CAROLINE KENNEDY FOR THE SENATE

I'm not one who supports an oligarchy. The concept of the scion of some prominent family, using their name recognition to gain and retain political power is, I believe incompatible with our concept of "democracy". One has only to look to our out-going occupant of the White House to see the pitfalls our nation faces when we "misunderestimate" a father for a son. However, the practice of a political "family seat" is all too common in our local government. Even in our own town here in NY, a certain family--I'll name no names--has been in control of a certain government seat here for decades..it having been handed down from a long-serving relative to his close kin and with persistent and active attempts by the present seat-warmer for it to go on into the next generation. I object to the practice. Over those long years there were thousands of more qualified candidates who could have served, but did not have the chance because of this "inheritance" practice.

On this score, I take umbrage too, at the long-serving Senator Joe Biden..a typical pol. He has apparently been grooming his son for his own Senate seat for a long time. Apparently he was caught unprepared when he was chosen as VP by President-elect Obama, while his son was set to be posted off to Iraq. Now as he perpares to take on his capacity as VP, he has arranged for a "seat holder" to be appointed to his Delaware Senate seat, with the collusion of the state's politicians while his son is unavailable. What should the Delaware voters be thinking? Don't they have a say? When the young Biden returns from service, we can expect the people of Delaware--whatever their real wishes-- to face a near fait accompli...a new younger Biden in that seat. From my point of view such practices do not serve our democracy well. If Thomas Jefferson could have seen how his fledgelings democracy evolved over a few centuries into one with an inherited class of near-permanent politicians and as well, a professional army, Jefferson a student of the Roman Empire, would recognize the dangerous parallels and would spin in his grave.

Then there is the case of the present vacant seat in New York. The present occupant now the Secretary of State nominee had no first-hand political experience. Her only claim to fame was that she was the (abused and embarrassed) wife of the President, who as the tiular head of Democratic party could grease the skids for her. When a seat became available in New York the way was cleared, other candidates shunted aside, the money raised, the doors opened. She had to only sign on the dotted line to gain the nomination and in New York she was practically guaranteed election.

This takes us to the case of Ms Caroline Kennedy as a potential replacement for the seat of Senator Hillary Clinton. Though she bears the famous Kennedy name, this situation is not of the Biden or Clinton class, where a sitting relative cleared the path, opened the doors, brushed away the obstacles, raised the money and paid off the opponets for his kin-replacement. Ms Kennedy, though supported by her prominent family, has acted on her own. Aside from her sex Thomas Jefferson himserlf might have considered her a typical candidate. She is a well-educated (Harvard, MA, Columbia LLD) author/editor, lawyer, near native New Yorker, long-time activist in community affairs, progressive, affluent ($100 million plus), fifty-one-year-old private citizen who has a warm relationship with our new President and who happens to be the famous daughter of one of our most revered former presidents. To claim as some have that she is not qualified, is to state that no one in the Senate is. Certainly this woman is as well qualified--perhaps more so--than the previous occupant. As an actual New York resident she knows has pulse of the City and the State where she has lived most of her life. Just that fact would be a welcome change from the past occupant who had only visited the city as a tourist before becoming a Senatorial candidate..we used to call them carpetbaggers. In addition, Ms Kennedy actually seeks to serve her State..and seems to be not so possesed by a massive ambition (which diverted much of her effort) as was the case with the past occupant. She would be a breath of fresh air in the Senate where too often the long-time seat-warmers are hardened pols with their eyes focused only on the next election and a handout from powerful, well-monied interests. Ms Kennedy seems to me motivated by the simple urge to serve her State and her nation. I like that. Governor Patterson would be wise to nominate Ms Kennedy. I urge him to do so.

Update January 25, 2009
Well I was disappointed that Kennedy a smart, civic oriented, citizen didn't get Patterson's nod. I add here a comment piece by Maureen Dowd NYT today. It is very good. See:http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/opinion/25dowd.html