Caroline, No.

Caroline Kennedy last night withdrew from consideration to replace Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, just two months after rocking the New York political landscape by throwing her hat in the ring.
She confirmed the news publicly in a statement released shortly after midnight today - hours after The Post exclusively revealed her decision last night.

It’s not your fault, Princess. We blame Paterson. We blame a man who dragged his feet and ultimately stood athwart history denying you your rightful seat at one of the most exclusive clubs on the planet.

What his motivations were, we’re not sure, Princess. Was it some dubious nod to democracy in acknowledging that the New York Senate seat would not become another permanent Kennedy seat? Was he somehow implying that the rabble of Staten Island and Utica should have a say in representing them? Sheesh. If Paterson really is that far gone then there may not be hope for the rest us… and the rest of the Kennedy clan…and our representative republic as we know it.

Cheer up, Princess. We won’t stop fighting for you. Our efforts to see that you and others from prominent and politically-connected families won’t have to waste effort and hairspray on expensive, time-consuming and degrading processes like campaigns and elections. Elections….. like, ick.

To you, Princess.

Doing the Right Thing Pt. II

The contenders based their conclusion on the view that Paterson, after nearly two months of indecision, would "greatly embarrass" and "entirely humiliate" Kennedy, anger her prominent political family and even offend President-elect Barack Obama by picking someone other than President John F. Kennedy's daughter.

For the love of all that’s right in a democracy: patronage, political dynasties and kissing ass…. quit screwing around, Paterson and make this happen.

We’ve fought too hard for this to let you goon-up a golden opportunity to reward Princess for all those books she wrote and awards she presents.

(Kennedy family scion, Caroline Kennedy pictured on left)

Doing the right thing

Facing one of the most nail-biting choices since the presidential election, David Paterson, the New York governor, has been told he would be guilty of “political malpractice” if he named anyone other than Caroline Kennedy as the state’s new junior representative in the Senate.

Mr Paterson, under intense pressure from some of the country’s most powerful political dynasties as he ponders his decision, has sole discretion to appoint a replacement for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is moving to the state department in Barack Obama’s administration.

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It would appear that since that time that we and Princess’s house worker made compelling arguments for why she should be appointed to Hillary’s vacated Senate seat, the rest of the political establishment is starting to finally fall back in line on what should’ve been an obvious choice in the first place. Political dynasties are at stake, dammit!

Sources close to New York Governor, David Patterson, expect him to name Caroline Kennedy to the Senate seat in short order.

But in an odd twist, Patterson turns right around and appears to make a nod to… democracy:

Following continuing criticism of Kennedy, Paterson on Thursday threw down the gauntlet. Though Kennedy appears to be the front-runner to replace Clinton, Paterson said the next junior Senator from New York will have to win re-election on his or her own.

We’ll forgive Patterson that small gaffe in reference to the current practice of appointment-by-surname to this nation’s most exclusive political club as long as he does the right thing.

We’ve worked so hard for this... we can’t believe at long last it might actually become true.

Alone in the wilderness no longer

Our tireless campaign to see Princess appointed to the New York Senate seat has been an uphill and seemingly exclusive effort…. until now. We appear to have picked up an ally from a very unlikely corner of the blogosphere.

Buenos dias! I am Rosa. I twelve years work for Senora Caroline Kennedy and her family so I am write for you today to tell you why Senora Kennedy is make very very good senator for Nueva York. Senora Kennedy is very busy now with party menus so she tell me to write this when I am finish with floors and make the bed for guest wing. I am now finish so I write this.

Senora Kennedy is very very sad that television man say he no think she is make a good senator in Washington. This is not right for you to think this too because Senora Kennedy is make very good senator! Here is the reasons:

Read all about them, here.

She can see Jersey from her Manhattan apartment

Rather it is the aristocratic value system of most NY-DC journalists themselves who apparently still assume that old money, status, and an Ivy-League pedigree are reliable barometers of talent and sobriety, suggesting that the upper-East Side Kennedy's public ineptness is an aberration, a bad day, a minor distraction, while Palin's charisma and ease are superficial and a natural reflection of her Idaho sports journalism degree.

A few generations ago, Democrats would have opposed Palin but appreciated her blue-collar story, and applauded a working mom who out-politicked entrenched and richer male elites. But now the new aristocratic liberalism has adopted the values of the old silk-stocking Republicans of the 1950s—and so zombie-like worship rather than question entitlement.

We’re beginning to feel quite alone out here in the right-wing blogosphere regarding our endorsement of Caroline Kennedy’s ascension, er, appointment to Hillary Clinton’s vacated New York Senate Seat. (Shoot, even the East coast establishment is cracking back on her Senatorial bid).

As much as we hate to admit it we’re kind of with Kathleen Parker on this one. It’s not exactly like Kennedy is going to be one heart beat away from the Presidency or tasked with lugging around the “nuclear football”. She’s only going to be a Senator and have a listen below and ask yourself if she might just be overqualified for the job as she seems to possess the same “off teleprompter” skills as both the President and President-elect.



See? And back to the business of being a Senator – a member of an exclusive club - this august and deliberative body that is led by… Harry Reid. Harry Freaking Reid. Show up, punch the clock, vote “present” on the tough ones and vote with Uncle Ted on the others. This requires some sort of exhaustive resume' and comprehensive political skill set? Besides, the bar will not be raised very high for Princess to be party to an organization that is currently basking in an 18% approval rating.

And for those of you yammering about how all this violates some sacred democratic code of ethics regarding political dynasties, let’s just say that the Senate is currently the best case in point for illustrating how this nation is not a democracy after all but is becoming a fully formed representative-by-appointment-republic.

Quote of the Day and... a thrill running up someone else's leg?

"When you look at her, and you know what the Kennedy's are capable of and you know the family she comes from... think of the DNA."

That, from noted eugenicist and excitable former New York City mayor, Ed Koch on Caroline Kennedy's "listening tour" of upstate New York.

This country's supposed hostility to privilege, entitlement and above all else, nobility, remains just that, supposed - with some people, at least.

So, perhaps to better align the mayor's sentiments, we should put a new twist on an old phrase: "We talk like Jeffersonians but govern like Royalists."

Wondering how Warren Buffet feels about all this.

Tired of seemingly never-ending and wildly expensive election cycles? So are we – let’s just appoint our relatives.
Sincerely,
(D)The Senate

The Kennedy Clan, apparently not content with merely one legacy seat, will be seeking another as Caroline Kennedy has thrown her hat into the ring for consideration for Hillary Clinton’s vacated New York Senate seat. We were going to use this time to marvel at her burnished credentials as curator of her mother’s poetry writings and as award presenter but, you know, given the current state of our two federal legislative bodies and their actual accomplishments, credentials are obviously no indicator of future performance. So…. Welcome to the club, Caroline!

Caroline (on left) with person rumored to be the world's first face transplant recipient. (H/T: Jammie Wearing Fool)