Earlier this week, when Barack Obama named Susan Rice as U.N. Ambassador, it got me thinking that Caroline Kennedy might actually be named the next Senator from New York. That is the buzz according to Jonathan Karl at ABC:
Another Senator Kennedy? The crazy speculation about Hillary Clinton's Senate seat may not be so crazy after all. A Democrat who would know tells ABC News that New York governor David Paterson has talked to Caroline Kennedy about taking the seat, which was once held by her uncle, Robert F. Kennedy. It’s not exactly shocking that Paterson would reach out to one of the most highly respected public figures in New York, but this is: Sources say Kennedy is considering it, and has not ruled out coming to Washington to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate.This seems real. It could be a good political move for Governor Paterson. Rep. Nita Lowey would have been an obvious choice to replace Senator Clinton, but she took her name out of contention. Picking any other N.Y. House member would just get all the other members of the delegation irritated at Governor Paterson. I keep hearing Andrew Cuomo eventually wants to be Governor so the Senate would be a detour (and I doubt he'll challenge Paterson in a primary. That last gubernatorial primary didn't go so well for him.)
A few years ago, the famously private Caroline Kennedy would be the last Kennedy expected to serve in Congress, but of course, she took on a much more high-profile role during the presidential campaign and, if she does it, would be more than New York’s junior Senator; she’d have closer ties to the Obama White House than any of her colleagues, a direct line to the East Wing.
When Robert Kennedy, Jr. took himself out of the running for the seat earlier this week, he told Jonathan Hicks of the New York Times, “Caroline Kennedy would be the perfect choice if she would agree to it.” And one more thing: We hear that President-elect Obama has made it clear that he thinks Caroline Kennedy would be a great choice.
The Obama endorsement, if it happened, sure doesn't hurt.
