City Council, or a state position.
The wealthy class will like Caroline and support her – the ‘investors’, if you will.
The people who work for a living will cheer HRC on whereever she goes, be polite to Carolyn, but what they really respect is hard work, no bullshit, and toughness. They’ll see Carolyn’s move as a Princess Claim, and I’ve got a hunch that they’ll resent it. (They seem to be okay about Schumer b/c even if he is mostly about Wall Street, he’s got a toughness they like.)
I’m not saying “me first” attitude is shocking in a politicain–did you see the title of my blogpost?–just that there are reasons why it’s a bad idea in terms of the larger picture
Right on.
Do you have a link?
This is from the Boston Globe 16 December 2008:
An Ahab for Cape Wind
snort! wow, there’s a thought!
I like Caroline Kennedy. I think she’s smart, I also think she’s tough – it’s just that she’s graceful about it, imho.
But I dunno. I guess it’s that royalty thing she has that cuts counter to the democracy thing we’re trying to get going again. Good insights, as always, LHP.
Again this is the wishful thinking I keep talking about. This is what you would like to see happen but in fact there is not one shred of evidence for it, not one. And what does this mean the Kennedy are known for their constituent service? Is this one size fits all? Is every Kennedy just a clone of every other?
Other Kennedys may be known for that, but what about THIS Kennedy? What do you know about THIS Kennedy?
Not a name heard much out in the hinterlands very often. Is he that much of a “name” in NY that he could get Dem votes? Will he need them?, Independents?
He seems relatively articulate when I have seen him on TeeVee.
After Obama’s appointment of Chu for Sec of Energy, I’m cutting him tons of slack.
Kennedy is probably a good person, but if she’d worked her way up the food chain from city, to state, to national she’d have more cred.
Either way, Obama needs votes, and she’d be one.
Chu is the thing that gives me more hope than I’ve felt in years.
Ah, Chu.
Yes, good pick.
Please remember that MN gov Wendell Anderson appointed himself, and it effectively torpedoed his promising political career. Viewed as a self-serving power grab.
Legally, yes. Politically, no. Because Malcolm Smith was betrayed by 3 renegade Dem State Senators– who also can’t see beyond what’s in it for me?– the Majority Leader of the Senate is GOP State Senator Dean Skelos. He would be next in line to be Governor if Patterson appointed himself to the Senate seat.
This is all a 3D chess game.
CK is like an untested race horse. we are to judge her potential by her breeding.
or something.
INteresting…Jackie prided herself on keeping her distance from the Kennedy clan stuff and helping her kids to create their own identity separate from the tribe. So arguments that the Kennedys did this and that don’t necessarily transfer in CK’s unique case.
I don’t know that it is fair to say that most of the “big dem guns” are pulling for Caroline. I think many are flummoxed by her decision to go for it. I think most old political hands in NYS saw several different ways that short list could play out and what the fallout from each result might be.
Now, comes along Ms. Kennedy and turns the political calculus into tossed salad
And does any of that mean anything in the context of your stated concerns about CK? The Clintons will go to any political fundraiser, I agree with you on that point. But for what purpose? If that is all we want in NYS from our US Senator, so be it. But the end result here is that the Clintons did what they did so they could be in the Senate and run for President. And that is where the problem started. Because once there, the Clintons gamed the system for their own petty ambitions. Anyone can raise money for candidates and I expect that CK will do it much better than the Clintons ever did or at least has the potential for doing so. Because, I believe, that CK is not risk adverse like the Clintons.
I sense that you feel that CK has done nothing for the NYS democratic party and that is your condition precedent for consideration as the Senator appointee. Maybe you are right. But CK has a lot more potential for NYS than the Clintons ever did.
What. Hugh. Said.
alright. she is not dumb or a flake. you say she has just NOW realized late in life what her true calling might be? but you disaprove of her handlers methods. do i have that right? reminds me of hillary’s slash and burn.
can’t imagine she could really believe the seat could be hers. where is the connection with reality?
Now that’s a scary thought.
But she’s got “good blood.”/s
No No No, I wasn’t describing Caroline Kennedy’s credentials. No, those were Hillary’s credentials before she ran for Senate.
Just given the timing, it looks to me as though CK had discussions back in January with Barack. She knew Barack really needed her endorsement. They probably knew HRC wanted either VP or Sec. of State. CK decides to endorse Barack, he promises to give HRC either VP or SoS.
IMVHO, CK’s statement was all
bullwindow dressing:My guess is Harry Reid has her staff all picked out for her.
What LHP said.
OT Breaking News per CNN JJJ has been an informant to Fitz against Blago for years
Thanks. This gets lost among the Hillary hate:
She helped rebuild the Democratic Party in New York. Party power is dynamic; it can flip on a dime. A “progressive” New York could flip to a GOP NY, one moderate GOP’ers, like the late Nelson Rockefeller, wouldn’t recognize.
The Kennedy-for-Senator issue is a good time to remind folks that being Senator isn’t just a job done inside the Beltway or on Village Video. You are a top dog in the state and for your state party.
Ms. Kennedy may be a competent choice. But how well would she work for her party in Albany and elsewhere outside Manhattan, not to mention inside the shark-infested waters of Metro DC? Possibly well, but how would her public know and why should it be adequate to take on trust. We don’t do that with Bush; we shouldn’t do that with others.
where would i get a sense of tough from her bio? i want to give her every chance.
i guess it wouldn’t be the dem party if there’s no drama…..
It was all good theater. At the time I was a Clinton supporter.
Surely in the great state of New York there must be a better replacement?!?
well, it is our house of lords.
How is she polling among NY voters? Is there anything close to a clear favorite?
or maybe this is like a jane austen novel where potential
matessenators are judged not on their own merits and character, but on the reputation of their families?sorry, my bad.
That actually reminds me of the argument some made for Lieberman. Counter argument: Some kinds of experience, we don’t want. But then again, I new Lamont’s platform.
What does this mean? What is the evidence? Where does she show this potential of which you speak? Is this about her or what you would like her to be?
See punaise link @ 25
Actually in Austen they are judged on merits (if they have money and “good family.)
Pete King is the guy who famously said “I go to bed every night thanking God, that George Bush is my president”
As chair of the Homeland Security Committee he gets a ton of campaign contributions from the defense/security industry and has an easy time with re-election here on LI. Although he has aspirations to higher office, he has been keeping the seat warm for his daughter Erin, waiting for the right opportunity to run her, or (when Pataki was still gov, have her appointed–which rumor has it, came close to happening)
Because he is the only GOP Congressman left in the downstate delegation, there has bee some bold talk at post election celebration parties, about going after his seat next.
NYS Senator Kemp Hannon has long been on the “targeted Race” list and the two districts share some geography so it would be very efficient to through a lot of resources into that neighborhood.
It’s about deflating any accomplishments or merit of Hillary Clinton.
Caroline clearly stated from the get-go that she was wavering between the two candidates, but then her kids got her to commit to Obama eventually. She also stated that she noticed the excitement that was building across the country for him and how that reminded her of her dad and uncle’s campaigns. Seems quite reasonable to me.
I think you’re barkin up the wrong tree with that one.
If true, that won’t go over very well in parts of Chicago where “no snitching” is the rule.
law school isn’t for shrinking violets…
her recent slap down of Wolf Blitzer during the VP was pretty tough. she practically bit his head off and then chuckled to smooth it over.
superficial examples, I know…
cafferty file…. what’s CK’s qualifications to be nys senator…
i was just thinking it’s more complicated than that… fanny regrets rejecting i forget his name, the navy guy, at the advice of family. darcy eventually goes for elizabeth although most of her family is wacko.
for the record, as far as I can determine, Hillary Clinton has not endorsed CK as her replacement for the Senate seat. I would be a little surprised if she does.. given CK’s endorsement of, well, not Hillary, in the Dem Primary.
Sorry, I was referring to Ben Stein’s article in Politico. I mis-characterized HRC’s instructions to her people not to interfere with CK’s request as a “blessing”. Sorry for the confusion.
Oh right! I’m sorry, but that story is just too funny. Tell me another about cutting down a cherry tree?!?
LHP, thanks this is the argument that needed to be made. Much as I adore Jane, she got all MoDo on us.
Hugh at 60 and LHP at 61. You are both right, of course, she has no track record and, yes, it is wishful thinking. However, to paraphrase, “I would love to have a wine with her”.
Ooops . gotta go. LHP I love reading you.
Interesting question. What are the qualifications required of nys senator wannabes?
I want to be wrong.
The opposition, I guess, to wind turbines in Nantucket Sound, however, looms pretty large to me. What else is there to go on?
She isn’t getting a ringing endorsement from lhp.
o/t tweety en fuego re iraq war justifier and testifier right now.
Ahem, a little time line issue? Clintons were not stumping for NYS Dems so that Bill could become president.
That President thingy, happened WAY before the helping elect other Dems in NY part.
Look Hillary could have raised a ton of money to fund her own election and left the rest of the dems to fend for themselves.
Which is what we are saying of Caroline,nest pas? Instead, Hillary got off her ass ,and went out and worked to help elect other Dems and build the party in this state so that we might have a chance to pass a Dem agenda after how many years of GOP hegemony.
Hillary behaved in a way that benefited much more than herself, and she didn’t need to do it just to get elected senator.
She is owed a ton of favors in this state
But Elizabeth and Jane do fall in love with rich men. And only one of the sisters marries a poor man in Sense and Sensibility. And Ann Elliot in Perusasion, and Emma marry men that are well off.
here is my take on your perspective. when it takes a person of her (supposed) stature that much time to make up her mind then YOU want to blame it on her children? NO. i am not buyin it. she is out of the loop. not able to carry the load, imo.
Hillary is said to be a hard worker.
tweety damn near imploded on that just now……
lhp – if you are still about: More trouble for Holde nomination
Arlen & the Gang requesting material from Elian Gonzales case
thank goodness Obama’s got that whole post partisan thing goin’ on :D
Yes, she’s evidently tried out her Persuasion on Obama, and now Patterson.
It may be my Pride, but I have Predjudice against the notion of CK in Moynihan’s old role.
Rezko!
(there, that should pacify you for a while)
According to the story when Blago was running for the first time for Gov. he hit up JJJ for $25K. JJJs wife was considered a shoo in for a job. JJJ didn’t come up with the $. After the election Blago told JJJ that she didn’t get the job because he didn’t come up w? the $
What else to go? She’s got a great record. Try here, and there’s much more beyond this:
http://firedoglake.com/2008/12…..nt-1761776
Oh and I suppose I am supposed to jump up and down at that bait. I’ll leave you to stick to your delusions.
tweety talking re CK for senate or not….
okay, and NOW she wants to come out? reminds me of a schizophrenia personality. she got some new drugs?
NO, CRC, it’s more nuanced than that.
I think many of us, maybe especially women, have phases in our lives. We may spend years not doing the job we desire and are qualified for, because we cannot swing the hours and still be home in time to help with the spelling Homework and the multiplication tables.
Or someone may be the primary breadwinner, and spend years doing something they don’t like until the mortgage is paid off and the kids have been put through college.
Whatever, there comes a day when you find yourself somewhat less shackled by responsibility and you think”If the right opportunity came a long, I am finally in a position to take advantage of it”
And then a weird thing happens, and you WANT IT.
I understand that how Caroline could not stop to think through the ramifications of what she is trying to do.
But that does not stop me from thinking it through. I am opposed to dynasty. I am opposed to people not earning their stripes. I think if you want the kind of appointment that comes from being a blueblood with access, go be an ambassador.
BTW
I guess she’s a liar then. Down goes Camelot!
Finally. Thanks.
ok, i’m not going to go there. My interest is only prurient celebrity watching, to be honest.
Oh. My. God.
No time line problem here. Ok, the Clintons were just being altruistic for the benefit of the Democratic party, in your view. But the end result from my view is a US Senator who was incompetent, starting with, or a work in progress, her vote on the Iraq War, a woefully mismangaged and ill conceived presidential campaign with a total lack of dimension. But I agree with you the Clintons raised a lot of money for various candidates and they are good at that. And I assume you are correct that CK has not yet raised a lot of money for the NYS democratic party.
There’s a critical difference here. Hillary actually won an election. CK’s only obvious qualifications for the role I which she seeks a non-elective appointment are a) she’s an aristocrat, b) she went to Harvard Law Shool and c) she’s sat on a lot
of part time charitable boards and committees. IMO she should come up through the political ranks everyone else does… how about contesting her own Upper East Side house seat? (isn’t of held by a rethug?)
Thnaks for clearing that up. I thought maybe I missed a big new development
I read that comment earlier. Where in there does it talk about CK actually using her law degree to affect changes in real life? She’s obviously used it in a semi-academic way as the author or co-author of some books but where and when has she actually practiced law?
Has she joined her cousin as counsel for environmental causes? She was trained by her mother to be on the board of trustees for various charities? This is a qualification for the Senate?
my bad. i confused fanny with ann elliot.
Elian Gonzales? I didn’t see that one coming. I thought Janet Reno was the decider on that one. WIll have to go read your link.
Thanx for the heads up
Did she work for Disability Rights like I believe Teddy Jr. has?
So you couldn’t figure out a response to the wind farm on Nantucket Sound?
I love Sara, but I disagree with her on this one.
Where’s CK been for the last ten years while the GOP was busting liberals/progressives?
I don’t think her record suggests fitness for the U.S. Senate. I think Harry and Barack want her, because they think they can control her.
Sara brought up Paul Wellstone as someone who was great with zero experience. Yeah, PW was terrific, but Herb Kohl didn’t have any experience either and he stinks.
I hope I’m wrong, because I think she’s going to be a U.S. Senator from New York for a long time.
I think that you mean Anne Elliot, in Persuasion, who when we meet her still grieves having refused a certain British Royal Navy sailor — now Capt! – Frederick Wentworth, because her mentor felt that he was too inferior to marry into ‘the Elliott blood’.
There’s a great bit of fun Austen has in that story regarding ‘Nobility’; Anne is the heroine of the tale, and she ‘marries down’ — she marries a commoner (grab the smelling salts!), who happens to be a Captain in the Brit Royal Navy in the early 1800s. Which meant he stood to make a lot more money than her father the baronet ever did.
Anne’s father is an absolute buffoon, and the one book that is his constant consolation is read the book (? Peerage) that lists all the nobility and their blood connections. But for the landed gentry in an agricultural age, lineages mattered a great deal.
I suspect that the witty Jane Austen would regard the CK Senatorial appointment with a satirical eye, and make great sport with it.
(Fanny is the heroine in Mansfield Park.)
LOL. i was just thinking i should have stuck with the race horse analogy, since i made such a hash out of austen.
I can’t stand the new BBC adaption of Persuasion BTW. The 90s one was perfect.
well, yes it is gone. sad to say. anyone who lets children recommend adult actions is frankly soft headed.
TPM:
I would never accuse the Clintons of being altruisitc. Be serious.
No, they were aware that what’s good for the party was also good for them. They earned a lot of favors that are currently still owed to them. And they have the potential to keep adding to their favor bank totals. And that has benefited more than them.
And it ain’t just cash. It time. iut’s stumping and giving advice and showing up for things
in the absence of austen i’ll go with your version @111.
Actually, she has practiced law on a sort of part time basis. She has written some appellate briefs at Paul Weiss Rivkin for pro bono cases
As you see above, you’re not the only one who gets dogged by the same person!
Ummm… (yeah, I’m a huge Austen fan — looks like a few of us here, huh?)
They don’t all marry rich men.
Anne Elliott marries a self-made man, which given her station and family took excellent judgment and a ton of guts.
Austen’s heroines always did the wise thing, and came out well in the end.
Her expedient characters come to no good, and CK should perhaps consult a little more Austen before her appointment with Mr Patterson, eh?
i agree with ya. this senate shot is premature. at least fer us way out here on the left coast. mebe in manhattan it would play.
By the way, let’s not kid ourselves that Hillary’s first campaign made her break a sweat. She entered that campaign on third base, so to speak, thanks to her own connections, so to whine about CK’s connections seems a little disingenuous to me.
IMVHO, that’s just a big, red, flashing light. Harry found the most conservative NY Democrat he could find, Caroline Kennedy.
I hope I’m wrong.
What a wonderful, wise comment.
Agree completely.
(And frankly, I think Harry Reid and the Dem leadership — and even Obama and Biden — would be wise to dissuade CK. I can see her as excellent at many things, including ambassadorships where she’d probably be very good. But Senator is a skill set that she has not demonstrated convincingly, and she looks rather greedy and insensitive.)
yah know.. I was just thinking. I have a friend with a degree from Harvard Law School. She lives on Manhattan’s East Side (well, Lower East, not Upper, but close enough from my perspective.. on the same island, right?) She doesn’t sit on any charitable boards that I’m aware of, but she does work more than full time as a social work caseworker for the City, ’cause that’s what she finds rewarding. Perhaps I just write to Governor Patterson and nominate her. On the facts, she seems just as qualified…
Current bookmakers odds of CK getting the appointment according to tweety are 88%.
You read it?
By the definition of many around here, Paul Wellstone wouldn’t have been an acceptable candidate either I guess.
Personally, I’ve always liked voting for those who haven’t been career politicians for the most part. Being steeped in political gamemanship is not necessarily a “qualification” to me, and looking at her history and how she’s lived her life, I feel very comfortable with Caroline Kennedy as a Senator.
Not just the press. It’s clear that a significant contingent on this site believes that Caroline Kennedy should be senator because her last name is “Kennedy”, and because they “like her”. It is unseemly that she’s being considered for the seat simply because of her family lineage and her ability to pick up the phone and ring the governor, but pointing that out is “bashing Caroline”. It’s all ridiculous, and yes, depressing.
Because as much as people on this site and others fight for a more small “d” democratic political system, one that isn’t so tilted in favor of the rich, famous, and connected, there will always be a significant majority that is desperate for an American monarchy and will discard notions of meritocracy to reward their favorite political dynasty.
http://www.dailykos.com/
More eloquent than me for sure.
Gosh is that kid in high school?
Wellstone wasn’t running on his Dad’s record.
Herb Kohl had no prior governmental experience and he’s been very weak. As liberals and progressives, it kills us when Democrats from blue states tend towards the middle. Dems in South Dakota have to do that to get elected.
i have the same criticisms of the process for both clinton and CK – as do many of us here. please stop trying to characterize this criticism as something about clinton vs CK. it’s not. it’s about dynasty and democracy.
Except that Paul Wellston actually RAN for the office and was ELECTED to it. So he presented himself before the voters of his state and made his case.
Which Caroline Kennedy has never done. If she wants the position, then maybe she should recommend a caretaker for the seat and run for an open seat in ‘10. Then if she is elected I’ll stand in the crowd and shout “Huzzah Huzzah!”
No, what I’m saying is the wise choices, happen to be rich. Ann Elliot’s self-made man is wealthy and sought after in the second round. When Ann refused him he was young and poor. She may have regretted that, but noone had grounds for objection the second time around. Darby and Emmma’s brother in law happen to be rich as well as “suitable.” Only the older sister in Sense and Sensibility marries a poor, but “worthy” man (because he’s disinherited.)
don’t think i’ve seen either.. should check them out.
Well then clearly a shoo-in for the Supreme Court. *g* You know we made a lot of fun of Sarah Palin’s knowledge of foreign policy because she could see Russia from her window but Caroline Kennedy’s résumé seems similarly contrived. She did a little law work so she is a Constitutional scholar. She went to India so she knows foreign affairs. Her kids convinced her to support Obama so she is really a crafty politician. In both cases, we have candidates who come out of the woodwork and are suddenly graced with career long expertise. Yes, Kennedy comes from a more patrician grade of woodwork than Palin but both are similarly manufactured.
Ian’s a couple of flights upstairs on JJJ as an informant
okay. you are givin me that weaker sex thing. female menapause, etc. i do understand there is a difference. but. out of the blue? no forward thinking at all? this is what i want to do today? she has been given bad advice. it is up to her to recognize it.
but what about the choices the men make?
I know nothing about the wind farm, so didn’t feel I should comment about it. I’m on the Board of environmental nonprofit, and I do know that not every proposed wind farm is a good idea. Lots of factors involved in each individual case, so perhaps there’s something like that happening in Nantucket?
i am with you. on the surface just as well qualified. sure, why not. otoh she got ta have $$$ and name and connections to compete.
It is more than a bit misleading to say that HRC “has given her blessing” to CK’s pursuit of the Senate appointment. Sam Stein reports in the HuffPo today, “Asked for comment, Clinton spokesman Philippe Reines responded: ‘This is entirely Governor Paterson’s decision, Senator Clinton completely respects the privacy of his process so will not be commenting on it or any individual candidate, nor does any third party speak on her behalf.’”
More important, this is not, or should not be, about comparing CK’s qualifications to HRC’s. That just deteriorates into an opportunity for the Clinton-haters to bash away on both HRC and Bill and doesn’t advance the discussion in any respect. The truth is, LHP is right, as is Jane, even if you think Jane is a little too rude about it. CK has never exhibited any previous interest in politics other than by virtue of her family connections and nobody has any idea what she thinks about much of anything. It is irresponsible to assume anything about what she believes about any issue or about her political philosophy, assuming she has one, or that she will behave any particular way about anything if she were to become Senator. She seems like a very nice, intelligent woman, but CK is, in most respects, a cipher.
Oh that’s different. I think you know why. So Darby eschews a poor dynastic marriage for the Elizabeth. Who can blame him?
And I can see Long Island from the shoreline? Maybe I should run for the Clintons seat.
Oh, I see your point — sorry, I’d misread you in my rush ;-)
Per your 162, but we still like Darcy b/c he shows guts and integrity.
Or at least, that’s the way I read him.
Sorry, forgot the link to Sam Stein’s piece:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…..51367.html
Too bad we can’t read Jane Austen’s take on all todays events, eh?
She had such a keen eye for character.
Got that. We were talking about what makes someone “qualified” for Senate. Is there a magic line somewhere, where someone is qualified for the House and not the Senate? Paterson’s a big boy and was elected as Lt. Gov, and he gets to choose.
If Kennedy is picked, it’s likely that she’ll dominate in 2010. Will she be sufficiently “qualified” then? After all, she’s just been a mom and opposed a wind farm and made a few votes after living off her dad’s name. When is someone “qualified?”
yes, but maybe more appropriate to our current question? imo we could also do better than a dynastic senator.
Only after he gets over his miserable snootiness, with a proverbial slap or two from Elizabeth.
LHP,
Thanks for sharing your perspective. I have enjoyed the spirited debate.
Wonderful arguements offered by all concerned. Thanks for all you do.
Diane, I have read Jane’s writing today and question whether MoDo is an appropriate label. Seems like Jane is the antithesis of MoDo.
Hillary Clinton may have had a fundraising advantage and name recognition advatge, but she worked like dog for that election.
She definately broke a sweat
methinks therein lies the problem with this whole candidacy. If CK thinks that she has what it takes, she should run in 2010. Otherwise, we may as well admit that we have a hereditary aristocracy.
at least it would be fun. i have trouble taking the whole CK question seriously. but then no one of consequence cares what i think. so why not just make fun of the absurdity?
It’s all very undemocratic if you ask me. Dynasty. (BTW I don’t count Clintons as a dynasty because unlike Chimpy and the Kennedys, there are aren’t a gazillion famliy members, and Chelsea seems unlikely to spawn 13(?) children like Rose (?) Kennedy.)
I haven’t found anything.
AFAIK, Nantucket Sound is pretty perfect for a wind farm. It’s shallow and it’s got a lot of wind. Very profitable for whomever owns the turbines. AFAIK, the Kennedy’s and a lot of their neighbors on Cape Cod are only opposed to it for aesthetic reasons. They don’t want to see wind turbines when they look out over the Sound.
The link above takes you to a graphical map which displays the best places in the U.S. for wind farms.
I understand what you’re saying, but this is an appointment; there’s very little “democracy” involved here. Caroline has an obvious advantage, which she is playing to her benefit. That’s politics. Now if the people of NY want to kick her out, they’ll have the opportunity to do so in fairly short order.
I really don’t get the agita this is causing. CK would be a reliable Dem vote, and her history of causes seems to indicate that she’d be more on the progressive side of the aisle. She certainly knows the ins and outs of the Senate, and has access to excellent advisors. I really fail to see the downside in this.
The voters of a state normally get to decide who their senators are which is why we have folks like James Inhofe, Mitch McConnell, Bob Corker, etc serving in the US Senate.
Do I think Caroline Kennedy is automatically qualified because of her name? No, I do not. And that is the whole point that many of us have been trying to make. If she were just Caroline Schlossberg, she could put her name, with her qualifications in front of the Governor and see if she would be selected. I’d say probably not. But since she is Caroline Kennedy, we’re all supposed to bow down and accept the inevitable that she is going to be Senator and all other should just shut up not worry because she’s a Kennedy and as such there’s supposed to be a Kennedy in the Senate.
But from my perspective, if there IS supposed to be a Kennedy in the Senate, her cousin Robert has done a hell of a lot more to deserve it than she has done.
No, I;m not giving you that weaker sex menopause thing. When I said said that some people work in ajob they hate until the mortgage is paid off and the kids through college—I was actually thinking of men, who sublimate their own dreams to be responisble “providers”
My pint being that in some people’s lives there comes a point where the thing you had to put first, the thing that stopped you form doing something else that you also wanted to do, is no longer an obstacle.
So, if an opportunity ocmes along, you grab it without thinking about the btroader consequences
I don’t think I have any dog in this fight, just a few cannon balls rolling around on the deck…
I came of age politically with JFK. I supported Ted when he ran for Prez, but from the sidelines. And I thought Bill Clinton was one of our best presidents. But then along came the DLC during the Bush years, continuing the Democratic version of the neocon approach to FoPo, and Hilary’s tone deafness on the War. So I feel like I’ve been on both sides of the fence.
ISTM, there’s a battle going on for the soul of the Democratic Party. I tend to feel most comfortable in the idealist wing of the party– the one that believes in the Constitution, in rules of fair play, that no one is above the law, in net neutrality, the Bill of Rights, and the Geneva Conventions. That’s why I wound up here. I supported John Edwards in his assessment of the Two Americas, and Chris Dodd in his support for the Constitution. But there’s also a pragmatist streak in the party, represented by the Clintons, the DLC, Nancy Pelosi, and the Democratic Congressional leadership, which seems to be all about POWER, and how to get it, and how to keep it, and to hexx with principles and values that might get in the way. This is where Democrats earn their reputation for spinelessness, and the Clintons for “triangulation.” And, I’m afraid, Obama has his own version.
I respect LHP’s opinion on this, because she’s on the ground in NY, and I’m not. What I’m wondering is what kind of Democratic Party Hillary was building in NY? What kind of party does Caroline Kennedy stand for? I am willing to consider some “Strange Bedfellows” if someone like John Dean or Bruce Fein or Bob Barr was running against a corrupt Democrat like Blagoyevich. I’m not sure I want another senator like Charles Schumer, who seems to care more about power than scruple.
I heard Caroline Kennedy’s speech at the UCLA event, where she endorsed Obama. I was impressed. I want to hear her speak more about what she believes in, and what she will support.
I don’t have a vote in NY, but I want to hear more about what the candidates for Hillary’s office believe in, and what they will fight for, in order to know who to cheer for, from the sidelines.
Bob in HI
i’ll try to seriously address this question one more time:
the downside is that the process whereby a kennedy, but not a joe shmoe, can become a senator because she wants to is the same process that has resulted in an out of touch and badly failing elite at a time when when failure will mean disaster and worse for millions of people. we face the possibility of a global depression, massive climate change, population explosion, resource constraints and more. we need the best leaders we can find – and we’re not even looking.
that is the downside i see.
after all this, i would agree if she wants to run later. i don’t mind at all. she just needs exposure.
Yes, because we all know what a disadvantage incumbents are at in this country.
yes, ma’am. i will agree with you. family obligations come first. you must have some inside info that i do not have regarding this particular situation. once again i defer to you. thank you. peace.
Good points about Clinton.
All very qualified individuals of course.
Look, I get the whole dynasty argument, but much of my support for a Kennedy appointment is strategic. Obviously, we don’t live in a political vacuum, and the ramifications of a Kennedy appointment would be very positive for the NY Dem Party and Dems nationally IMO. lhp is proposing the opposite.
Her record suggests she’ll be a good Liberal vote. She’s proving right now she knows how to play ball. The positives of her appointment outweigh the negatives for me, and since there’s been SO much now, this anti-Caroline bickering is hitting a point of diminishing returns.
Yes, debate is good, but I feel there are a lot more pressing issues that could use even just a fraction of this anti-Caroline energy.
Exactly why Kennedy probably feels the need to press now. She wouldn’t want to run against a Dem incumbent in 2010.
Did you actually read the post from looseheadprop explaining why the appointment of Caroline Kennedy WASN’T good for the NY State Democratic Party? Seems to me that she makes a pretty good case against it on the facts.
how about if the current gov took the seat? then she could start her campaign now. do you think she has enough influence to get that done?
As LHP points out above, if the current governor appointed himself, that would leave the Republican Senate Majority leader (put in place because a couple of conservative Dems couldn’t stand not getting their way, thus allowing the Rs to continue controlling the NYS Senate as they have done since I believe 1964) as the new governor.
bonkers, go back and read the Sara post you linked to.
Where the f was she on FISA?
Reid is supporting Caroline ? This is bad news for her chances …
I have a singer’s last name- does that mean I can sing? Give me a break! When this woman had the chance of endorsing the first female President of the United States, she ran over to the chicago sissy man and endorsed him. She was in the fix- her uncle, who should have served prison time for leaving that helpless girl to her death in the water, had already had this fixed with Obama. They are all in for the power. The only thing I can think of the Kennedys- father was a bootlegger, John Kennedy had no values, and still people wonder if he had Billy Jean killed because of her information concerning his bed manners, John John was rumored to have a drug problem, and now older sister thinks that the seat is hers because of her name. There are many more people that have worked hard for this position- but as usual we have a bunch of koolaid drinkers that fall apart when it comes to the stars!!!!!!!!!!
Kirsten Gillebrand (not Christen)
Her “facts” are mostly her opinions, albeit highly informed opinion I grant. Still, I tried to offer some “facts” earlier talking about how much excitement a possible Senator Caroline Kennedy would bring to NY and national Dems, as evidenced by the overwhelming support I’ve seen on the other blogs, radio, and a Dkos poll.
Couple that with strong support from some other writers in the New Media who also know NY politics extremely well, and back up the claim that Caroline Kennedy would actually help Dems tremendously, not hurt them as lhp claims, and a strong case can be made for her appointment IMO.
I’m a big believer and have acted a lot to support the Blue America/More and Better movement. This is a great way to dismantle the “dynastic” system that currently dominates. I’m also a big believer in picking battles wisely, and going all out against Caroline Kennedy is not a good use of our energy IMO. I do appreciate the honest debate about it though, as with any issue.
“Well then, in your view, who handed the Clintons the Senate nomination? You do not suggest they earned it the old fashioned way, do you? After working in politics for years in various campaigns, I hold the view that running for office does not necessarily prove anything about one’s character or fitness for public office. The Clintons have done nada for NYS since their election to the Senate and expect them to move on. Bout time.
Once they had the Senate nomination, it was a cakewalk. Traveling upstate is exhausting but so are most jobs.”
Hillary Clinton was invited to run for the seat by Pat Moynihan when he announced his retirement. He discussed it with her in DC, quietly did some polling about it, and then invited her for a weekend to his get-away farm to discuss NY Politics — and they made the announcement jointly at the end of the road to his quite rural farm. He then offered Hillary much of his own campaign organization — some part of which was his Senate Staff, and she was off and running, doing joint events in some places with Moynihan.
“Well then clearly a shoo-in for the Supreme Court. *g* You know we made a lot of fun of Sarah Palin’s knowledge of foreign policy because she could see Russia from her window but Caroline Kennedy’s résumé seems similarly contrived. She did a little law work so she is a Constitutional scholar. She went to India so she knows foreign affairs. Her kids convinced her to support Obama so she is really a crafty politician. In both cases, we have candidates who come out of the woodwork and are suddenly graced with career long expertise. Yes, Kennedy comes from a more patrician grade of woodwork than Palin but both are similarly manufactured.”
No — she went to India, (Jaipur in particular) to co-research a book which her mother was publishing, on Islamic Law and Governance and Art in the Mughal Period — the 1500’s and there abouts. While I didn’t say so in my initial post — I like people who at some point in their lives take their muse a little seriously and go off and do odd-ball things such as this. Anyone building a political career these days, wouldn’t go off and work on a project like this. It says nothing about Foreign Affairs today, but it says a good deal about character, personality, self confidence and many other things. I don’t think she is the kind of person who would vote against arts efforts — I think she would see them as being just as important as sports stadiums and taxes that favor big professional team owners — there are lots of assumptions I can make based on this.
“She did a little law work, so she is a Constitutional Scholar” — well if you are concerned about the treatment of the Bill of Rights by the near late Bush establishment, maybe you would find it of interest to look at someone who researched appeals cases in the civil rights/civil liberties field. And yea, she also wrote a couple of books on the subject. Pretty well reviewed actually. Ya’all know, she just might be something of an advocate in this area — Donncha know Lawyers who were prosecutors who get into office usually focus on how the criminal law works — think Arlen Spector and Pat Leahy who always tell us about the cases they prosecuted. Well — maybe someone who was out of the public view advocating in written briefs in the appeals courts for civil rights/civil liberities???
As to foreign affairs — much more to the point was the three year long three country conference on the Cuban Missile Crisis — that involved much negotiation with Moscow and Cuba so Historians could get into the archives. And while I didn’t mention it — the Kennedy Library is well into a multi-year effort on many aspects of Vietnam. No no — all that is irrelevant. So what if she took the family seat on the Library Board and shook things up saying less emphasis on rocking chairs and irish jokes, let’s get serious about the history.
And on Wellstone — I use that as an example that at times it is a good thing to bring in a political science professor from an elite college who knows how to organize on his state’s turf so as to run a campaign than it is to bring in someone who carefully climbed the ladder of small to slightly larger political jobs at the state and local level. Yep — the Senate needs people who once ran for dog catcher, but maybe a more diverse set of life histories would be good.
Correction: I mean Darcy. Pre-dinner time. Yes, we can do better than make a miserable dynastic choice, like Darcy.
Okay and just how many research assistants did she have?