Maureen Dowd : Sweet on Caroline (Kennedy)

[WI_DEM]

People are suddenly awfully choosy about who gets to go to the former home of Jesse Helms, Strom Thurmond and Robert Torricelli.

Although Americans still have enough British in their genes to be drawn to dynasties, W. has no doubt soured the country on scions. And the camps of the other two New York dynasties — the Clintons (still bitter about Caroline’s endorsement of Obama) and the Cuomos (who’d like that Senate seat for Andrew) — have certainly done their best to undermine Caroline.

Congress, which abdicated its oversight role as the Bush crew wrecked the globe and the economy, desperately needs fresh faces and new perspectives, an infusion of class, intelligence and guts.

I know Caroline Kennedy. She’s smart, cultivated, serious and unpretentious. The Senate, shamefully sparse on profiles in courage during Dick Cheney’s reign of terror, would be lucky to get her.


Anyhow, it isn’t how you say it. It’s what you say. Hillary Clinton is a great talker, but she never stood up in the Senate to lead a crusade against any Republican horror show, from Terri Schiavo to the Bush administration’s dishonest push to war.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/opinion/07dowd.html

[VeraAgnes]

1. I want Caroline to also be the next

Senator from New York. Yes, I do.

[SuperTrouper]

22. I would love to have Caroline in the Senate. She is a great woman and I am not talking

out of nostalgia for Camelot. The Senate is a place where hard working Americans go to do the people's business. Unfortunately, in the past decades it has become a trampoline for prima donnas to enrich themselves and to pave the path for higher office. The egos in the Senate are out of control and they all seem to think they are Cicero, Kato or Pompeii Magnus. We are equally guilty in putting so much emphasis in the superficial...she is fat, he is bald, his suits are from Walmart, his hairdo, etc etc. Daniel Patrick Moynihan was flamboyant but at the same time he was humble, he was not a royal prima donna and was well liked in the Senate and got things done for New York. I love Hillary Clinton but really she had no crowning achievement for New York, although she only did one term and a half in the Senate. So, I hope that Sweet Caroline Kennedy gets to the Senate and I guarantee you that she will work her ass offto bring honor to that position.
So, who will be nominated for NY? The best candidate overall is Caroline Kennedy; her selection would be in the best interests of NY and not Gov. Paterson's. We will see if Governor Paterson puts his self-interest ahead of New York's and nominates Andrew Cuomo to remove him as competition for the NY nomination for Governor.

[galaxy21]

2. You can blame the Clinton's all you want, but Caroline didn't do herself any favours

With her 236 you knows, and getting snippy witht that new york times reporter for a perfectly normal question.

[WI_DEM]

5. She addresses that in her column:

that Hillary is a great talker and that Caroline does say a lot of "you knows", etc. But how come this has to be about Hillary?

[Captain Hilts]

3. I like Caroline, but wished she'd shown up to vote at least half the time and donated to the NYDems.

[galaxy21]

4. I think if Caroline wanted to get involved in politics it should have been years ago

I think she may have left it to late.

[WI_DEM]

6. So 51 year old people are too old to get involved in politics?

[galaxy21]

7. In Caroline's case maybe

It just seemed for the longest time she was the one Kennedy that didn't want to be involved in politics. And now, she's seemingly changed her mind, out of nowhere.

I think if she ever planned on being a senator, she maybe could have started doing the work for it a few years ago. At least then you could say, 'Governor Patterson should pick her, because she's been working towards a senate career and has experience.'

Its not that 51 is too old to get involved in poltics, but maybe its too old to just start getting involved at the high level she wants to get involved in.

[RaleighNCDUer]

18. Really? It seems to me that John Jr kept out of politics for a long

time, focusing on business and publishing and all. Then, when there is the first mention of him getting involved he winds up in a plane crash.

Maybe she has had good reason for holding back?

[galaxy21]

19. Seriously?

take off the tin foil hat, darling.

[Occam Bandage]

11. I think "zero years" is too little political experience to be appointed to the Senate.

If she were named Caroline Brown, and were the daughter of a patent lawyer in Manhattan, would anybody really give a shit about her?

[question everything]

8. Hillary Clinton asked whether there was an exit strategy and was put down

by the Dept. of Defense, for which, later, someone - Gates? - had to apologize.

And why do you think that Kennedy has the temperament to stand up and ask tough questions - of her friend Obama? - or to show any initiative to lead other senators? She will be, after all, the 100th in seniority - unless she beats the one from Illinois. And as we have seen just in the past few days, members of Congress like to remind even their new President, that they are the ones calling the sots.

[WI_DEM]

9. I don't think one way or the other this is a column by Maureen Dowd, ask her those questions.

[Maccagirl]

12. They like face time in front of the nearest camera

but they don't know jack about leadership. Hopefully Obama will take take them to school on that subject.

[karynnj]

17. She did that in late 2006! The point is that HRC was not a voice against what Bush was doing

until late 2006, when she was preparing to run for President. In fairness, there were few voices against Bush - but HRC was not among them - until he was immensely unpopular.

In 2006, she called for Rumsfeld's resignation - just 3 years later than Kerry, Dean and even Biden. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2006-08/04/content_657100.htm

A year later, in mid 2007, she sponsored legislation asking for an exit plan and contingency planning - it was sent to the SFRC and nothing happened.

S.1950
Title: A bill to require a report on contingency planning for the redeployment of United States forces from Iraq.
Sponsor: Sen Clinton, Hillary Rodham (introduced 8/2/2007) Cosponsors (7)
Latest Major Action: 8/2/2007 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Jump to: Summary, Major Actions, All Actions, Titles, Cosponsors, Committees, Related Bill Details, Amendments
SUMMARY AS OF:
8/2/2007--Introduced.

Directs the Secretary of Defense to report to Congress on contingency planning for the redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq. Requires the report to include: (1) specified elements; and (2) contingency planning for each of the specified scenarios.
MAJOR ACTIONS:

***NONE***

ALL ACTIONS:

8/2/2007:
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

TITLE(S): (italics indicate a title for a portion of a bill)

* OFFICIAL TITLE AS INTRODUCED:
A bill to require a report on contingency planning for the redeployment of United States forces from Iraq.

COSPONSORS(7), ALPHABETICAL : (Sort: by date)


Sen Bayh, Evan - 8/2/2007
Sen Boxer, Barbara - 8/2/2007
Sen Brown, Sherrod - 8/2/2007
Sen Dodd, Christopher J. - 8/2/2007
Sen Kerry, John F. - 8/2/2007
Sen Lautenberg, Frank R. - 8/2/2007
Sen Whitehouse, Sheldon - 8/2/2007

COMMITTEE(S):

Committee/Subcommittee: Activity:
Senate Foreign Relations Referral, In Committee

RELATED BILL DETAILS:

***NONE***

AMENDMENT(S):

***NONE***

[question everything]

21. Thanks for the treasure of data

still, in our system of checks and balances, Congress is expected to challenge the Executive Branch.

Since Kennedy entered politics through her friendship with Obama - he refers to her as "a dear friend" and many expect her to have a direct line to him, even though she will be 100th in seniority - does anyone expect her to stand up and lead the Senate in anything? Except, perhaps, in joining others for a full support of his policies?

[karynnj]

27. My guess is that "dear friend" is hyperbole

I also think it is very rare for ANY Freshman Senator to stand up and lead - in fact, the Senate to some degree doesn't allow it. Even very high profile Freshman don't lead much - HRC didn't in her first term - and she was as high profile as you get.

One rare instance was that Kerry, a few months after he entered the Senate led an investigation of Contra drug running - he was allowed to lead that effort by Senator Lugar, once he got a Republican on the SFRC to back him doing this (Jesse Helms, of all people). However, as soon as the case burst open and became high profile - the very junior Freshman Senator was excluded from the committee that did the public hearings - very badly. It was for lying to Kerry's committee that North and Abrams got into legal trouble.

[Beacool]

25. Yes, it was Gates who apologized to her.

Interesting that they now will be working together. Ain't life a mystery?

:eyes:

[Cha]

10. I read this off of buzzflash the other day..

knew it would 'cause a lot of griping on DU. I also got this on buzzflash..

"YouTube interview by fifth grader shows a caring and eloquent Caroline Kennedy"

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/01/04/2009-01-04_youtube_interview_by_fifth_grader_shows_.html

Left out a word.

[Occam Bandage]

13. She is quite capable of discussing issues on a fifth-grade level.

Perhaps she should run for class president.

[Cha]

16. That's just mean and so

beneath you. I know you don't like her for Senate.

[Beacool]

26. Oh, boy...........

:rofl:


:popcorn:

[Me.]

20. I Have Appreciated The Work Caroline & Her Family Has Done On Behalf Of The City

Usually quietly, under the radar. Her mother will always have a special place in my heart if for no other reason than the fact that she saved Grand Central from the wrecking ball. Up until now Caroline has followed her mother's example and worked quietly on behalf of the citizens of this city. I have long admired her work with the NYC school system. She is very influential, knows everyone and doesn't mind asking for money or help to benefit the public good. As a NYer I would consider her an asset and much prefer her to Cuomo.

[Cha]

23. Me, too, Me..

We'll see:)

[BeyondGeography]

14. Fucking MoDo...she shits all over strong Dems like Hillary and Obama and props up works-in-progress

like Caroline. Meantime, nothing turns her editorial light on like a chest-thumping Republican.

I wouldn't trust her "judgment" as far as I could smell it.

[question everything]

29. How else will she get many "hits" and comments

unless she writes something provocative?

[galaxy21]

15. I think a lot of people want her to get the senate seat so she can run for president

Which sounds a little ridiculous to me. She's not charismatic, not a good talker, and doesn't seem to have the strong, forceful personality one would need. I doubt she has a poltical career outside of New York, even if she does get the senate seat.

Also, the whole 'she's worth $400 million dollars' thing would leave her open to accusations of elitism.

[Beacool]

24. Oh goody, another MoDo column!!!

Ins't she great?.........Not!!! Once again sticking it to Hillary. What a nasty, bitter piece of work that woman is!!!!!!!

:puke:

[Retrograde]

28. "Although Americans still have enough British in their genes"

Maybe in your select little circle, Ms Dowd, but if you'd step away from the Beltway for a minute (or even open up your eyes inside it) you'd find the majority of Americans have NO British ancestry. I personally find this assumption offensive and indicative of little connection with (to borrow a Palinism) Real America (not that I have anything against Americans of British descent - some of my best friends are, as is the person I've been married to for 35 years, but they ceased being a majority over a century ago).

/rant_on_pet_peeve

The one person with a vote doesn't seen too enthusiastic about Kennedy at present.

[Metric System]

30. Wait! Stop the presses! MoDo is actually complimenting another woman?!? I am shocked.

[Phx_Dem]

31. I hope Caroline gets the seat. MoDow is a good person to

have on your side. I sure wouldn't want to be on her list. Her columns are BRUTAL to people she doesn't like, as the Clinton's and Bush's will attest.