caroline kennedy --- so what's the story now?

[spanone]

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

[Tangerine LaBamba]

1. No story

She didn't withdraw.

Carry on with your life.

[spanone]

2. that's not what the new yawk times is saying....link

www.nytimes.com

[Tangerine LaBamba]

9. That was where the rumor allegedly started.

But that report looks more recent.

Oh, hell, I'm not even from New York, so why should I care?

I'm as bad as the hysterical cable news "journalists" who are "reporting" this "story."

[saltpoint]

13. Bullshit. You are blameless. The difference between the cable news 'journalists'

and you is that you can write and they can't.

And the mileage between those two points of contact is significant.

In one version of events -- mine -- you are the sort of person who has been badly missing a President who speaks in complete sentences.

Full paragraphs, even!

It isn't right that Dubya was so phenomenally inarticulate that he disgraces Madison's and Jefferson's early vision of an informed citizenry on one hand and simultaneously frustrates capable modern voters, among them gifted writers, you among those.

Just my take.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

14. Darling,

Flattery will get you anything you want.

But you already knew that, didn't you?

Are you experiencing the same sort of dissociative fugue state that I'm going through? It's as though the last eight years didn't really take place, and this President is just what we should have. Articulate, honest, straightforward, eager, smart, savvy, and strong. Everything will now work the way it is supposed to, and it has always been this way. It feels easy, safe, very good.

Paradoxically, when I find something like this oral history in this month's Vanity Fair - highly recommended reading, my friend - http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2009/02/bush-oral-history200902 - and I realize I can only read it in five-minute bursts, because my throat starts to close up and I find I can't breathe, I remember the past eight years far more clearly than I wish I did.

It's an odd situation I'm in. Sort of between being born and learning to laugh. Do you know what I mean? Is it like this for you?

[saltpoint]

15. Hansel found his way through the wilderness with white stones

that caught the moonlight. Your sentences do the same thing.

I'm not arguing against your sharp, strong humor, but when you wind up with reverential summary material, on politics or on other subjects, you stop the damn train.

I have not seen that piece in Vanity Fair, but under the force of your recommendation, I will have a good long look. Thank you.

I do hear you loud and clear on the events of this week, and the past 8 years. It got very lonely when I saw Bush's lawyers sloughing through the Everglades, doing their skullduggery, paying people off, etc. to steal it for Dubya when Gore rightly won.

When the Ohio returns came in for the 04 race, I sank into the damn couch and am only now crawling out again. I distrusted the many millions of people who thought George W. Bush deserved power when a decidedly more capable soul like Kerry could have been their choice. Even if the Pukes didn't cheat in Ohio, Bush's national totals still suggested a frightening ignorance of the process and a betrayal of the Founders' vision.

There were what, some 2 million folks on that Mall listening to Barack Obama? I wanted to hug every goddam one of them.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

18. Keep up that pretty talk,

and you're gonna have a brand new stalker.

It seems miraculous that we survived 2000 and 2004. I'll never forgive Gore and Kerry for not pursuing those counts. In fact, I watched the HBO movie, "Recount," at a friend's suggestion, and by the time it was over, I'd lost my mind again. Avoid that movie.

But the Vanity Fair article is well worth reading. Be prepared to be shocked - yeah, you will be - which, in and of itself, shocked me. It's a good reminder that our capacity for outrage where those thugs are concerned is limitless, as well it should be.

The count I heard - the Park Service quit doing crowd estimates after they got totally slammed over the Million Man March - was 1.8 million.

And not a single report of crime.

Things have changed, honey. Things have changed..................

[saltpoint]

19. a new day, a good day, and I hope 8 to 16 years of

government-by-grown-ups.

A cyber-hug in the wake of the inauguration of Barack Obama. :hug:

[maddezmom]

3. the latest I can find

Sources told CNN that, as of about 8 p.m. Wednesday, she had not yet informed New York Gov. David Paterson of her decision. And as the evening wore on, confusion still surrounded the situation -- sources telling CNN they were unsure of exactly where the decision stood.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/21/caroline.kennedy/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

and earlier there was this:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3700802

[spanone]

4. thanks, last i heard she was NOT going to withdraw...and now????

[ErinBerin84]

5. who knows? Conflicting reports.

UPDATE: It's the story that just keeps giving as "A Kennedy family source told NBC's David Gregory that Caroline Kennedy has not withdrawn. Two sources hinted to NBC News that there may have been a miscommunication between Kennedy and Gov. David Paterson's office and that initial reports of her withdrawing are incorrect."

http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrush/0109/NYPost_Caroline_withdraws.html

[RB TexLa]

7. In other words, she and Bloomburg told Patterson he would not receive everything he was asking for

he told them he would pull the appointment. K/B said "you won't do that to a Kennedy." Patterson said watch the Post and Times websites and see how fast you are out.

K/B see the bluff called and come off whatever political and fund raising support the governor wanted.

[MajorChode]

6. The selection will be made in just a few days

It comes as no great surprise that Kennedy has been given the opportunity to bow out before the selection is made public. There is no way she was going to get it anyway.

[NashVegas]

8. Paterson Is Going to Get Rolled For This

Not because he's going with someone else, but because he dragged it out a month and a half and helped the NY Post trash CK on a regular basis.

[riderinthestorm]

11. Yup, definite Patterson blunder. Dragging it on and now this.

He appears to have desperately wanted Kennedy out of the race, and took her phone call - with ambiguous wording about concern about Ted - as some kind of withdrawal.

He seizes upon it.

Tries to force her hand.

She's politically savvy enough to just stand tough and show him up.

Patterson comes out looking pretty bad in this.

There's no way Caroline Kennedy would withdraw over Ted's health issues. He's independent from her political life (she's been pretty good about doing this, as has Ted). In fact, the storyline I'd think they'd all be pushing is that Ted wants her in the Senate to "carry on" the Kennedy tradition....

This smells.

[Redstone]

10. Seems pretty confused; I'd not expect a decision for at least a week.

Redstone

[sohndrsmith]

12. I can't figure it out, either. Other than KO on msnbc, I can't find any

other news stories to support the statement that she has NOT withdrawn, only that she has... guess well, just have to wait and see.

NYT I think, said that Paterson has "tapped" Cuomo, but I'll believe any of it when I see it.

[liskddksil]

17. AP is confirming that she has not withdrawn

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A person familiar with Caroline Kennedy's decision says she has renewed her determination to win appointment to the U.S. Senate seat once held by her slain uncle, Sen. Bobby Kennedy.

The source says that after her surviving uncle, Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, suffered a seizure on Inauguration Day, Caroline Kennedy had misgivings about taking on the new job.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j1Ip3ozUR59_dUPZBfwDdRBUpbRgD95RV1AO0

[sohndrsmith]

16. I have a totally hypothetical, purely speculative idea: Could Ted have called Paterson and

said "no" because he wouldn't want Caroline to withdraw because of him, and he convinced her not to after possibly hearing her misgivings? I have no basis for this other than listening carefully to David Gregory (I know, I know, but I didn't have a choice) saying that he has spoken directly to a member of the "Kennedy family"...

I can absolutely imagine a conversation between Caroline and Ted - and him telling her that she would do more (and make him happy) for him by serving in the Senate than she would by withdrawing and being at his side because of his failing health. I can also see him offering to call Paterson to clear it up, if in fact Kennedy's misgivings and contemplation of withdrawal were clearly known to Paterson and not fabricated or misconstrued somehow by someone else (which is entirely possible).

I'd love to see Kennedy in the seat, and I hope she is Paterson's choice, I really do. I could care less if she is clumsy with the media. That isn't a requisite for the position nor is it an indication of her qualification or lack of such as a Senator. I think she'd be awesome, but I have a growing respect for Paterson so I'll respect whatever choice he makes. His choosing Kennedy would just make me the happiest, personally. But I respect whatever choice he makes. He's really taking this seriously and we should all honor that... regardless of whether or not his ultimate choice is who we wanted or not.

Just my opinion...

[liskddksil]

20. Definately is plausible

It would certainly provide cover and exonerate her from all of the conflicting reports.