Barack Obama Wants Caroline Kennedy for NY Senate

[SuperTrouper]

Governor David Paterson has a ticking bomb in his hands. It is now reported that President Barack Obama wants Caroline Kennedy to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate for New York. There are also reports in the New York Post that Caroline's rivals are angry and upset that they have been taken for a ride by Paterson complaining that Caroline for Senate is a done deal and Paterson has been playing a Blagoesque game about who will bring the most to him in 2010. Picking Caroline Kennedy makes political sense for Paterson but it risks alienating the rank-and-file of New York Democrats who vociferously want Rep. Carolyn Maloney or Andrew Cuomo as Hillary's replacement. Nonetheless, Paterson is afraid to offend Michael Bloomberg, the Kennedys and President Obama. In the lates Marist poll, Paterson's ratings have plummeted and he is in danger of losing in 2010. His favorability ratings in Upstate New York is about 35%, dismal numbers for a sitting, albeit unelected Governor. Here is an article from today's Daily News where it is reported that Obama wants Caroline in the Senate.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/barack_obama/2009/01/18/2009-01-18_barack_obama_wants_caroline_kennedy_but_.html

Excerpt:

Gov. Paterson is in Barack Obama's town - but still giving no hint whether he'll tap the President-elect's preferred pick for the Senate, Caroline Kennedy.

"We can't follow the logic in his process," an Obama administration source said Sunday.

"We want Caroline. We won't indicate disappointment with where he ends up."

The clock is ticking down on Hillary Clinton's secretary of state confirmation and the speculation and subterfuge surrounding Paterson's choice for her successor has shifted into high gear and moved from New York to Washington.

[bluestateguy]

1. Rumors, leaks, anonymous sources, assumptions, innuendo, etc.

And now people will get all worked up over it too.

[SuperTrouper]

3. You're right. This is a circus created by Paterson who is so undecisive. Just look at the

Colorado Governor who made his pick the moment Salazar accepted the nomination for Interior Secretary. Paterson has left Caroline, Cuomo, Maloney and all the other candidates twisting in the wind for more than one and a half months. Paterson will not be re-elected, mark my words. The next NY Governor will be Andrew Cuomo.

[BeyondGeography]

7. Paterson deserves some sympathy, IMHO

New York is another world of stress compared with Colorado to begin with, and Caroline being in the mix makes his life even more complicated than it would have been anyway.

[SuperTrouper]

10. I'll give you that point, but Paterson said that he would name Hillary's

successor before Inauguration, now it seems that the sweepstakes have moved into Washington, Dc and now the replacement will be named after the Inauguration (is he trying to coerce something from Obama for a Caroline appointment?) and for sure before 2 February. It seems to me that Paterson is not playing his cards too well.

[BeyondGeography]

16. We'll see, I just think his hand sucks

and a world of political pain awaits him no matter which way he goes.

[BlueCaliDem]

23. Ain't that the truth. I don't envy Paterson. I really do feel for him. n/t

[bdamomma]

33. me too, I wouldn't want all that pressure on me for choosing

the next NY Senator.

[SuperTrouper]

58. Now NBC has joined the fray. Prssure mounts on Paterson to pick CKS

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Paterson-Will-Pick-Caroline-Report.html

[Cha]

64. I'm giving Paterson compassion

because stuff happens and it doesn't always happen when you said it would or when other people think it should.

A little thing called fate.

[MarjorieG]

17. Cuomo is thuggish, not that bright, pushed through as AG by Dem machine, which treats the Cuomo name

as royalty. CKS is as deserving in another way as the NYC's Mahoney, who has toiled mightily on behalf of NY. This is machine politics playing the NYC media, which happily obliges.

I don't want Cuomo as governor, so hope not.

Paterson could not be seen as quickly giving it to Kennedy, so here we are. He is/was stuck.

[SuperTrouper]

28. I agree that Cuomo truly is not so bright and he is thuggish...this is well known in Albany.

He is not like his father Mario Cuomo, who is intelligent, intellectual and a great orator; would have made a good president but I am convinced that his past stood in the way. Maloney is the ultimate politician, not the kind of change that Obama is preaching. So, Caroline is the closest thing even if he grew in privilege.

[Cha]

65. I'm with you

MarjorieG:fistbump:

[Cha]

63. Exactly..if you don't think I learned how

to read that article after 8 years of corporatemedia..you'd be wrong.

They can say whatever they want and quote a "source".

Corporatemedia wants controversary. It would be more politically advantageous for Paterson to chose Cuomo, no? Eliminating a future Gov opponent?

[Stephanie]

2. I want her too

And I'm in NYC so my vote counts. :)

[BlueCaliDem]

27. I'm a Californian and I'd happily trade Diane Feinstein for Caroline Kennedy.

Besides, DiFi would feel more at home in a DLC-dominated New York State since she's a REAL DINO.

But I'll hold on tight to Barbara Boxer. :7

[SuperTrouper]

29. Barbar Boxer also announced that she wants Caroline on her Committee...

[BlueCaliDem]

35. I didn't know this. Thanks, Roberto. Now I love me some more Babs Boxer! :-) n/t

[Cha]

66. Really!

Right, no pressure on our Gov:wow:

[Me.]

60. Same Here

[MadHound]

4. I suppose, in a democracy, asking who the people want as their Senator is much too radical

No no no, we must have some member of the political elite to rule over us:eyes:

[BlueCaliDem]

9. We don't live in a democracy. It's a Constitutional Democratic Republic. n/t

[MadHound]

26. Gee, thanks for the condescending correction

Yes, you're technically right, even though we're referred to as a democracy all the time.

The fact still remains that normally the people are the ones who choose their representatives, I would think that it would be logical for the NY governor to consult the people in choosing their new senator.
But hey, you don't wish to discuss this, instead you'd rather be the poli sci nanny:eyes:

[BlueCaliDem]

32. I apologize. I really didn't mean to sound condenscending. Honest.

I understand that the people refer to our kind of government as a democracy, but that's why there's such a brouhaha about this appointment. They're misinformed.

You are absolutely right that the people choose their representatives in accordance with the Constitution, and exercise their democratic powers during the elections. With regard to electing their leader, this is where their democratic duties end and the rules for the republic begin.

Now, they need to understand that they need to follow the state Constitution and their elected representative (Paterson) in his choices, but that's where it gets unclear for them. Under the rules for a republic, he is now their representative and it's his duty to make the best choices for the state as a whole.

This is why I don't understand why New Yorkers are so opposed to the Kennedy name, and the woman. She would be an excellent choice to represent New York since she and PEOTUS Obama are close, and he would need more friends in the Senate among Democrats than he currently has if ever he wants to see his policies enacted.

I read democrats spewing hateful rhetoric on other progressive sites calling her names like "princess", "elitist", "silverspoon-girl", and dismissing her father and uncle's deaths being unimportant, although both were murdered in service to this country, paying the highest price for that honor. Then there's a huge amount of hatred toward her other uncle, Ted. It's unbelievable.

I read them belittling her Columbia University degrees although it's the only ivy league university that has the merit-grading system unlike Harvard and Yale where rich kids can "buy" their degrees (ask Dubya), and they don't care PEOTUS Obama trusted her enough to head his VP vetting committee, which resulted in VPEOTUS Biden.

Sometimes their hateful rhetoric surpasses what I read by rightwingers that are, of course, united against Caroline Kennedy. They want repub Rep. Peter "it's all over but for the counting, and we'll do the counting ~ 2004" King. From them, I expect it, but not from self-proclaimed Democrats who all want change, but want to put a DLCer AG Andy "shuck and jive Obama" Cuomo in Hillary's seat.

But again, I apologize for sounding like a poli sci nanny. I'm just so used to having to point this out to so many democrats, both New Yorkers and out-of-staters alike.

[Cha]

67. You

didn't.

[Flash Bazbo]

81. Regardless, shouldn't the constituents of that Senate seat have first priority?

[no_hypocrisy]

5. As Caroline Kennedy hands out the Profiles in Courage Awards annually

which recognize political courage and leadership by making unpopular decisions, even at risk of one's political career, I'm sure she'd appreciate David Patterson giving the Senate position to either Andrew Cuomo or Carolyn Maloney based on their experience and history of public service to the State of New York.

Sure, Gov. Patterson would lose out on some fundraising dollars, and President Obama may not timely return his calls, and he may not get elected to continue his governorship, but it also would be the right decision under the circumstances.

[Cha]

68. Says you. Obama wouldn't pull that

shit and I'm sure Caroline would accept it graciously but I hope she gets it.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

6. it's about who NY wants!

[SuperTrouper]

12. Really? Do you think NY wanted Paterson? They wanted Spitzer (then they hated him for obvious reason

and we got the Accidental Governor. Remember, they also wanted Pataki and they also got Betsy McCaughey, the worst Lietenant Governor in their history. NY wanted Hugh Carey...NY wanted Mario Cuomo, NY wanted Nelson Rockefeller...then they did not want them.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

22. yeah and you gave us Lieberman

[BlueCaliDem]

34. Lieberman votes with Democrats 90% of the time, more than many others in the senate.

He voted for the IWR, but so did Hillary Clinton. He attacked, and campaigned with McCain against, Obama, but so did Hillary - her campaigning was even more vicious than Lieberman's.

Everybody who knows Lieberman, knows if he's anything, he's loyal, and after what Obama did for him, he's loyal to our future President.

Although I'm still a little irked by his unapologetic support for the war in Iraq war and his choice to campaign with McCain vs Obama, PEOTUS Obama has already spoken with him, lobbied to have him keep his chairmanships, and he's already spoken with the Pentagon and has made clear he wants troop withdrawal within 16 mos, so Lieberman will no longer be a problem for the Democratic Party.

All in all, he's been voting more and more with the Democrats in the past 10 years except when it came to anything to do with the Iraq war. He's more of a Democrat than Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Lincoln of Arkansas anyway.

[SuperTrouper]

40. Dems in CT voted for LaMont. LIEberman a product of Independents (in name only) and the GOP

[BlueCaliDem]

8. Wow. Lots of angry, hateful responses under this piece in the Daily.

Not really Obama people these NYers, are they? I don't even recall if there was a single Democratic politician in New York who supported Obama. Does anyone?

If I read the hateful remarks against Ted Kennedy and the Kennedy family, and how they keep saying "Caroline is not "qualified" - although she is, so I don't know what they mean by this other than, she's not jaded like most New York politicians - it's almost as if I'm reading comments by freepers.

Is New York a republican state?

[GarbagemanLB]

11. So you can't support Obama and also think Caroline is far less qualified than other candidates?

[BlueCaliDem]

14. With that amount of hateful vitriol? No. And what is "qualified" exactly? She

has all the qualifications to be seated as a senator according to the Constitution. We live in a Constitutional Democratic Republic, NOT a democracy.

Define "qualifications" helpful to be a senator. Political connections? Capable of saying "shuck and jive" Obama while also saying he supports our PEOTUS? A DLCer? Having been in the House for at least two terms?

It's unclear. The only thing that's clear is that the Kennedy name seems toxic from what I read on Huffington Post and in the papers.

Also, how many NY Democratic politicians supported Obama in the primaries? I'd gather it was ZERO.

So I ask again, is New York really a republican state with DINO democrats?

[SuperTrouper]

18. Paterson, Spitzer, Maloney, Cuomo supported Hillary, then "the sure thing"...the only

significant person with NY connections who stood alone supporting Obama was Caroline Kennedy. That is why Obama wants to have in his inner circle a group of loyal friends and supporters, not a Trojan horse who may turn out to be to his detriment in future political battles.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

25. oh so you're saying that Obama wants to be just like bush?!?

[BlueCaliDem]

36. No, but let's be realistic here.

It took a lock-step repub congress to shove through all the disastrous policies pResident *ush got to create this catastrophe.

It will take a more friendlier, less adversarial Democratic congress to help President Obama get us out of it.

[Historic NY]

20. NY is not a Republican State, its just a bunch of self center politicians ..

still living like a fractioned Tammany Hall. Everyone wants a piece of the action but they forget they're here to serve the public, not the other way around. Its the city vs the state and the state vs the city. The Democrats control State Government for the first time in years but I am afraid they will fritter it all away.

[BlueCaliDem]

37. I'll admit that most of the New Yorkers most against CK are upstaters.

They don't feel as if Caroline Kennedy is good enough because they're convinced she won't represent upstaters. They all seem to like Hillary Clinton, though.

[SuperTrouper]

41. Upstate NY is republican and loved the Iraq War. They finally voted Democratic

when their pocket book took a dive under Bushies' policies. They would vote for Peter King over any Democrats, including Paterson, Caroline, Cuomo...

[Retrograde]

61. because Clinton acted like she gave a damn about upstate

and took the time to show up and listen, not just while campaigning but during her terms. She even visited the unglamorous parts, the ones without the summer camps. Kennedy, when asked by the Buffalo News about her knowledge of upstate said that she campaigned with her uncle Bobby, that she sent her daughter to camp in the Adirondecks and had friends in Manhattan who were originally from upstate. So I can see why the rest of the state is leery.

As an ex-New Yorker I don't get a vote, but I hope Paterson takes a good look at how well this "pick someone inexperienced with a famous name" has worked in other cases. The big thing I see that Kennedy has going for her is a slick publicity machine, connected (if you believe the Village Voice) to Michael "Term Limits Don't Apply to Me" Bloomberg.


ETA: Full disclosure: voted for Obama in both primary and general election, think Clinton is a good senator but has too much baggage for the White House, and believe she'll be good in State, even though I wanted her in Justice.

[Cha]

Well, I'm an Upstater and I was for Obama

from the get go and I want Caroline as the Senator chosen to take Hillary's place. The excitement is mounting..shouldn't be too much longer.

Edit~ Most of my friends were for Obama, too..and a lot of them like Caroline for the job.

[Stephanie]

30. The Daily News has good reporters but RW editorials

Most of the LTE's are RW, the readership leans to the blue collar. I like the reporting of the Washington bureau and Liz Benjamin and Helen Kennedy, but I skip the rest. I wouldn't read too much into the comments, they are not representative of the city.

[BlueCaliDem]

38. Thanks for the head's up, Stephanie. :-) n/t

[Stephanie]

45. And most of the NY pols supported Hillary initially

The Dem machine here runs a tight ship and electeds pretty uniformly fell in line with Hillary, many of them hoping they'd ride her coattails. A few genuine progressives led the Obama NY movement, especially State Sen. Bill Perkins of Harlem.

[BlueCaliDem]

59. Then more than ever I hope Paterson appoints Caroline Kennedy.

We need to break up that power-hold the Democrats have there. It hasn't really helped New Yorkers much, so it's time for a change.

[Cha]

72. And there was one guy..I forget

his name..from Long Island who's Gay and supported Obama in the primaries.

BTW, Google is really neat today with their MLK logo.

[Cha]

69. It's a dem political machine in

New York and Caroline doesn't fit in. Too bad and as a New Yorker I hope she's chosen.

[Stephanie]

74. Exactly right

The machine backed Hillary and shut out anyone who didn't. Many progressives here backed Edwards and Obama but the electeds fell in line and did as they were told.

[Cha]

76. I still thinks it's a

miracle we won:fistbump: But, we know they happen..just look at US Airways and Cap'n Sully:) who will be at the Inauguration.

[NashVegas]

13. Anyone Who Denied Kennedy Is Obama's Choice, Here in DU, Was Delusional

It's not a difficult stretch to see that the primary process, in itself, has become a game where DC's power elite make their choice early and then set about convincing (shepherding) rank and file voters to follow suit, via the media.

Barack Obama won that game and now he wants to get his team in place. Except for Blago, there's been no drama whatsoever about all the others giving up seats and New Yorkers, especially upstate, bless their hearts, are so naive about how the country has changed in the last 28 years that they still think people are promoted mainly on merit.

I'm sure Maloney is a good woman and would make a great Senator, but she doesn't seem to be offering what our incoming POTUS wants or thinks he needs and now would be a good time to stop feeding the press negative stories on CK. She does not have the backing support she needs to challenge DC. She should ask Howard Dean about that, sometime.

[SuperTrouper]

15. I remember when Charles Rangel promoted Hillary for NY Senate

people and the news media were calling her "not qualified", "carpetbagger", "opportunist", and look what a great Senator she turned out to be for NY. She may not have had the accomplishments of Daniel Patrick Moynihan or for that matter Jacob Javits, however, Hillary quietly took her Senate job and learned quickly to become a better speaker, to wheel-and-deal, and after three years she became a powerhouse ready to run for the US Presidency. So, Caroline may be quiet and shy, but she is not stupid or clueless. If she were to be picked for the Senate, I am sure that Kennedy would turn a tour de force as a junio Senator, supporting our new President and learning from him, Chuck Schumer, Barbara Boxer, and Claire McCaskill.

[Stephanie]

31. What has Hillary done for NY?

Just asking. I've yet to see what she's accomplished for the state. She was more focussed on using the seat as a stepping stone to the nomination.

[SuperTrouper]

42. HERE IS WHAT HILLARY ACCOMPLISHED FOR NEW YORK:

In five years as the most influential Democrat in the Senate, Hillary has managed to get the following laws and resolutions enacted: 15 small bills:

• Establish the Kate Mullany National Historic Site

• Support the goals and ideals of Better Hearing and Speech Month

• Recognize the Ellis Island Medal of Honor

• Name courthouse after Thurgood Marshall

• Name courthouse after James L. Watson

• Name post office after John A. O'Shea

• Designate August 7, 2003, as National Purple Heart Recognition Day

• Support the goals and ideals of National Purple Heart Recognition Day

• Honor the life and legacy of Alexander Hamilton on the bicentennial of his death

• Congratulate the Syracuse University Orange Men's Lacrosse Team on winning the championship.

• Congratulate the Le Moyne College Dolphins Men's Lacrosse Team on winning the championship

• Establish the 225th Anniversary of the American Revolution Commemorative Program

• Name post office after Sergeant Riayan A. Tejeda

• Honor Shirley Chisholm for her service to the nation and express condolences on her death

• Honor John J. Downing, Brian Fahey, and Harry Ford, firefighters who lost their lives on duty.

Five of Clinton's bills are "substantive":

• Extend period of unemployment assistance to victims of 9/11

• Pay for city projects in response to 9/11

• Assist landmine victims in other countries

• Assist family caregivers in accessing affordable respite care

• Designate part of the National Forest System in Puerto Rico as protected in the Wilderness Preservation System

It seems to anybody that her record is paltry in 5 years in the Senate but there are many other Senators with twice or thrice the time in the Senate with much less that Hillary, for example: Senator Vitter...

[Stephanie]

47. So a few dozen honorary commemorations, a couple of funding bills for 9/11 survivors

One protected forest, one bill to aid landmine victims and one to aid caregivers. So again, I ask, what has Hillary Clinton done for NY? Aside from the 9/11 funds, which were a given, the answer is: Not Much.

[SuperTrouper]

49. I know. Nobody has done as much as Moynihan. Now, how much has Chuck Schumer done for NY?

[Stephanie]

50. Well if by NY you mean Wall Street

Then I suppose he's done quite a bit.

[SuperTrouper]

51. here is a list of some of the bills that he has sponsored to date in all those years in Congress.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery

I think Chuck's biggest accomplishment is to gain us the Senate seats to take over the Senate.

[Stephanie]

54. Chuck's okay. I actually put in many, many volunteer hours for him the first time around

I worked at his NYC HQ answering phones every day. I was so thrilled to get rid of D'Amato!

[SuperTrouper]

56. I like Chuck, too. Even Upstate NY has learned to like NYC Chuck.

And Al D'Amato was such a sleaze...

[No Elephants]

70. Why was McCain complaining about a woodstock museum then?

[Stephanie]

75. She put it in as an earmark but it wasn't accomplished

Republicans got it removed from the spending bill:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-10-18-senate-woodstock_N.htm

[No Elephants]

78. LOL, you would never have guessed that from what McCain said. Figures. Thanks.

[otohara]

19. Same Happened in Colorado

Obama wanted Michael Bennett and Gov. Ritter appointed him - SLAM, BAM...POW!!!

I think Bennett will make a fine senator, but there are a host of others with far more seniority and public service in congress who were also hoping for the job.

[SuperTrouper]

21. Exactomundo.

[Phx_Dem]

24. Well, I think he's gonna get her. n/t

[PM Martin]

39. No

Ms. Kennedy's demanding of a senate seat on the merits of her name is just stupid.

[Uzybone]

43. Patterson has misplayed this thing in a fashion to rival Harry Reid

He should have named Caroline to the seat within a week of her making her interest public. No one would give a shit what Maloney or Cuomo thought about it, and it would be a non story by now. Eventually I think Caroline will get the seat, and Patterson will look weakened because he dilly dallied on this thing for so long.

When Obamas folks have to come out in the media to say the obvious you know they are getting pissed.

[SuperTrouper]

44. I know. And Paterson does not want to piss Obama.

[marlakay]

46. I don't think he is going to choose her, he was on larry king

last night and just the way he said there are so many people with experience that could help the state besides those well known ones...i don't don't he will choose her.

[PM Martin]

52. Thanks for the update.

[SuperTrouper]

53. He's playing mind games with the media.

[saltpoint]

48. From the DAILY NEWS reporting I still don't have a firm sense

that there is a story here.

My cousin's Great Uncle Rawley told my cousin's dog that the neighbor up the street might be a Presbyterian.

Paterson, it seems to me, knows what he's doing and what he has to navigate to do it.

In a few days we'll know his choice.

[Cha]

73. Precisely..

:fistbump:

[saltpoint]

79. zidzi! Hi, and oh wow it is finally true -- Dubya is out of the

White House.

We sure waited long enough for this week, didn't we?

[Cha]

82. Back when it seemed

Light Years Away? Oh yeah:bounce:

[AndrewP]

55. Paterson needs to make a pick and live with it

Whoever. Further hesitation will make him look indecisive and weak.

Make Obama and Team Camelot happy and live with the wing of the party that doesn't like it, or go with the other wing of the party and have Obama and Team Camelot make boo boo faces for a while. It'll pass over whenever he is needed for something in the near future.

[PM Martin]

57. True.

Obama is very forgiving and pragmatic.

[rvablue]

62. Could this be the reason that Paterson appears to waffling:

Paterson is going to run for Governor next time around.

Even in NY he wasn't that well known outside of NYC.

And with this "drama" he is getting talked about every day in the press, not just local and state, but nationally.

Just a theory. This whole "who will he pick" watch is giving him a lot of attention and name ID is huge in statewide races .... especially if he has to go up against Rudy "9-11" Guiliani.

[CK_John]

71. Rep. Kristen Gillibrand will most likely replace Sen Clinton. n/t

[SuperTrouper]

77. I don't think so. If Rep. Gillibrand is nominated she will be defeated in the Primaries by

either Caroline or Cuomo. Being from Saratoga Springs is a major handicap for a Democratic candidate in the race for the NY US Senate. Upstaters are almost never picked to be in the Senate... the US Senators from NY almost always come fron the NYC Metropolitan area, the Democratic bastion from New York. Here is the list of the US Senators from NY from the last 80+ years:
RFK, Charles Goodell, James Buckley, Robert F. Wagner, John Foster Dulles, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Herbert lehman, Jacob Javits, Hillary Clinton, Al D'Amato, Chuck Schumer... from the NYC Metropolitan area. So if Paterson picks Gillibrand the Democratic ticket will have serious difficulty in 2010..may need to get used to Senator Peter King, from Long Island, NY Metropolitan area.

[Lord Helmet]

80. he said he would pick after the inauguration

[Stephanie]

83. I think he said after Hillary is confirmed

Or after she resigns?