Kennedy appointment could cost the Dems big time

December 18, 4:26 PMCongress ExaminerIgor Derysh

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Much like the Hillary Clinton who was able to win the New York Senate seat based on name value alone, Caroline Kennedy appears to be on the verge of being handed that same seat thanks to her last name.

If Governor David Paterson appoints Kennedy to the vacated seat of Secretary of State-delegate Hillary Clinton, New York would have their second consecutive Senator that had never held a single political office prior to the Senate.

The daughter of the late President John Kennedy and Jackie-O, who had steered clear of mainstream politics until her endorsement of now President-elect Barack Obama, now presents Governor Paterson with a choice between a Kennedy whose political portfolio encompasses little outside of sitting on boards of directors of organizations like the Commission on Presidential Debates and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund as well as being part of Obama's transition team and a New York Attorney General, Andrew Cuomo, who had previously served as a political consultant, head of a major New York non-profit organization, Chairman of the New York City Homeless Commission, and the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under Bill Clinton.

The problem with the possibility of a Kennedy appointment becomes, of course, the self-entitlement that goes along with the name. While I personally have nothing against "Sweet Caroline" personally, its a little ridiculous that after decades of steering clear of the public sector, New Yorkers now have to welcome her with open arms because a Kennedy has decided that she now wants in. To make matters worse, New Yorkers do not even get a vote, until the 2010 midterms anyway.

While at the onset of the speculation as to who would succeed Clinton in the Senate the calculated political choice of Andrew Cuomo was most likely, the media spotlight having fallen on Kennedy might force the struggling New York governor to make a risky choice that could cost the Democrats a New York Senate seat in 2010 as New York Congressman Peter King has already all but announced that he intends to run for the Senate seat.

With Paterson having just unveiled an incredibly unpopular nickel-and-dime fee and tax ridden budget for 2009, Paterson and New York Democrats need to watch their back. Nominating Caroline Kennedy to Clinton's Senate seat would not only be risky as New Yorkers have their reservations about the inexperienced daughter of the beloved American political family but such a move could further alienate the moderate Upstate New York residents further than they have been already prompting a strong Republican movement in upcoming Senate and Gubernatorial elections.

Not only does Paterson need to rethink the 2009 budget, he needs to do some serious soul searching as to he will appoint to the New York State delegation. A Kennedy pick would not only be a bad one as she brings no experience to the table, but a politically risky one that, piled on top of the Governor's unpopular moves, could end up with the both of them being voted out of office the first chance that New Yorkers get to cast a vote.