[SpyRemo]

December 18, 2008

Bloomberg declines to endorse Kennedy
Posted: 02:22 PM ET




New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg,
pictured here in a 2004 file photo with Caroline Kennedy,
has refused to back Kennedy in her bid
for a New York Senate seat.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg declined Thursday to endorse Caroline Kennedy as Hillary Clinton’s successor, but added that he knows “exactly” who should be the next senator to represent his state.

But he wouldn’t give a name.

Bloomberg did praise Kennedy saying that “she’s very competent” and “she’s done a lot for New York City,” but added that he is not in the position to publicly endorse any prospective replacement for Clinton, who is President-elect Barack Obama’s designate for Secretary of State.

“I should stay out of the race, personally,” Bloomberg said during an appearance on ABC’s ‘The View.’

“It’s not my call. If it were my call to pick somebody, I know exactly …,” added Bloomberg, who was immediately asked “Would you pick her?”

“I can’t tell you, because then I’d be getting involved,” Bloomberg responded.

Kevin Sheekey, Bloomberg’s deputy mayor, is supporting Kennedy’s bid to be appointed to the seat by New York Gov. David Paterson.

Bloomberg also noted that Paterson is “lucky to have a number of different candidates” to consider for the seat.


– CNN Producer Shirley Zilberstein contributed to this report.



© 2008 Cable News Network LP, LLLP. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved.

[Sertvfdnhgjk]

Caroline Kennedy through the years

Title, Captions, and Photographic Assembly are courtesy of







Associated Press

Caroline Kennedy peeks over the shoulder of
her father during a piggyback ride at the Kennedy
residence in Hyannis Port, Mass. It was a brief break
from a tough campaign schedule for
Sen. John F. Kennedy. (November 9, 1960)
Richard Avedon / White House

Caroline Kennedy, 3, kisses her newborn
baby brother, John F. Kennedy Jr., in 1961
in Palm Beach, Fla.


Associated Press

President Kennedy and family pose outside the
Palm Beach, Fla., home of the president's father after
a private Easter service on April 14, 1963. From left
are First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, John Jr., 3, the
president and Caroline, 5. (April 14, 1963)
Associated Press

Three-year-old John F. Kennedy Jr. salutes
his father's casket in Washington on
Nov. 25, 1963, three days after the president
was assassinated in Dallas. Jacqueline Kennedy,
center, and daughter Caroline are accompanied
by the late president's brothers Sen. Edward
Kennedy, left, and Atty. Gen. Robert Kennedy.
(November 25, 1963)


Associated Press

From left, Caroline Kennedy, John F. Kennedy Jr.
and Jackie Kennedy stand during dedication
ceremonies for the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Library
in Boston in October 1979. (October 20, 1979)
Associated Press

Bride Caroline Kennedy, right, chats with her cousin
and matron of honor, Maria Shriver, center, during her
wedding in Centerville, Mass., July 19, 1986. Their uncle,
Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., is at left. Caroline and
her uncle's relationship is deeply rooted not only in the
emotion of their current lives, but in the memory of the
father she lost and the brother he has tried to stand in
for since 1963.


Jim Bourg / Reuters

Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg and John F. Kennedy Jr., seen in this file photo
at a May 1997 event at the John F. Kennedy Presidential
Library in Boston.
Gary Hershorn / Reuters

Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, with John Jr.
at left, kneels to kiss her mother's coffin
following graveside services for Jacqueline
Kennedy Onassis in May 1994.


Lynsey Addario / Associated Press

Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, son Jack and her husband, Edwin
Schlossberg, leave their New York apartment en route to a
Mass to remember her brother, John F. Kennedy Jr.,
and his wife, who were killed July 16, 1999,
in a plane crash. (July 23, 1999)
Charles Rex Arbogast / Associated Press

Then-Democratic presidential candidate
Barack Obama shares a moment with Caroline
Kennedy before addressing supporters at a rally
in Scranton, Pa. (April 20, 2008)

[Koayrbzh]

She would bring a great dignity to the seat. Intellectually, she is brilliant. She is an expert and advocate for the rights of privacy. She knows all the players and certainly has the demeanor. I do hope that she gets it. She would be one of a few Senators that could make morally compelling arguments to Obama, who is hell bent on getting bigoted right-wingers into his tent at the expense of the old Democratic Party base.

[boiffrona]

N.Y. / Region


Aide to Senator Kennedy Is Said to Make Contacts
on Ms. Kennedy’s Behalf


Ruby Washington/The New York Times

Caroline Kennedy had lunch in Manhattan with Randi Weingarten,
head of the teachers’ union.

By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE
Published: December 19, 2008


A longtime aide to Senator Edward M. Kennedy has reached out to labor officials in Washington in an effort to help Caroline Kennedy in her bid to be appointed United States senator from New York.

The aide, Michael Myers, is the staff director of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, which has wide jurisdiction over workplace regulations and other issues important to unions. While Ms. Kennedy and Senator Kennedy, her uncle, are extremely close and speak almost every day, the senator appears to have steered clear so far of lobbying directly on his niece’s behalf.

Several people familiar with Mr. Myers’s efforts said he had contacted the Washington officials to gather the names of their union counterparts in New York, to help Ms. Kennedy’s political team arrange meetings with them, as well as to sound them out about Ms. Kennedy.

Ms. Kennedy has asked Gov. David A. Paterson to consider appointing her to the seat that Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, who has been nominated to be secretary of state, is expected to vacate next year.

“I think the senator is very much engaged, and those are the relationships he has,” said Stephen McInnis, political director of the New York City District Council of Carpenters, referring to the international unions Mr. Myers has contacted. The council’s top official, Michael J. Ford, spoke with Ms. Kennedy recently, he said, and planned to meet with her soon.

Mr. McInnis said, “We don’t want to interfere with the governor’s process. For all intents and purposes, she’s on the short list. We’d be happy with anyone on the short list.”

Mr. McInnis and others said Mr. Myers had not pressured the unions to endorse or support Ms. Kennedy. But other union officials noted that Mr. Kennedy had been such an energetic champion of the labor movement, and was so respected within it, that any call from Mr. Myers would carry great weight.

“I think they know enough to know that in New York, you will need the support of labor. And there is no one who is a bigger friend of labor than Ted Kennedy,” one senior labor official in New York said.

At least one call appeared to concern critical comments made about Ms. Kennedy by Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. Mr. Appelbaum is also close to two other top contenders for Mrs. Clinton’s seat, Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo and Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, and issued a lengthy statement last week questioning whether Ms. Kennedy had the experience to be a senator.

Mr. Appelbaum said he was called this week by officials at the United Food and Commercial Workers, his union’s parent organization. “They said that Senator Kennedy’s office had called them at the beginning of this week, asking about me, and why I was saying these things,” Mr. Appelbaum said.

“I didn’t interpret it as a threat,” Mr. Appelbaum added. “I was surprised that they would call to ask about me rather than calling me directly. I also believe that Caroline Kennedy has to speak directly about why she wants to be the senator, and not leave it to others to speak on her behalf.”

Mr. Myers did not respond to an e-mail message requesting comment. In a statement, Anthony Coley, a spokesman for Senator Kennedy, declined to respond directly when asked whether Mr. Myers had made any calls to labor leaders to discuss Ms. Kennedy.

“Senator Kennedy has neither called any labor leaders to discuss Governor Paterson’s appointment nor directed his staff to do so,” Mr. Coley said in a statement.

Unlike nearly every other person aspiring to the Senate job, Ms. Kennedy has never held elective office. Nor, despite her celebrity, did she have many prior connections to the state’s Democratic political establishment.

But she has moved aggressively recently to build such ties, meeting on Wednesday with local officials in upstate New York and maintaining a frenetic schedule of private discussions with politicians and labor officials in New York on Thursday and Friday.

On Friday morning, Ms. Kennedy had breakfast with Gary La Barbera and Edward J. Malloy, two officials at the New York City Central Labor Council. Later in the day, she had lunch with Randi Weingarten, the head of the city’s teachers’ union, who has also been mentioned as a possible replacement for Mrs. Clinton.

Ms. Kennedy also received the endorsement of Vito Lopez, an influential Brooklyn assemblyman who is the chairman of the borough’s Democratic organization.

Besides enjoying the imprimatur of her uncle, Ms. Kennedy is close to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. One of Mr. Bloomberg’s top deputies, Kevin Sheekey, is intimately involved in Ms. Kennedy’s bid and in recent days has called some of the city’s labor leaders on Ms. Kennedy’s behalf, telling at least one that her selection to the Senate seat is all but inevitable and that they should lend her their support.

Ms. Kennedy’s campaigning has set off an urgent debate among those in labor circles in New York, many of whom are reluctant to abandon longtime allies like Ms. Maloney and Mr. Cuomo, but believe Ms. Kennedy is favored for the Senate appointment. Under state law, the only vote she needs is that of Mr. Paterson, who has sole power to fill a Senate vacancy.

Steven Greenhouse and David M. Halbfinger contributed reporting.



Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company

[Inonanialry]

N.Y. / Region


“It’s got to be a very frustrating and even painful process” [...referring to Mr. Cuomo’s position] “In a campaign, you would know what to do. But it’s unclear what the rules are here. And that just adds to the frustration.”

Assemblyman John J. McEneny,
Albany Democrat

Kennedy Brand Leaves Cuomo Feeling Stymied


Nathaniel Brooks for The New York Times

Andrew Cuomo, New York’s attorney general, has been restrained in his effort
to gain the seat held by Hillary Rodham Clinton.

By DANNY HAKIM and RAYMOND HERNANDEZ
Published: December 19, 2008


ALBANY — As Caroline Kennedy embarked on a tour of upstate New York this week, camera crews and reporters in tow, the state’s attorney general, Andrew M. Cuomo, was announcing a $2.7 million settlement with the operator of an illegal dump in Lackawanna.

Ms. Kennedy ended up on the cable television networks, in national newspapers and on blogs everywhere. Mr. Cuomo got a story in The Buffalo News.

Since he returned to the state capital two years ago, Mr. Cuomo, son of a former governor, has thrown himself into his job, tackling issues large and small. And he has softened the in-your-face style that earned him enemies years ago.

So when it became clear that the Senate seat held by Hillary Rodham Clinton would become open, Mr. Cuomo restrained himself from overt campaigning and retreated to the background. That left the stage to Ms. Kennedy, who has marched out front and become the candidate everyone is talking about — and the favorite for the appointment.

That, friends say, has left Mr. Cuomo feeling outfoxed and frustrated. “It’s driving him crazy,” said one confidant of Mr. Cuomo’s, who spoke to the attorney general about the Senate seat this week. “He’s boxed in. He can’t do anything except fume, and he is fuming.”

Assemblyman John J. McEneny, an Albany Democrat and a longtime observer of New York politics, suggested the process was especially vexing to Mr. Cuomo because it was not clear how aggressive those under consideration by the governor should be.

“It’s got to be a very frustrating and even painful process,” he said, referring to Mr. Cuomo’s position. “In a campaign, you would know what to do. But it’s unclear what the rules are here. And that just adds to the frustration.”

Gov. David A. Paterson, who will make the appointment, has said that he and Mr. Cuomo have discussed the position, but will not say more, and Mr. Cuomo has been circumspect in public.

“We had this conversation,” Mr. Cuomo told a reporter in the capital this week. “The decision is up to the governor.”

Mr. Cuomo’s aides insist that he has not asked for the job and is content as attorney general. He has plenty on his plate, including possibly involving his office in the federal case against the financier Bernard L. Madoff.

As for the Senate seat, people with knowledge of his thinking say Mr. Cuomo believes Ms. Kennedy’s public bid opened the door for him to campaign for it. While he has not ruled the job out, he has decided not to embark on a public campaign, they said.

“He’s happy doing what he’s doing," one top aide to Mr. Cuomo said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the process.

The situation is especially tricky for Mr. Cuomo, 51, a one-time boy wonder who began his political career in his 20s as a top adviser to his father, Mario M. Cuomo, and became a cabinet secretary under President Bill Clinton before the age of 40.

His ambitions and his brazenness have sometimes landed him in trouble, especially in 2002, when he alienated the black political establishment by running for governor rather than backing the bid of the state comptroller, H. Carl McCall, who would have been New York’s first black chief executive. Mr. Cuomo was forced to bow out to avoid a humiliating defeat.

But since being elected attorney general in 2006, he has won high praise for his diligence and emphasis on populist issues, and has mended fences within the Democratic establishment.

In recent days, as Ms. Kennedy has continued her high-profile meetings with mayors, union officials and other political leaders, the mood inside the Cuomo camp is increasingly somber, said several close associates of Mr. Cuomo’s — though a top aide disputed such characterizations.

“The frustration is that he could have leveraged the Cuomo name and pushed his way into the process,” said the associate, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he did not want to antagonize Mr. Cuomo. “But out of respect for the process he did not do that. Then you have someone who has not done the trench work that Andrew has in New York leverage her name to get the appointment.”

That measured strategy may have backfired, leaving Mr. Cuomo’s supporters with little to do other than watch to see whether Ms. Kennedy somehow stumbles.

Among the political class, Ms. Kennedy’s directness — along with her celebrity — is clearly helping her gain momentum. On Friday, for example, Assemblyman Vito J. Lopez, chairman of the Kings County Democratic Party, endorsed Ms. Kennedy after meeting with her, praising her as personable and knowledgeable, and vowing to gather support for her.

While Ms. Kennedy appears to be everywhere, even offering a shaky rendition of “Jingle Bells” at a Queens Democratic holiday party Thursday night, Mr. Lopez said he heard only silence from the Cuomo camp.

“I don’t think that strategy works,” Mr. Lopez said. “If a potential candidate is interested, it is imperative that they step up and activate their campaign.”

Meanwhile, some of the state’s most powerful labor groups say that unless they receive a signal from Mr. Cuomo, they are moving to openly endorse the daughter of the late president and niece of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, a longtime ally of the unions.

Of course, this is a contest with an electorate of one, and it is not clear whether a public campaign or low-profile approach will suit Mr. Paterson. The governor has stressed that no decision has been made yet, and he does not plan to make the appointment until Mrs. Clinton is confirmed as secretary of state, which is expected next month.

And Mr. Cuomo, whom polls show New Yorkers would prefer for the job, has points in his favor. He has run and won statewide, is familiar with the New York’s vast political geography and has avoided the scandal that has plagued other elected state officials over the past several years. Further, by picking him, Mr. Paterson would remove a potential future rival from his path.

Mr. Cuomo has faced another difficulty as this drama has unfolded: He went through an especially messy divorce five years ago from Kerry Kennedy, a cousin of Caroline’s, and his ex-wife has been outspoken and visible in backing Ms. Kennedy’s bid.

Asked about Ms. Kennedy’s qualifications this week, he said he had “a very high opinion of Caroline Kennedy, I’ve known her a long time.”

“In terms of qualifications for this position and selection for this position,” he added, “that’s up to the governor.”

Nicholas Confessore contributed reporting.



Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company

[Britfunclubs]

Nepotism NY style as clans vie for seat


By GLENN THRUSH & HARRY SIEGEL
12/20/08 8:08 PM EST



Photo: Composite image by Politico.com

The appointment of the New York Senate seat
has become a struggle among political dynasties, with the
question being which family ends up on top.

The appointment of the New York Senate seat Hillary Clinton will shortly vacate has become a struggle among political dynasties, with the question being which family ends up on top.

It involves no fewer than five intertwined political clans of varied national and regional standing-the Clintons, the Kennedys, the Cuomos, the Patersons and the Suozzis, with cameo appearances by the Ickes and the Rutnik-Gillibrand families.

As the clans clash and collude to fill the soon-to-be vacant seat, the frontrunner to replace the former first lady appears to be Caroline Kennedy, the former first daughter with an unexceptional resume and a low public profile prior to her campaign work for Barack Obama earlier this year.

On the other hand, her name is pretty much everywhere in New York, ranging from the international airport named after her father to the Triboro Bridge, which was recently renamed for uncle Bobby, once the state's junior senator.

That's just one example of the tangling of plotlines with bloodlines. …

Into this already volatile mix comes Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the state's best-known environmentalist, who so disdains Cuomo that he flirted with a 2006 run against his former brother-in-law for the then-open attorney general seat, and has now become perhaps the most vociferous backer of his cousin Caroline's candidacy.

"Incestuous, intermarrying with one another to take over the crown and consolidate power," is how one Nassau pol described the Kennedy-Cuomo relationship.

The man solely responsible for appointing the new senator is, of course, Gov. David Paterson, son of former New York Secretary of State and Harlem power broker Basil Paterson who replaced disgraced ex-Gov. Eliot Spitzer, the son of politically wired, mega-developer Bernie Spitzer, whose net worth is estimated at $500 million.

Another potential Clinton replacement is Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, son of Judge Joseph Suozzi, a supporter of the Kennedys for decades, and a name partner at Meyer, Suozzi, English and Klein, where another partner is – you guessed it – Paterson the Elder, whose clients include many of the state’s most politically potent unions.

And who's quietly pushing Suozzi to Democrats all around the state? None other than Hillary Clinton's top consigliere Harold Ickes, himself the son of FDR's interior secretary, and one of Basil Paterson's best friends.

Then there's Upstate Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, a moderate Democrat who was said to be an early Schumer favorite. Unlike Kennedy, she changed the name she used professionally, so she has no obvious family name to speak of. But her father happens to be Douglas Rutnik, one of the state's most powerful lobbyists.

The quiet, if intense, palace struggle for Clinton's seat evokes nothing so much as a 16th-century power struggle among Florentine families, only without the dagger thrusts, poisoned figs and vicious, allegorical frescoes. …

One Albany Democrat blames the rise of the dynasties on the slow death of New York's despised old Tammany machine, which allotted power on the basis of loyalty and venality, not on birth and marriage certificates.

"The political organizations. created a bench for offices," the person said. "Now, you have political families looking like Rome after Caesar. Just in the Bronx you've got Espadas, Diazes, Riveras, and sons and daughters coming up all over the state owing to the decline and decay of political organizations. In the [Al] Smith era [of the 1920s], when someone was in line to go up, someone else was on the bench for their old position. Now the talent is depleted." …

Yet even if Kennedy prevails, an anti-nepotism and -privilege backlash, spurred on by the sour economy and resentment at rich-kid and filial entitlements, the latter embodied by Bloomberg's hard push to stretch the city's term limits, could eventually sweep away the dynasties.

To get in the game before that happens, Kennedy greased the skids for her campaign for the appointment by hiring the well-connected consulting firm run by Josh Isay, a former chief of staff to Sen. Chuck Schumer, which many view as an implicit acceptance, if not endorsement of her bid, by the state's senior senator. ...

Oh, and professional provocateur Al Sharpton, with whom Kennedy just had a high-profile Kabuki lunch, is also a client. …



© 2008 Capitol News Company LLC

[w4WBthjv]

N.Y. / Region

Kennedy Offers Hints of a Platform, and a Few Surprises


By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE
Published: December 20, 2008


ALBANY — In just a few days, Caroline Kennedy’s bid to replace Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton has acquired nearly all the trappings of a traditional New York statewide campaign: a bevy of consultants, a tour of upstate cities and television cameras tracking her every move.

Now Ms. Kennedy has added something else to the list: a platform — of sorts.

Ms. Kennedy has not yet given a substantial interview to any publication and at recent appearances has declined to answer more than a few questions from reporters. But on Saturday, Ms. Kennedy’s spokesman provided written answers to 15 questions posed by The New York Times.

Most of the answers were brief, and some did not fully address the questions. Taken together, they cover only a small slice of the broad array of issues, from the parochial to the profound, that any New York senator is expected to confront. But as Ms. Kennedy seeks to convince Gov. David A. Paterson that she deserves the seat being vacated by Mrs. Clinton, the answers — drafted by Ms. Kennedy and her staff — provide a glimpse of her political ideology.

In most respects, Ms. Kennedy’s answers described views similar to those of other New York Democrats, including New York’s senior senator, Charles E. Schumer, and Mrs. Clinton. But she appears to support same-sex marriage, a significant difference between herself and Mrs. Clinton as well as president-elect Barack Obama, whose endorsement by Ms. Kennedy was a watershed event in the presidential race.



Bebeto Matthews/Associated Press

Caroline Kennedy visited Harlem on Thursday. She has been largely silent about
details of her political views until Saturday.

“Caroline supports full equality and marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples,” the statement said.

On social issues, Ms. Kennedy appears to oppose restrictions on abortion rights, including laws that would require young women to notify a parent before obtaining an abortion. But asked if she would support any state or federal restrictions on late-term abortions, Ms. Kennedy did not directly address issues like so-called partial birth abortion, instead simply offering an endorsement of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision in 1973.

“It’s a politician’s answer, and it doesn’t really tell you very much,” said Jack M. Balkin, a professor at Yale Law School.

She appears to share mainstream Democratic views on most labor issues. Ms. Kennedy supports federal legislation, known as the “card check” bill, that would make it easier for unions to organize, the highest priority for the labor movement. She expressed some concern about what she described as “unintended, negative consequences” of the North American Free Trade Agreement, but stopped short of saying that it should be modified.

Ms. Kennedy also said she supported the auto industry bailout bill passed by the House and widely supported in parts of upstate New York that are home to auto-parts manufacturers.

She did not provide answers about other issues that may prove more controversial. Ms. Kennedy did not say whether she supports a cap on local property taxes in New York, something that has sharply divided Democrats and Republicans in Albany. And she did not say whether she supports raising state or federal income taxes for the rich to help balance the budget and pay for government programs.

In her responses, Ms. Kennedy expressed strong support for Israel and said an undivided Jerusalem must be the country’s national capital.

In responses issued on Saturday to written questions from two other publications, Politico.com and The Buffalo News, Ms. Kennedy said she opposed the Bush administration’s decision to invade Iraq and “supports President-elect Obama’s plan to work with our military leaders to begin a responsible withdrawal.”

But Ms. Kennedy did not answer a question from Politico about whether she would support a Democratic candidate for mayor during the 2009 elections or supported Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s controversial but successful effort to alter New York City’s term-limits law to allow him to run for a third term.

Ms. Kennedy’s Senate effort has been managed by Josh Isay, a consultant to Mr. Bloomberg, who won his first term as a Republican and is now an independent. And she is also being aided by Kevin Sheekey, one of Mr. Bloomberg’s top deputies.

This lack of an answer could provoke Democratic officials in New York, many of whom had little relationship with Ms. Kennedy until she undertook a whirlwind tour of meetings this week, and some of whom will expect her to back the party’s nominees in general elections.

“As the last Democratic nominee, I would be very upset by a response like that,” said Fernando Ferrer, the Democratic nominee for mayor in 2005. “I don’t know if this is a disqualifying nonanswer, but it certainly doesn’t make Democrats comfortable.”

Mr. Ferrer noted that politicians were expected to back their party’s nominees in general elections, though some Democrats broke ranks to endorse Mr. Bloomberg in 2005.“I assume she would want Democratic support if she won a primary, and I presume she wanted Senator Clinton to support Senator Obama in the presidential race when it became clear that Senator Clinton did not have the delegate votes.”

A spokesman for the state Democratic Party, Carly Lindauer, said in a statement: “The mission of the New York State Democratic Committee is to help elect Democrats, at all levels, across the state. We hope that as a member of the party, the next senator would share that commitment and work with us to achieve our goals.”

In her responses, Ms. Kennedy said she opposed school vouchers but supported charter schools and Mr. Bloomberg’s efforts to maintain mayoral control of city schools.

In response to a question about whether she would favor modifying the school-governance law — which must be renewed by state lawmakers in the months ahead — Ms. Kennedy’s statement said: “She is always open to new ideas on how to make the law better so long as they don’t prevent the mayor from taking the actions he thinks are appropriate and for which he will be held accountable.”

On illegal immigration, Ms. Kennedy supported a position promoted by her uncle, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, backing a so-called path to citizenship for the undocumented.

“Caroline believes all undocumented workers should be required to legalize their presence in the United States and that we must create a way for them to do so,” according to her statement. “Undocumented workers should pay a fine, learn English and go to the back of the line behind those who came here legally.”

In her responses to The New York Times, Ms. Kennedy described herself as a “strong supporter” of gun control. In her responses to The Buffalo News, Ms. Kennedy added that she wanted to restore the federal ban on assault weapons that expired in 2004. Both positions are likely to find more favor in New York City and its suburbs than upstate.

Ultimately, however, Ms. Kennedy must satisfy only a single voter: Mr. Paterson, who has sole discretion over who to appoint to Mrs. Clinton’s seat.



Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company

[goldeneggs]

She's No Jack Kennedy
Why Caroline Kennedy shouldn't be New York's next senator.


By Richard Bradley
Updated Monday, Dec. 8, 2008, at 7:41 PM ET



Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images.

Caroline Kennedy

I can't imagine Caroline Kennedy campaigning for the job of U.S. senator through traditional methods: shaking hands outside factory gates on a cold winter morning, granting interviews to reporters other than sycophantic morning-show hosts, explaining and defending her positions on the issues of the day. Just as she's never shown any enthusiasm for public office, so Kennedy has never shown much interest in the things candidates have to do to get elected.

Which is why Hillary Clinton's Senate seat may be perfect for Kennedy. Under the most widely discussed scenario, New York Gov. David Paterson would name Kennedy to replace Clinton, who is resigning to become secretary of state. Kennedy would become senator simply by doing something at which she has long excelled: working the phones with powerful people who take her calls because of her last name. And though such talents aren't irrelevant to a senator's job—and though Kennedy has long experience fulfilling ceremonial obligations, another senatorial duty—they are far from sufficient. Sometimes a senator has to get her hands dirty.

Disclosure: My view of Kennedy is shaped by personal experience. Before my book American Son, about working with John Kennedy Jr. at George magazine, was published in 2002, surrogates of Caroline tried to prevent its publication. They failed, but it was ugly stuff. If Caroline Kennedy didn't know the specifics of their efforts—which ranged from threatening my original publisher to planting negative stories about me in the media—she certainly knew of their existence. How do I know? Because I told her, in letters to which she never responded. (By contrast, I corresponded with Sen. Ted Kennedy's office several times, with his aides informing him of the book's progress, and before it was published they asked for advance copies.)

Still, my lack of enthusiasm at the prospect of Sen. Caroline Kennedy is more than personal. (In fact, the toughness I encountered would probably serve her well on Capitol Hill.) In several important ways, she's also considerably less suited for public office than the two senators who currently represent New York, Clinton and Charles Schumer.

Unlike Clinton and Schumer, Kennedy has always seemed more interested in avoiding public issues than engaging them. As an adult, she has tended to work at jobs that didn't require her to work all that hard and didn't require her to mingle with ordinary people. She has a law degree but does not practice law, instead co-writing two books about important Supreme Court cases. The books were typical of Kennedy: high-minded, earnest, but distant, as if she never really wanted to take a position on something relevant to the events and debates of the day. More recently she has published books on more domestic matters, such as A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children and The Best-Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

In a recent column, Michael Wolff tells a story about Kennedy catching wind of a New York Post inquiry about the alleged misbehavior of one of her children. So, Wolff writes, Kennedy called an aide to Rupert Murdoch, and the Post's owner had the story killed. In turn, Kennedy wrote a letter of recommendation for Murdoch's daughter to Brearley, an exclusive private school in Manhattan. Of course, Kennedy is the caretaker of the family legacy and a mother. So in that sense her actions are understandable. But would she ever risk damaging her image on behalf of the public?

She received lavish praise when, in 2002, she joined New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein in his efforts to improve the city's public schools. Yet her work with the city's schools was limited to part-time fundraising. No one has said anything bad about her participation—there's not much upside to criticizing Caroline Kennedy—but then, if you work at a hedge fund and Kennedy calls you in the middle of a bull market to ask for money, are you really going to say no?

As a Kennedy, Caroline can hardly shirk public service. But her commitment to it has always seemed essentially ceremonial. When she was 9, she broke a bottle to help christen the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy. As an adult, she was the honorary chair of the American Ballet Theater and founder of the Profiles in Courage Award, given out by Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. She balanced New York society parties with a devotion to preserving the family memory. Otherwise, she has largely hid herself from public life.

You can't blame her for her reticence—it's her life, after all. But the truth is that Kennedy has ventured into the public arena as little as possible, and when she has, she has endeavored to dictate the terms. Perhaps now, with her brother dead and her Uncle Ted extremely ill—and her children of college age—Kennedy is changing her mind. But can she change her patterns of behavior?

Again I should disclose a personal bias. Of the two children of John F. Kennedy, John Jr. always struck me as the one destined to run for office. He had an affinity for it. John enjoyed meeting regular people far more than he liked palling around with the rich and famous. Caroline is a Democrat, but not a democrat. John lived in Tribeca when Tribeca was still counterculture; Caroline lives on Park Avenue. John rode the subway frequently and happily. Caroline, not so much. John started a magazine whose intention was to popularize politics. Caroline was about the only one of John's relatives who didn't at some point appear in its pages. I could see John having a beer with those factory workers. Caroline would look for some hand sanitizer.

She'll probably have the same response to this column—which is one reason that, despite all the buzz, I find it hard to believe that Caroline Kennedy actually wants to become a senator. (I'm not exactly Walter Winchell.) Maybe Uncle Ted is pressuring her to continue the family place in the Senate. Maybe she's convinced herself that she does want the job. Regardless, she wouldn't be good at it, and she shouldn't get it.



2008 Washington Post.Newsweek Interactive Co. LLC

[EasyLOAD]

^ Personal vendetta?

[HQTheodore]

Very possible.

Please note the disclaimer / disclosure, which only hints at the amount of animosity generated by Richard Bradley when his "expose" / smear of JFK Jr., "American Son", was published:


Disclosure: My view of Kennedy is shaped by personal experience. ...
my book American Son, about working with John Kennedy Jr. at George magazine, was published in 2002 ...

[catarleriarly]

NY Times published fake letter from Paris mayor

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Times says it published a fake letter purportedly from the mayor of Paris criticizing Caroline Kennedy's bid for a U.S. Senate seat as "appalling" and "not very democratic."

In a note posted Monday on its Web site, the Times said the letter signed by Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe was a fake and should not have been published because it violated the paper's standards and procedures for publishing signed letters.

Says the newspaper: "We have already expressed our regrets to Mr. Delanoe's office and we are now doing the same to you, our readers."

News of the hoax was first reported by France-Amerique, which published its story on its Web site Monday.

[Casyimipist]

I realize she is intellectually competent, but I just do not see where she has the props for the job. To date, her public service record has been largely ceremonial except in the area of fundraising. The two books she is credited with having authored are actually co-authored leading me to wonder just how much input she really had. Sorry, but while her politics are acceptable she strikes me as being intellectually lazy and decidedly unaccomplished.

I am kind of surprised the Suffolk County Exec Levy has not been mentioned as a possible candidate. He has done a great job in Suffolk especially in rooting out the corruption specifically in Brookhaven. Politically, he I beleive he was instrumental in turning the county from red to blue.

I would also like to hear more from Andrew Cuomo. I realize he pissed a lot of people off when he ran against McCall, but I thought he did good work in the Clinton cabinet and with the Attny General job.

[stadiaKab]

N.Y. / Region

“Any true Democrat loves Caroline Kennedy,” said Thomas R. Suozzi, the Nassau County executive, who has said he is also interested in the Senate appointment. “I think the way that her handlers and strategists are pushing her and trying to box in the governor is damaging the reputation of someone that we all care about.”

Resistance to Kennedy Grows Among Democrats


By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE
Published: December 23, 2008


ALBANY — Resistance is emerging among Democratic officials against Caroline Kennedy as she pursues Hillary Rodham Clinton’s seat in the United States Senate, with Gov. David A. Paterson bristling over suggestions that her selection is inevitable, according to his advisers, and other leading Democrats concerned that she is too beholden to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.

The governor is frustrated and chagrined, the advisers said, because he believes that he extended Ms. Kennedy the chance to demonstrate her qualifications but that her operatives have exploited the opportunity to convey a sense that she is all but appointed already. He views this as an attempt to box him in, the advisers said.

“You have people going around saying, ‘Oh yeah, it’s a done deal,’ ” said one of the advisers, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the selection process and did not want to anger the governor. “The quickest way to not get something you want is to step into somebody’s face.”

The governor’s frustration follows reports last week that Kevin Sheekey, a top deputy to Mr. Bloomberg who has been advising Ms. Kennedy, had called a labor leader and told him that Ms. Kennedy was going to be senator, “so get on board now,” and that a member of Senator Edward M. Kennedy’s staff was helping Ms. Kennedy reach out to unions.

It was not clear on Tuesday whether the governor’s reaction would seriously damage Ms. Kennedy’s chances to win the appointment or if it merely reflected Mr. Paterson’s desire to regain control of the selection process after Ms. Kennedy’s very public political debut.

But Ms. Kennedy’s ties to Mr. Bloomberg’s political team and her waffling over whether she would support a Democrat in next year’s mayoral race appear to be angering some Democrats. On Tuesday, Sheldon Silver, the Assembly speaker, became the most senior elected official in the state to say that that Mr. Paterson should not select Ms. Kennedy to the Senate seat.

“If I were the governor, I would look and question whether this is the appointment I would want to make, whether her first obligation might be to the mayor of the City of New York rather than the governor who would be appointing her," Mr. Silver said during an interview on WGDJ, an Albany radio station.

Mr. Silver has long had a testy relationship with Mr. Bloomberg, fueled by battles over mayoral initiatives like congestion pricing.

A spokeswoman for Ms. Kennedy declined to comment. Ms. Kennedy’s advisers, speaking anonymously because they did not want to inflame the situation further, rejected any suggestion that they had portrayed her selection as inevitable and insisted that they had been respectful of the governor’s desire for a decorous selection process.

The criticism over her bid has also frustrated those advisers, who feel that Ms. Kennedy has been whiplashed by assertions that she is at once protected and presumptuous.

Both the governor and Ms. Kennedy’s advisers appear to have been thrown, in part, by Ms. Kennedy’s overwhelming personal celebrity.

Ms. Kennedy made dozens of calls to elected officials and other leaders to build interest in her candidacy, and many of those with whom she spoke call her thoughtful and self-effacing.

But her refusal to say over the weekend whether she would back a Democratic candidate next year, when Mr. Bloomberg will seek re-election as an independent, set off intense reaction among some in the party.

A follow-up statement — in which her spokesman, Stefan Friedman, said that Ms. Kennedy “fully intends to support the Democratic nominee” — did not assuage those concerns.

Moreover, her ties to Mr. Bloomberg’s operatives have aroused suspicions among Democrats and labor officials that she would be beholden to the mayor. Ms. Kennedy hired the consulting firm Knickerbocker S.K.D., which includes Mr. Bloomberg as one of its biggest clients.

Those suspicions appeared to be compounded by a comment Mr. Bloomberg made on Monday defending Ms. Kennedy and suggesting that, though the choice was Mr. Paterson’s, the governor should move quickly to select a replacement for Mrs. Clinton, who is expected to be confirmed next month as secretary of state.

“We didn’t tell him to hurry up on term limits,” said another Paterson adviser, referring to Mr. Bloomberg’s move this fall in which he marshaled votes on the City Council to nullify a city referendum so that he could run for another term.

In a conference call on Tuesday, Mr. Paterson, who was traveling, declined to address Mr. Silver’s or Mr. Bloomberg’s comments. But he reiterated that he had made no selection and would not do so until Mrs. Clinton was confirmed.

“What I’m trying to keep away from is lobbying, coercion and distracting information,” he said. He added later: “I don’t feel rushed by any of this process. I have said from the very beginning what I thought the right way to do this would be.”

Mr. Silver also praised several other potential appointees to the Senate seat, including Andrew M. Cuomo, the attorney general. Should Mr. Paterson pick Mr. Cuomo, the Legislature would be responsible for choosing his successor, and Mr. Silver would have by far the most influence over that choice.

A spokesman for Mr. Silver declined to say whether the speaker had consulted with Mr. Paterson before speaking publicly about Ms. Kennedy.

Even some of Ms. Kennedy’s potential rivals for the seat expressed some sympathy for her quandary.

“Any true Democrat loves Caroline Kennedy,” said Thomas R. Suozzi, the Nassau County executive, who has said he is also interested in the Senate appointment. “I think the way that her handlers and strategists are pushing her and trying to box in the governor is damaging the reputation of someone that we all care about.”



Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company

[bQXHsKzS]

Quality Air Time For Israel And Paterson


By Glenn Thrush
Dec 22, 2008



Courtesy newsday; inserter by Zephyr

(The Politico) The NY Post's Albany czar Fred Dicker adds an obvious, but important element to reports over the weekend that Steve Israel took Gov. David Paterson on his surprise Codel to Iraq.

Apparently – gasp – the pair whiled away their marathon trek with talk about the Senate seat.

Dicker:

"The governor will be talking to Steve about his interest in the Senate, and you could say this gives Steve Israel a leg up on Caroline," said a source close to Paterson.

Dicker's intel has been especially good lately, although the "leg up" deal is not consistent with what we've been hearing -- or what Israel himself has been telling friends.

Then again, Paterson insiders have continue to push back on the notion that anyone, even Caroline, is a frontrunner. And the governor, known for a sly sense of humor, is developing a wicked habit of toying with reporters' breathless speculations.

The Long Island rep, known as one of the best fundraisers in the New York delegation and a canny operative, has played it cool up to this point, content to be mentioned among the top four candidates, along with Kennedy, AG Andrew Cuomo and Upstate Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand.

Even if Israel doesn't whisper a word about the seat to Paterson, the invite was clever: Paterson's most glaring re-election weakness is Upstate -- and he will almost certainly meet with soldiers from that region, perhaps even the Army’s 10th Mountain Division, whose operations base is Fort Drum.

Queens Rep. Anthony Weiner, who may run against Michael Bloomberg next year, is also headed to the combat zone.



© 2008, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved

[ingeneensueva]

December 26, 2008
Caroline Kennedy dismisses comparison to J-Lo


(CNN) — In a Friday interview, Caroline Kennedy downplayed a comparison Rep. Gary Ackerman made last weekend between the prospective senator and another famous New Yorker, Jennifer Lopez.

“I admire the journey that J-Lo has traveled,” Kennedy told NY1. “I’ve been to a school in the Bronx pretty near the house that she grew up in, and so I actually have a lot of admiration for her, and she looks pretty good, but in terms of public policy and how we’ve spent our adult lives, I don’t think there’s really that much that we have in common.”

Kennedy pointed to her ties to President-elect Barack Obama as one of the strengths she would bring to the job. “And I think that I have relationships in Washington that I would like to put to work to benefit the people of New York,” she said. “You know I ran, helped run the vice presidential search process for Barack Obama. I have a good working relationship with him, and I know… people in Washington, and I want to be able to be part of the team that uses all my relationships.”

She said her mother “loved campaigning,” and would have been very proud of her decision to run for office.

“And so, I know people have a lot of opinions about our family, people in our family — good opinions, bad opinions — that’s something that I’ve grown up with,” she said. “But I can tell you that in our family, in my family in particular I think, there was a sense that we have to work twice as hard, because people have this perception…we are fortunate. But I think that’s a question of ‘what do you do with that opportunity?’”

As Kennedy steps up her public campaign, some officials, like New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, have expressed impatience with the pace of the process. But Gov. David Paterson said this week that some of his critics could be creating an atmosphere that was delaying a resolution — and that he would not be rushed into a decision.


© 2008 Cable News Network LP, LLLP. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved.

[DoterrFor]

Mr. Israel seems to be a guy who first views the USA from a militaristic perspective. He wouldn't be my first choice.

... Steve Israel took Gov. David Paterson on his surprise Codel to Iraq ... the pair whiled away their marathon trek with talk about the Senate seat.

... The governor will be talking to Steve about his interest in the Senate, and you could say this gives Steve Israel a leg up on Caroline ...

The Long Island rep, known as one of the best fundraisers in the New York delegation and a canny operative, has played it cool up to this point, content to be mentioned among the top four candidates, along with Kennedy, AG Andrew Cuomo and Upstate Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand.

Steven Israel (born May 30, 1958) is an American politician from the state of New York, currently representing the state's 2nd congressional district, in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Israel was born in Brooklyn, New York and graduated from Nassau Community College, and The George Washington University. He was elected to the town board in Huntington, New York in 1993.

He lives in Dix Hills with his wife, Marlene Budd, who had served on the Huntington Town council before being elected as a county Family Court judge last year. Israel has two daughters, ages 21 and 18 ...

After Rick Lazio left his House seat to run for the United States Senate in 2000, Israel was elected to the House of Representatives as a Democrat. Israel received 48% of the vote ...

Israel represents the New York's 2nd congressional district, located on Long Island, which includes the towns of Huntington, Babylon, Islip, and Smithtown in Suffolk County and part of the town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County ...

Newsday called Israel "rookie of the year" in his first term and later identified him as one of eight "rising stars" nationally.

In his first term, Israel passed more new measures in the House than any other freshman Democrat ...

In his second term, Israel was tapped for a leadership position as Assistant Whip. He is one of only two New York Members of Congress to serve on the House Armed Services Committee ...

In his third term, Israel was appointed to chair the House Democratic Caucus Task Force on Defense and Military, a group of 15 Members of Congress who will outreach to the defense community and advise the House Democratic Leadership on military policy. In 2006, Israel harshly criticized Jimmy Carter for his book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid and at the same time criticized the Palestinian government.

In his four terms in Congress, Rep. Israel has secured more that $83 million in federal appropriations to strengthen and expand Long Island’s economy. He has also spent $100 million in defense contracts; $14 million in road improvements; $2.5 million in health and education grants; and $14.5 million in environmental protections. He has also secured over $2 million in back-pay benefits for LI's veterans.

In his fourth term in Congress, Israel was appointed to the prestigious Appropriations committee ...

Israel received a "C" on the Drum Major Institute's 2005 Congressional Scorecard on middle-class issues ...

[asSexate]

"rookie of the year"

[bubborn]

Page last updated at 11:44 GMT, Tuesday, 30 December 2008

Caroline Kennedy fails to impress


Caroline Kennedy wants to become a New York senator

Caroline Kennedy's latest attempt to press her case to be the replacement for Hillary Clinton as a senator for New York has been widely criticised in the US media.

Ms Kennedy - daughter of former President John F Kennedy - broke weeks of silence on her bid, by giving a series of interviews at the weekend.

But she was criticised for being unknowledgeable on key policy areas, being unable to articulate why she was seeking public office for the first time - and even for possessing a verbal tic.

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Under the headline "Caroline Kennedy no whiz with words", the New York Daily News mimicked Ms Kennedy's speech pattern during the round of interviews.

"Caroline Kennedy, you know, might need, you know, a speech coach, um, if she, you know, wants, um, to be a senator," the paper said.

Totting up the number of "verbal tics" during its 30-minute interview, the paper counted "you know" more than 200 times... and added that "'um' was fairly constant, too".

Asked if President George W Bush's tax cuts on the wealthy should be repealed immediately, Ms Kennedy replied: "Well, you know, that's something, obviously, that, you know, in principle and in the campaign, you know, I think that, um, the tax cuts, you know, were expiring and needed to be repealed," the paper reported.

It consulted experts to give their opinion on her speaking manner. One said it was not necessarily an indication of weakness or doubt, just inexperience. Another advised her to get coaching, to pause more often, and "to listen to her father".

Columnist Michael Goodwin wrote: "The wheels of the bandwagon are coming off. Fantasy is giving way to inescapable truth. That truth is that Kennedy is not ready for the job and doesn't deserve it. Somebody who loves her should tell her."

NEW YORK POST

The New York Post also counted up the number of times Ms Kennedy said "you know" during its interview - 235 times in 41 minutes - "which works out to saying the phrase once every 10.5 seconds," it said.

The speech expert it consulted described it as a "very, very common" verbal tic called a "vocalized pause," and said it was a "Kennedyism" as demonstrated by her uncle.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Associated Press said "Kennedy offered no excuses for why she failed to vote in a number of elections since registering in New York City in 1988".

"I was really surprised and dismayed by my voting record," she told AP. "I'm glad it's been brought to my attention."

AP reported that "since word of her interest leaked out in early December, Kennedy has faced sometimes sharp criticism that she cut in line ahead of politicians with more experience and has acted as if she were entitled to it because of her political lineage".

In response, Ms Kennedy said: "Anybody who knows me knows I haven't really lived that way. And I think that in my family, I come into this thinking I have to work twice as hard as anybody else. Nobody's entitled to anything, certainly not me."

NEW YORK TIMES

"[Ms Kennedy] still seemed less like a candidate than an idea of one: forceful but vague, largely undefined and seemingly determined to remain that way," the paper said.

"She provided only the broadest of rationales for her candidacy for the Senate, saying her experience as a mother, author and school fund-raiser, her commitment to public service and her deep political connections had prepared her for the job."

The Times said Ms Kennedy spoke "knowledgeably about education issues".

But the paper added: "... She said she hoped to be a consensus-builder, and declined to describe her positions on other pressing public issues - even in education, where she has some expertise. Ms. Kennedy would not say, for example, whether she supported proposals to abolish tenure for teachers and offer them merit pay instead."

Ms Kennedy "seemed irritated" when asked to describe the moment she decided to seek the Senate seat. She said "she couldn't recall", the article said.

"Have you guys ever thought about writing for, like, a woman's magazine or something?" she asked the Times reporters. "I thought you were the crack political team."

HUFFINGTON POST

Huffington Post writer Diane Tucker gave her take on the emphasis other media were placing on Ms Kennedy's speech patterns.

"The real reason her interview is riddled with 'you knows' is because she mocked the two Times reporters halfway through the interview.

"Rookie mistake, Caroline! You gotta play nice in the media sandbox. Good manners are important. ...No one ever says 'you know' in my interviews for HuffPost. We edit that garbage out. I'm sure Kennedy won't make that mistake twice. After all, she went to Harvard."

Tucker adds: "We Americans are a kind-hearted people, and we have always felt deeply sorry for her loss. Couldn't we make it up to Kennedy by gifting her a Senate seat? Wouldn't that be nice?

"Never mind that she's made it perfectly clear over the years that she really isn't into politics. Never mind that there are hundreds of New Yorkers with more experience. If Prince Charles is entitled to be King, then by golly Caroline Kennedy is entitled to be Senator."

SALON

Salon's Joan Walsh writes: "Overall, [Kennedy] was slippery, and regrettably, because I admire her, I came away with the feeling that she views her single best credential for the Senate seat as her celebrity, and, secondarily, her wealth."

Regarding Ms Kennedy's comment to the New York Times journalists about writing for women's magazines, Walsh wrote: "I've written for women's magazines, and I can anticipate people who might object to that remark as condescending, but I thought it was smart and funny: it captured the traditional media's growing infatuation with the telling sappy anecdote over important discussions of policy - even, sadly, at the New York Times."

[Giselle]

At the moment, the upside of Kennedy is her name, which would be a positive as a senator.

There's no record at all in which to evaluate political competency. If this were an election, you'd at least have a campaign to consider.

But this is a political appointment to an office with a constituency much broader than a Congressional District. She would represent a state, and be one of only 100 people that shape national policy.

I'd be OK with it if it was a Rep appointment. She would immediately qualify if measured against some of the idiots now occupying the House.

[intisgunkas]

I'm sorry, but as a New Yorker, I am sick and tired of politicos who have all the money in the world but have no clue what it is like to be a middle class or working class resident of this city.

Caroline Kennedy is 1000% out of touch with the normal folks, just like Bloomberg and all his cronies and other representatives of New York.

Asked if President George W Bush's tax cuts on the wealthy should be repealed immediately, Ms Kennedy replied: "Well, you know, that's something, obviously, that, you know, in principle and in the campaign, you know, I think that, um, the tax cuts, you know, were expiring and needed to be repealed," the paper reported.

OF COURSE SHE CAN'T FORM A COHERENT OPINION ABOUT THIS.

She is rich.

She would never want the tax cuts on the wealthy repealed.

Come on New York... let's find someone who can represent the interests of the PEOPLE. You know, those that still get up every day to work for a living.

I am soooo done with all of this. Politics is such a game. It's so depressing.