Caroline Kennedy . . . not a Senator

I really liked Caroline Kennedy for many years. I liked that the shunned the spotlight, focused on philanthropic endeavors and was what I felt a well grounded person in a very auspicious family. Even though her shine has dimmed a bit as she has aggressively pursued the open NY U.S. Senate seat and stammered through interviews, what I think hurts her most is the sense of entitlement she has portrayed. I find it sad and angering.

But her failings as a pursuer of power is not why I think she should not receive the senate appointment.

I think a case can be made that she should not even be in consideration. My feeling is that an appointee to one of the highest offices an U.S. citizen can hold should have received at least one vote in some election in the past. Caroline Kennedy has never run for any elective office; not city council, state senate, Lt. Governor, U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator or even dog catcher. She should not be considered for the soon-to-be vacant New York U.S. Senate seat for a number of reasons but none more important than she has never been vetted by the people of New York in any capacity.

Caroline Kennedy would not even be on a long list, much less the short list, if her name was not Kennedy and her father was not a former President. Someone that has had the guts to face the citizens of New York as a candidate for office should be selected. Even better than any ol’ politician would be a person that has or is currently serving in the U.S. House of Representatives; a person who has been vetted in some capacity by the electorate and has a decent idea of how they can help New York and has a working knowledge of how congress and Washington D.C. work.

With my very limited knowledge of New York politics, I think aside from AG Andrew Cuomo - which is probably Kennedy’s biggest competitor, Rep. Carolyn Maloney might fit the bill. As much as I like to think the “best person available” should be selected, and I admittedly am not sure she fits that description, I think politically it might make for a good fit as she is obviously a woman and many of her House experiences mirror Hillary Clinton’s in the Senate. She is involved in homeland security, health care, defense and (most importantly) financial issues. She is tenacious and brash and seems somewhat moderate for a representative from the great state of New York.

But chances are if Kennedy does not receive the appointment it will be Cuomo. He is a very possible challenger to Gov. Patterson in the next NY gubernatorial race and to place Cuomo in the Senate would make the 2010 NY democratic ticket very strong with the Gov, AG and U.S. Senator all being incumbents, albeit none of whom actually elected to their respective offices (Patterson inherited the governorship when Elliot Spitzer resigned).

Kennedy’s star has dimmed a bit, which may be her undoing but I think that at the end of the day it will be Gov. Patterson’s political future which will rule the day.