To quote Roy Edroso in Village Voice piece (12/19),

“If Kennedy is pushed through, and we increasingly expect she will be, she will ascend unclothed with qualifications, with only the support of the powerful and a relative lack of ill-will from the inattentive local electorate to recommend her.”

(Source: New York – Caroline Kennedy FTW? Complaints Grow, But CK Stays On Track – Runnin’ Scared – Village Voice)

Her main work qualification, if this is indeed a qualification, seems to be having worked 3 days a week as director of strategic partnerships for the New York City schools for less than two years. She also worked on boards for various non-profit organizations, raising millions of dollars for some causes. Given this background and being part of the Kennedy clan, it seems these are hardly the necessary and sufficient qualifications for a senate seat. Clearly, if appointed to the senate seat, it will be because of her political connections.
It might be noted that Fran Drescher, a likeable movie star, also wants the senate seat. She is attractive and has an appealing personality. Like Caroline, she has a nice smile and seems congenial. She feels she is as qualified as Caroline. And perhaps she is. But why not find a person for the seat who has more to offer than an appealing personality and political connections, someone who has at least held a public office and earned broad recognition as a good hard working public servant?
As for the governor allegedly trying to auction off Obama’s senate seat to the highest bidder, this is blatant unlawful behavior. Backroom political dealing gone wild. We all know backroom deals go on all the time, but usually the quid pro quo is a little more subtle and private. This gives rise to the old saying, “It’s not what you do, it’s what you get caught doing.” The arrogant governor has really cooked his goose, and it seems unlikely that in the future he could be elected to become the local dog catcher. You can’t just keep runnng cavalierly through stop signs and expect not to get caught. But, as they say, legally, he is innocent until proven guilty. In the public’s mind as depicted on talk shows and scandal sheets, and comedy shows, he seems to have already been convicted beyond a reasonable doubt. Will he be impeached, is he holding off resigning because he is trying to force a deal to escape incarceration? Well, we’ll keep tuned in to see.

We will also probably be suspicious of what are the quid pro quos underlying whoever is appointed to both senate seats. After the Illinois Governor fiasco, the backroom deals will probably be a bit more opaque.

Caroline Kennedy has shunned the public (or rather ordinary folks and the press) for years and now she wants Hillary’s Senate seat handed to her on a silver platter? Because she’s a Kennedy and a lame one at that, even by their standards. RFK, Jr. is so much more qualified than that tea-party diva. But his downside with the powers that be is, he endorsed Hillary. Well, welcome to American Politics 101. The old-style, Clinton, work-your-heart-out politics is sooo passè. The only requirements for acceptance into the club now are:

1) Family name
2) Who you know (Dean, Pelosi, Reid, Barky)
3) MONEY

Pre-ordained politicians is the new “hopey-changey.” Earning and working your way up is out. I firmly believe that this is all in the master plan. The Kennedy’s helped Barky so the Senate seat is Caroline’s. Then in a few months, Barky will ask Hillary to resign and the Washington elite (aka Kennedy’s) will have achieved what they set out to do years ago. Eliminate the Clintons. And run Caroline against Palin in 2012 or ’16.

Just got my new voter’s registration card in and the word “Democrat” isn’t on it. I will only vote Democrat if the “D” is preceeded by CLINTON. The rest of them can kiss my a&&.

Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin are supported because they’ve EARNED support. They’ve worked, sweated and suffered for respect and success. They didn’t rely on name recognition or “pedigree” to get where they are.

Caroline Kennedy CAN’T say the same. And until she can, she gets NO respect nor support from me.

Face it, our journalists are a bunch of snobs who can’t stand it when people from uncool places like Arkansas or Alaska outshine them. They are perfectly willing to overlook flaws of people from the in crowd. This, not ideology or principle, is the source of their bias. Just like high school except it ruins our democracy.

Absolutely!

The Clintons of the political world make the Obamas, Kerrys and other politicians and journalists with “pedigrees” look like the incompetent, talentless losers they are. They know it. And it makes them sick.

Rich