Send Caroline Kennedy to Court of St. James
By Steve Clemons on December 26, 2008 at 5:30 PM in New York State
(A guest post by Steve Clemons from his blog, The Washington Note. Steve Clemons serves as Senior Fellow & Director, American Strategy Program, New America Foundation and, in his spare time, as Director of the Japan Policy Research Institute.)
(UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown receiving bust of John F. Kennedy from Caroline Kennedy)
Caroline Kennedy is having a rough time convincing fellow New York-based Dems that she’s good for them. If she really, really wants to be in the rough and tough of hard scrabble politics — and show us all what she is made of — I wish she had decided to enter the political fray via election rather than appointment.
George W. Bush and Richard Cheney abused this democracy, built an imperial presidency, emasculated Congress, launched an illicit war, spied in massive proportions on American citizens, authorized torture as a tool in interrogations. They ruined what “democracy” means in the eyes of many American citizens — but also for many around the world who want to knock back their totalitarian governments and achieve some form of real democracy and self-determination.
To succeed the Bush era with a high profile appointment of the untested, iconic Caroline Kennedy does not bolster the Democratic Party’s message that democracy at home needs to be rebuilt and revitalized.
Caroline Kennedy’s first efforts to sell herself to New Yorkers — but also to make herself look like a compelling choice other than having a good “brand name” to Americans at large — has not gone well.
Barack Obama should stop this grilling and torment that is being prepared for Kennedy and all who helped push her candidacy for “appointment” by offering Kennedy the Court of St. James, the U.S. Ambassadorship to Great Britain.
Kennedy has an outstanding record of public service to those in need, and she is savvy about the who’s who of the political world. In fact, she’s playing the role of Ambassador on behalf of her father’s memory and her clan for a long time — while maintaining a tight lid on her private affairs. She’s incredibly “ambassadorial” already.
Caroline Kennedy would perform well in London and could help to bolster Obama’s relationship with the UK and with Europe more squarely — something that is vital. If she did a superlative job in her role, she might be able to translate that into some kind of compelling campaign to later “run” for public office.
But seriously, Obama should make Caroline Kennedy his ambassador to Great Britain.
There have been rumors that outgoing Senator Chuck Hagel has been discussed by some close to Obama for this role in London — but in my view, this would be a waste of Hagel’s considerable talents at a macro-level on American foreign policy. Hagel should wait for appointment as Secretary of State or as a top envoy for some form of global negotiations.
Kennedy would be perfect in London.
– Steve Clemons
::::::::::::::::::::::
(A guest post by Steve Clemons from his blog, The Washington Note. Steve Clemons serves as Senior Fellow & Director, American Strategy Program, New America Foundation and, in his spare time, as Director of the Japan Policy Research Institute.)
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This makes too much sense from a global point of view. The problem being, that if she becomes an ambassador, she is not going to be able to be an active political fundraiser.
This all about dollars and cents. By naming Hillary Clinton Secretary of State, Barack Obama has successfully shut down the Clinton fundraising machine. Not so much, what Hillary (and Bill) raise for her own efforts, but what they raise for everyone else in the Democratic party. While Obama was able to buy off many super delegates, there are still a number of elected officials on the national, state and local levels who are indebted to the Clintons for helping them raise funds. Particularly in donor rich New York state, where loyalty to the Clinton brand has created a lukewarm response to Obama.(as far as the big money folk go)
Caroline Kennedy is the choice by the one to bridge this gap for him. She will be able to step in and help keep the money coming in by using the Kennedy name in New York and beyone. Also, she will be the focal point nationally once Teddy succumbs to his illness. And unlike the Clintons, she will actually be loyal to Obama first.
And in the eyes of PEBO, that is far more important than the people of New York getting the best Senator possible.
All the more reason to block
Veruca Salt…I mean Caroline Kennedy from a completely UNDESERVED appointment.After Joe Kennedy’s behavior a Amb., I doubt if they would want her. Is has been suggested that Joe Sr.’s show of cowardly behavior during the Blitz; later led Joe Jr. to volunteer for the mission that killed him.
I think Steve Clemons must have mean Secretary of Defense for Chuck Hagel, not State.
Other than that, I agree with not choosing him for London and placing Caroline there. Being she wants the easy job of appointment, that would better suit her talent than asking to become a US Senator when she’s never run for one office in Government, let alone achieve experience in it.
If this was actually true:
“George W. Bush and Richard Cheney abused this democracy, built an imperial presidency, emasculated Congress, launched an illicit war, spied in massive proportions on American citizens, authorized torture as a tool in interrogations. They ruined what “democracy” means in the eyes of many American citizens — but also for many around the world who want to knock back their totalitarian governments and achieve some form of real democracy and self-determination.”
We wouldn’t be typing in a blog called No Quarter about it.
Really, seriously, who was harmed by the interception of domestic calls to Islamic countries and vice versa? On the flip side, how much actionable intelligence was gained by such call tapping? How many terrorist attacks targeting American citizens were stopped in their infancy because of Bush’s aggressive actions?
Can’t you admit when you’re wrong?
jg: It’s Bush fans who can’t admit they were wrong. George W. Bush was a tyrant and the worst president ever. He trumped up a war and then spied on all of us to try to justify killing thousands of young Americans. It was all about the oil.
Really, people who can’t see how horrid George W. Bush and Dick Cheney are should leave politics alone. No judgment and incredibly misinformed.
You have made several good points. Keep up the good work.
Let the scandal ridden Barry Soetoro administration AKA-Obama appoint the entitled one to the court of St James. Follow along with her great Nazi appeasement gand daddy! Old Joe. I respect the Kennedys. But tired of this entitlement program.
grand
And Teddy Kennedy has already dived in to that pay for play game when he tried to dangle money for New York if Gov Paterson appointed his niece.
Bad bad bad. They really do think they are special and above it all. We have two popular Governors being investigated for this corruption, but Teddy thinks he’s allowed to do it. UN b lievable.
Isn’t it interesting also that she refuses to allow her financial records to be released until AFTER she has the appointment to the Senate? Do these elitists ever play by the rules the rest of us have to or be put in jail, lose our jobs or be declared as unqualified for a position? Unbelievable. If she thinks most upstaters want her she’s living in dreamworld. When she made a token appearance in my part of the state, she couldn’t even answer simple questions about what her thouughts were to solve some problems here. I will be vigorously campaigning against both Patterson and her in 2010 if this somehow happens and she gets the appointment. Hillary was tough enough for a lot of NYers to accept, but at least she came with experience. This is a whole other ballgame.
I agree, The CK thing is a total joke.
She actually said out loud that she’s running on her “experience” of having a few books ghost written for her, spending a few years working an hour or two a week fundraising, and being a mother. The only thing of worth is being a mother, and by that standard, 100 million Americans are just as qualified, if not more so because the rest of the mothers out there actually had to worry about bills, ever.
CK is a really bad joke on America.
Even funnier is the disparate treatment between her and Palin. Palin’s done more in her life for public service than CK will ever do, and she was labeled the airhead bimbo. CK has NEVER done a full days work, let alone years worth, in her whole life.
I love the quote from the AP – she’ll have to work “twice as hard”….well that would be interesting because she’s never worked in her whole life.
Yep. And yet Sarah wasn’t qualified in the eyes of many Dems precisely because she is a mother. Ya know…she should stay home with all those kids and a challenged one at that…and this from some of the supposed “feminists”. Hypocrites abound.
Very true and sad. You are a good NQer. Merry Xmas.
No.
And they never will until they are stopped. And don’t expect those in government who refused to even find out mystery man Soertoro’s, aka Obama, real name to care. Caroline Kennedy jumped on the “Obama” bandwagon and never questioned anything; I don’t think her father and her uncle Bobby would be proud of her considering both put their lives on the line to bring real change and new leadership while she announced her choice based on her daughter’s decision…now that kind of leadership we can do without even at the lowest level of civil servant.
C.S. I think you’re right. I’m afraid if we could end up with Obama in the WH, New York could end up with Caroline in the Senate.
After all, it’s the year of putting totally inexperienced people into the highest offices in the land!
I think this is a brilliant idea!!! WTG Steve!
This is Susan here.
I think this is a grand idea. Gov. Paterson, who I happen to admire for many reasons (not the least of which are his intelligence and his decades-long, in-depth knowledge of the sausage-creating, promoting, altering and eventually passing of legislation), has been put — apparently without any prior consultation with him — in the completely senseless situation of having to consider Caroline Kennedy to replace Hillary Clinton as the junior senator from the state of New York.
NOW that Mrs.
KennedySchlossberg is not only being promoted for the position, but is completely dominating the news coverage — so much so that the numerous other truly qualified candidates are rarely, if ever, mentioned — it would be quite simply too awkward to simply say, to her, “No, you may not have the seat.”Something must be done, as politicians often do, to smooth the waters and find another position that is of sufficient stature so as to make it not appeared that she was unceremoniously dumped from consideration.
Yes, it is sad that she cannot be unceremoniously dumped from consideration, but that is the world of politics.
I’m not saying that Governor Paterson lacks the nerve to do this, but it will be unnecessarily awkward for him, and his decision will overshadow everything else that he is attempting to accomplish at this VERY DIFFICULT time for the state of New York’s economic situation and very difficult group of legislators in Albany.
PEBO needs to come to the aid of Governor Paterson and propose the sensible, laudable suggestion that Steve Clemons has laid out here.
Governor Paterson is not a hapless soul who needs rescuing. But he deserves the aid of PEBO since it is PEBO who owes Caroline Kennedy, not Governor Paterson.
She will be able to ably handle the Court of St. James, and it is a highly distinguished post that is not so far from New York City that she cannot frequently travel back and forth to be with her family, who can also easily travel to London to be with her.
Then, Governor Paterson is left with the difficult decision of choosing among a number of highly qualified candidates, and that choice will be tough enough, without having an unqualified “name” tossed in the mix.
Quite frankly, I wish he would appoint himself. He would make a fine senator for New York.
And Governor Paterson’s self-selection would make Chuck Schumer happy since Schumer can then get the “starring” role as senior senator that he has yearned for. (Schumer himself must be non-too-happy about Caroline’s name being in the mix since she, even more than Hillary, would dominate the news coverage.)
I’m sure you’re all familiar with the best-known joke in Washington, D.C.: That the most dangerous spot in D.C. is between Chuck Schumer and a bank of television cameras.
Schumer will have his front-row and center-stage access now. And that will please him. And the people of New York state will have a senator who doesn’t require a multi-year learning process in order to begin to become truly effective as a senator.
(Quite honestly, I have never “gotten” why Caroline wants this job all of a sudden. Her personality has always struck me as that of an introvert. She is highly reserved and her history seems to make clear that she prefers the quiet work of sitting on boards with other wealthy elites of New York City. The flood of attention and the bright media stare at everything she would do as a U.S. Senator — if she comes to her senses and really considers it — will go against her grain, which is to avoid those settings and that amount of attention.)
I’m curious: What did your parents do, or what was the family business that wasn’t your career path?
***********
A request from her dying uncle Teddy and an appeal to continue the family legacy. I think she would rather eat dirt and poke a sharp stick in her eye than be a Senator.
When Obama takes office, Joe Biden says the tests will come. Lets HOPE someone in the new administration knows what to. [ BO will offer them milk and cookies and want to talk ]
Bush kept the US safe after 911 from an enemy that is scattered around the globe and infiltrating our country NOW. This enemy’s “religion” calls us infidels and wishes everyone of us dead.
The people in the world trade center buildings just thought it was just another work day. The terrorists in the world are at war with us whether or not we want to admit it.
Now you all know that Senator Clinton will handle any situation that comes about. She has show that she can handle it. With strenght and dignity! She will clean up the mess which Bush and Repbugs have created. Too bad she is not the prez!
shown
Senator Clinton has demostrated time after after time that she has what it takes to get the job done. She has more fortitude than the effete Soetoro. She will be the backbone of the Barry Soetoro adminstration. If she plays her cards correctly, President 2012. The truth will catch up with Barry Soetoro, he is already engulfed with scandals up to his ears. Hasn’t even been given the oath. Chicago cess pool politics is catching up with him. But I agree appoint Kennedy to London. Maybe she will be able to erase the stain of old man Joe’s appeasement of Hitler!
George W. Bush had intelligence that the terrorists were coming and he chose to ignore it. He let Americans die so he could get more power. That was his main public policy. Allow disaster to befall the American people, then they get scared and agree to unConstitutional executive power. 9-11, Katrina, 30 million hispanics (many of them vicious criminals) visited on the American people, a collapsed economy. This is the president of disaster.
That was supposed to answer this:
“(Quite honestly, I have never “gotten” why Caroline wants this job all of a sudden. Her personality has always struck me as that of an introvert. She is highly reserved and her history seems to make clear that she prefers the quiet work of sitting on boards with other wealthy elites of New York City.”
President Clinton should step into this mess and straighten out this mess. We all know that Barry Soetoro is just a fairy tale!
Susan: I, too, think she’d be better off in London. She is, no doubt, familiar with protocol from Mommy. So far as her personal life…is she still living with Schlossberg? Who would know? She’s so secretive. If so, we’d definitely need full disclosure (like Bill and Hill) of his business…connections, money, etc., as well as her inherited fortune and investments.
No, no. I think London is her best bet.
Isn’t it hilarious that they are saying she’s being “Palinized”…one little criticism and poor baby’s flinching. She doesn’t have a pregnant teenager does she? How would we know? She’ll never come within one iota of what Sarah and her family endured and yet for all we know there could well be hushed up scandal in her life with liberal Dems covering.
The beginning of a very short list: what I liked in 2008:
http://edgeoforever.wordpress.com/2008/12/26/what-i-liked-in-2008-was/
Kennedy’s think their name alone qualifies them for ANYTHING. The woman is in her 40’s and has never been interested in politics. I doubt she is now either.
She’s in her 50’s…50 or 51.
AND she has never had a JOB!
I used to feel a teensy bit sorry for her (regardless of her material fortune) but now I don’t even see that the adversity she has undergone has contributed anything to her character or growth as a person. If it has, then she must have been started out quite stunted. But of course, her mother, as stylish and fashionable as she was didn’t do much for the world either. It was pretty much all about her, being admired and money.
based on the history of the Kennedy’s, it is no wonder most of them have no character. Every adversity they faced never held them accountable.
I agree, it shows very little character for Kennedy to elbow out more deserving women (women like Carolyn Maloney who has worked on the NYC City Council for 10 years and Congress for 16 years).
I can’t imagine her mother doing this, actually.
The Kennedys are not very popular in the UK. First there was grandfather Joe Kennedy’s Nazi affinity, then the whole family supported the IRA and raised money for that terrorist organisation.
I don’t think Caroline Whatever-her-last-name-is-this-week should ever be appointed to replace Hillary, but keep her away from the UK too.
Caroline Kennedy hasn’t even bother to vote (the lowest possible level of political involvement) 1/2 the time! To appoint her to U.S. Senator would be a huge insult to the elected officials in NY who, after years of hard work, deserve consideration — and an even bigger insult to the voters (yeah, they got off their butts to vote!) of NY.
I have heard on the NYC news radio (1010) that Governor Paterson has said he won’t make any appointment until Hillary is confirmed in Feb. Do you think that the media will be beating the CK pony until then? She doesn’t seem to want the seat enough to talk to the people perhaps we should suggest that her flaks be appointed since they can talk. Another candidate would be her cousin Kerry; that would surely antagonize the Cuomo people. Seriously the ambasador post might be good.
Maybe Oprah is planning on the ambassadorship! lol
Oprah is sending coded messages with her weight fluctuations.
Up
down
up up
down
up way up
up again
darn more up
yes we have a down
oops up up and away
now she’s load. Oh well.
well caroline could also be ambassador to the vatican. that is a thought!
She should not be appointed senator. This is something you must EARN. But she would make a great ambassador.
I Girded my loins and nothing happened. I must have done something wrong since Joe Biden is the most brilliant thinker in the immediate proximity to his own vicinity.
Hagel should wait for appointment as Secretary of State or as a top envoy for some form of global negotiations.
What do you mean? They already have a nominee for SOS…the magnificent HRC.
Joe Biden spent most his life as a stutterer. He went to a school to correct it.
Caroline Kennedy deserves nothing. Not a GD thing. She doesn’t deserve to be a Ambassador nor god forbid a Senator. She is just another individual that will exploit shit for there own personal gain. Her interview where she stated the *terrorist attacks on 9/11* is what inspired her to want to become a Senator was the worst thing she could of said. I hope Obama gives her nothing. Not. One. Damn. Thing
If you are going to pander to people. Pick something else. It is beyond obvious it was pandering because it took her damn near eight years to become *inspired* when we could of used the help then. Her intent was so obvious it is sickening. What she all of a sudden became inspired about, is something some people still have come to grips with even now. I wish she would of shared her reasons for *inspiration* after the holiday’s. I hope she gets to be the Ambassador to Wasilla.
Just what we need more elected officials that will say anything to win despite how there words affects others.
You can read her bull$hit interview on yahoo:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081227/ap_on_el_ge/caroline_kennedy
well we can and should send here somewhere that we she can do the least harm. i have become convinced she isn’t all that bright. critical thinking is not something done by her. bobby’s children have been a mixed bag. some have had serious drug problems. as i recall one died of an overdose. one died skiing. so there is a lot tragic there. bobby kennedy jr comes to mind maybe for an ambassador as a way of getting some international chops looking down the road to higher office for him. now he could go to a hot spot. perhaps england isn’t a good choice because of their irish ties but then again with the right approach it could and should have been great. with caroline with her lack of people skills? NO, NO NO. she has no skills with people i can see.
I
Ambassadorship can be very difficult. I do not think she is qualified for that either.
In Britain its not about taking tea with the queen ,there are myriad security issues plus treaty obligations.
ireland wont do either because Ireland is very EU & that takes a lot of knowledge that I doubt CK has.
Has to be the Vatican.
Nope…Not the Vatican…Sheeeesh!I don’t think she should get anything…She is a currently bored mediochre rich woman of average intelligence and below averaqe politcal savvy with NOTHING to OFFER…Oh Brother!
ck is definItely qualified for either The Holy See or Italy. She could do a good impersonation of the horsehead in the Godfather..
I think there is something wrong with somebody who threw her own Senator under the bus to be wanting to take over her vacated seat. Has she even consulted with Hillary about the position yet? Talk about hostile takeover? There is just something hypocritical and wrong about her audacious move.
The Audacity of Hope.
well the kennedys want SOMETHING FOR THEIR SUPPORT. uncle ted is sinking i believe so caroline needs something now(according to them) so give her something where she can do the least damage. the pope doesn’t need or want her help. she can wear nice clothes and pose for pictures. that was my thought. caroline in my view will tire of all this hoopla because she is soooooooo PRIVATE don’t you know.
CK is one boring, inarticulate, inexperienced rich woman who suddenly decided to take her “place” in the family business. OK for her, not so good for New York. I think she’s a back-stabbing creep who sold her own Senator & brilliant candidate for Prez. down the river in order to garner brownie points w/Barky and get a nice pay-off gig. She was a cute little girl, but that hardly qualifies one to be Senator. I don’t think she should get any gig. Hillary earned the respect, Carolyn demands it. I think not.
Caroline is a symbol of the Camelot that could have been. She has played that role graciously her entire life.
As Susan said Gov. Paterson is in a bind. The Vatican would do nicely for Carline’s symbolistic skills, since Britain probably does not want her, and she doe not have enough knowledge/experience for Europe.
She might also do well as a Senior member of some UN Commission that get camera time, but does not require much knowledge.
Sorry – meant Caroline, not Carline.
She would have to live in Britain pretty much without her family; i don’t think she’d do it.