If Bill Clinton is willing to become a "caretaker" of his wife's senate seat, it's for one reason only, to keep Caroline Kennedy from getting it.
I suspected Hillary was out to punish Caroline Kennedy for supporting Barack Obama, instead of her, when questions of Caroline's competence became fodder for the liberal media, that favors the Clintons.
My suspicions deepened, when Hillary's favorite "attack dog," Geraldine Ferraro, took specific aim at Caroline's Senatorial aspirations, with a barrage of negatives.
Now a favorite Clinton strategy has been put into play. I call it the, if you can't beat them - pretend that you are them, strategy. She did it in her Presidential run against Barrack Obama, duplicating all things Barack, including his slogan. A shrewed attempt to reduce the competition to a question of identity politics, namely, since everything is equal, what style do you want it in, white female or black male . . .
If New York's Democratic governor, David Paterson, is impressed by the Kennedys, well then meet the Clintons. And if the Clinton name isn't enought to sway him, then he might want to consider the Clinton talent for recreating people in the press.
If Bill enters the race as a "caretaker," Senator, it changes the issue from selecting the best candidate to, select Bill to keep things fair, namely, let all of the competitors come out of the starting block at the same time, including Caroline.
However, the idea that it is fair for all of the contenders to participate in the election before accessing the position, is an illusion where Caroline Kennedy is concerned, because she's already been trashed. Almost 50% of Americans who, on their own would not have thought to question the competence of a highly educated, well connected socialite have, with the help of the media, concluded that she is incompetent. Besides that, her character has been impuned by the suggestion that she expects a free pass because of her lineage . . . Now she needs this appointment, in order to clear her name.
I've been watching television and reading magazines and newspapers for many years, and I've never observed a national and public discussion on the competence of a candidate for the Senate . . . Nor have I observed a similar discussion about the motives of a candidate because they belong to a famous family. Caroline Kennedy has been challenged regarding her competence and character, and now there's an initiative designed to deprive her of the opportunity to prove herself.
Hillary returned the money that Carolyn contributed to her campaign, after Caroline endorsed Barack Obama. That's tantamount to throwing down a gauntlet. It's a declaration of war! Remember, Hillary is a person who squeezed her opponent for money to pay debts she incurred, campaigning AGAINST him. So if she doesn't want Caroline's money, it's probably because she wants her jugular instead.
Regardless, Caroline must be holding her own, otherwise Hillary wouldn't have played her trump card - Bill . . . By doing so, she's practically made a public admission that she doesn't want Caroline Kennedy to get this appointment.
Caroline Kennedy is rich, and she's a socialite, but she's a whole lot more. She's a serious student of the Constitution, the guiding document of our nation, and she co-authored two books on the subject. She has the sensibility of a poet, having published two books of poetry, as well as another book, for a total of five published books. She's an attorney, and a prodigious fundraiser, raising more than than $240 million for The Fund for Public Schools; more than $70 million for an academy to train reform-minded principals; $2 million from a Central Park rock concert; a $51 million gift from Bill Gates' foundation. According to the School Chancellor, Joel Klein, "She's good in the room."
Kennedy presently serves New York as chairwoman, for The Fund for Public Schools; chief executive, for the New York City Department of Education Office of Strategic Partnerships; board member, for the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund.
She also served all of us by arranging her work around the noblest profession, parenting, delivering 2 of her children to college, and 1 to high school, before reaching for a professional involvement that will require all of her passion and attention.
Critics like Gary Ackerman, mock her as inexperienced, while his "experience" includes missing 80 of the votes for his constituency, and only making law out of 1 of the 107 bills he sponsored , earning the rating "poor."
The only criticism of Caroline that sticks is that she failed to vote in some elections. Something she did in response to candidates who she did not believe in. But when she found a candidate she could believe in, she took a leadership role in vetting Barack Obama's vice-president, through a seamless process that successfully paired Barack Obama with Joe Biden.
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