Lots of energy has been focused on filling Senate (and House) seats as President-elect Obama fills his cabinet positions, which has opened up several vacancies. Governor (perhaps soon to be ex-Governor) Blagojevich of Illinois certainly has gotten a good deal of notoriety in his "Senate Seat for Sale" attempts. And now New York State Governor David Paterson is in the mix as he decides between two competing "royal" clans - Caroline Kennedy vs. Andrew Cuomo (or perhaps someone not with a bloodline).
The question that begs to be answered - is there a better way?
While the actual procedures vary between states, in many cases the Governor can choose a replacement when a Senator leaves office (for House members, there is generally a special election). But how do they choose?
Well, we can pretty much be sure that Governor (did I say potentially ex-Governor) Blagojevich did it the wrong way. But even given honest-type Governors, isn't it likely that they would choose based on political expediency? How is Governor Paterson, for example, supposed to make the best choice? Is appointing someone really fair?
Granted, the New York Senate seat (to be vacated by Hillary Clinton as she takes on being Secretary of State) is a toss up between two political "celebrities" from families with long political lineages (Andrew's father is a former Governor). So (and assuming that Paterson actually picks one of them and not someone completely different), is this better than a special election?
I'm not sure it matters. A special election, like the one that might have to take place in Illinois, is run on very short notice. Since the availability of the seat is usually also at short notice, the person with the most name recognition value (i.e., celebrity) is likely to take the seat. Notice how all the talk is Kennedy vs Cuomo - where are all the other qualified candidates? And once in, the incumbent wins reelection something like 98% of the time.
What do you think?
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Comments: 62
I suppose my point is that the special election cycle is so short that it inevitably favors the "celebrity" name, whether they are more qualified or not. And being a "celebrity" doesn't necessarily preclude being the right person for the job.
Which begs the question, what exactly are the qualifications for a Senator? Most are lawyers, but there have also been doctors, scientists, farmers, Jimmy Stewart.
Elections cost municipalities a lot of money. Given the economy these days I think an appointment is in order.
As a New Yorker I want someone with some experience...like Cuomo, who is Attorney General...or a dozen other people who have actually served the city in some worthy capacity. No Carolines or Yoko Onos or worthless legislators like Chicago's Barack. Just good civil servants.
Most (but not all) Senators are lawyers, but both Cuomo and Kennedy are lawyers (and I'd like to know more about Edolphus Towns).
Obviously we differ on the value of Obama.
Mooch
That way we would know how much it is worth, the state Treasury would get the money instead of the pols, and six months would give all of the candidates a chance to campaign.
The cost a special election is small compared to what a political deal for the office would cost the voters in the long run. These decisions are too important to be left to the politicians.
Meet a long time friend of mine...Edolphus Towns:
"Edolphus "Ed" Towns (born July 21, 1934) is an American politician and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the 10th District of New York based in Brooklyn, and including such communities such as Fort Greene, Bedford Stuyvesant, Brownsville, Mill Basin, Cypress Hills, East New York, and Canarsie. A Democrat, he has served in the House since 1983. On December 10, 2008, the House Democratic Caucus formally elected Rep. Towns as Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
Towns was born in Chadbourn, North Carolina and earned his bachelor's degree from North Carolina A&T State University and a master's degree in social work from Adelphi University.
Towns' varied professional background includes work as an administrator at Beth Israel Medical Center, a professor at New York's Medgar Evers College and Fordham University and a public school teacher, teaching orientation and mobility to blind students. He is also a veteran of the United States Army and an ordained Baptist minister.
In the House, Towns is Chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. He also serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee and is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Towns is responsible for sponsoring, co-sponsoring or enacting several pieces of federal legislation, including the "Student Right To Know Act," which mandated the reporting of the rate of graduation among student athletes, creating the Telecommunications Development Fund, which provides capital for minority business initiatives, and the development of a federal program for poison control centers.
He has put particular emphasis on arguing in behalf of underserved Brooklyn communities, and has won recognition from several organizations for his efforts. The National Audubon Society has honored him for his efforts in fighting to secure federal funds for the restoration of Prospect Park, and Towns fought to have EPA testing in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks include neighborhoods outside of the borough of Manhattan.
In 2006, Towns faced Democratic primary challenges from Charles Barron-a controversial member of the New York City Council and staunch Sharpton ally-and Roger Green, a former member of the New York State Assembly, who has been convicted of stealing $3,000 in taxpayer dollars. He would go on to defeat both candidates by a plurality margin in the Democratic primary. As in past elections, Towns easily defeated his Republican and Conservative party opponents in the 2006 general election, receiving 92% of the vote.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Towns
http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=H2615103
True any special election tends to go towards the famous person nowadays...but maybe it is still better than something like Blagojevich tried to do. Honestly its probably fairly common practice to sell/trade favors for a seat like that but he was just a bit too vulgar about it. An election is probably the best method, at least there is a chance of someone decent running. Giving a seat to a Kennedy just because of the name is pretty sad.
But you make an excellent point. I'm not sure I've heard his name mentioned from anyone other than you. The "celebrity" factor would pretty much kill any chance he has in a special election as well as by appointment. There has to be a better way (notwithstanding eBay).
I think the Illinois seat will end up being a special election, just because Blagojevich has tainted anyone under consideration. I suppose that he could resign and the Lt. Governor make the pick, but even there I suspect the person will be tainted.
For NY I'm beginning to think it's six of one, half dozen of another. It seems only Cuomo and Kennedy are in the running now. If Paterson picks someone else, will it come back to haunt him when his term is up and he's running for reelection (keeping in mind he actually never was elected Governor in the first place)? Will he be willing to "make his own decision" at this point?
Interesting questions.
1. Interested candidates submit a resume with their credentials to a multi-partisan nominating committee consisting of an uneven number of people. The committee may include one or more knowledgeable, credentialed people outside the government. The positions of the people who would serve on this committee would have previously been designated in some way.
2. The committee vets the candidates and selects a designated number, perhaps six, for further consideration. Vetting may include interviewing some of the candidates.
3. The names and credentials of the selected candidates (nominees) are made public so that the public can give their input via the media.
4. The governor interviews and meets with all the nominees. Some members of the nominating committee attend each interview.
5. The governor selects the replacement senator.
6. The process takes three to four months.
All processes are transparent.
"Nydia Margarita Velázquez (born March 28, 1953) is a Puerto Rican American politician who has represented New York's 12th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives since 1993. She was the first Puerto Rican woman to be elected to Congress.
Velázquez, whose father worked the sugar cane fields, was one of nine siblings born in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico. She was raised with the influence of political dinner table conversations. Her father was a local political activist and, from a young age, she would accompany her father to political rallies. Her father would focus on the rights of sugar cane workers and denounce the abuse perpetrated by wealthy farmers.
After skipping a grade, she entered high school when she was 13. In high school she organized her classmates on a protest and the school was closed down. Their protest against the dangerous and unsanitary conditions of the school caused the necessary renovations to be made.
In 1969, when she was 16, she enrolled in the University of Puerto Rico (Universidad de Puerto Rico). In 1974 she graduated magna cum laude and became the first one in her family to receive a college diploma. She then went to New York City, where she attended and studied political science, on a scholarship, at New York University. In 1976 she received her Master's degree.
Velázquez was a university professor for many years, first in the University of Puerto Rico's Humacao branch (1976–81) and then at New York's Hunter College (1981–83).
In 1983, she was appointed Special Assistant to Representative Edolphus Towns (D-Brooklyn). In 1984, she became the first Latina appointed to serve as a member of the New York City Council. In 1986, she served as the Director of the Department of Puerto Rican Community Affairs of the U.S. During that time, she initiated a successful Latino empowerment program called "Atrevete" (dare to go for it).
In 1992, she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing New York's 12th District (map), and became the first female Puerto Rican member of Congress. The sprawling 12th district encompasses parts of Brooklyn, Queens and Lower Manhattan. It includes such neighborhoods as Ridgewood, Maspeth, and Woodside in Queens, Bushwick, Williamsburg, Red Hook, and Sunset Park in Brooklyn and part of Manhattan's Lower East Side. She also became the first Hispanic woman to serve as Ranking Democratic Member of the House Small Business Committee. She oversees federal programs and contracts totaling $200 billion dollars annually. She also serves on the House Financial Services Committee.
Her district is the only one in New York City that covers residential areas of three boroughs (Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan). Charles Rangel's district, the Manhattan-based 15th Congressional District, also includes parts of the Queens and The Bronx, but the district's only territory in The Bronx is the Riker's Island jail.
On September 29, 2008, Congresswoman Velázquez voted in favor of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. On November 19, 2008, Congresswoman Velázquez was elected by her peers in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) to lead the group for the 111th Congress.
In November, 2008, she emerged as a frontrunner to be appointed to the United States Senate by Governor David Paterson should New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton take a position in President-elect Barack Obama's cabinet.
On April 3, 2003, Velázquez was named "Hispanic Business Woman of the Year" by Hispanic Business Magazine, becoming the first woman to be named as such, in recognition of her national influence in both the political and business sectors.
Among her "firsts" are: the first Hispanic woman to serve on the New York City Council; the first Puerto Rican woman to serve in Congress; the first woman Ranking Democratic Member of the House Small Business Committee. Velázquez became first woman to chair the United States House Committee on Small Business in January 2007 and thus the first Hispanic woman to chair a House standing committee.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nydia_Vel%C3%A1zquez
As you can see I am guilty of pulling for my people...the folks down here on the ground. Ed and Nydia are my people...they've helped dozens of people that I have referred to them...be it jobs or housing or education, etc.
Celebrity? Well, they are known well enough. They will retain their' seat...the Democrat incumbent usually does.
1) 30 years old or older
2) Citizen of the US for at least the previous 9 years prior to election
3) Inhabitant of the state they wish to represent
Kind of scary the lack of qualifications, eh? :) Of course, I'm being cheeky, but it does illuminate the need for some criteria.
"Barack Obama's path to the presidency included beating what had been one of the nation's most powerful families. But, in an unusual twist, his election last month is helping accelerate the trend toward dynasty politics.
His secretary of state will be Hillary Clinton, the wife of the former president. The Senate seat she’ll vacate is being pursued by Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of a president and the niece of two senators. Joe Biden’s Senate seat may go to his son Beau. Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar, Obama’s pick for interior secretary, could end up being replaced by his brother, Rep. John Salazar.
And Obama’s own seat could go to the son of the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. – less likely now in light of developments in the Rod Blagojevich scandal – or to the daughter of Illinois’ current House speaker.
The U.S. Senate could end up looking like an American version of the House of Lords – and Republicans have begun to take notice.
“Democrats seem to lack a common man who can just win a good, old-fashioned election,” said Rep. Tom Reynolds (R-N.Y.), the former chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. “They’ve got seat-warmers, seat-sellers and the making of pillows for the seats of royalty. No wonder the public wonders what’s going on in Washington.”
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1208/16664.html
Dynasty? Than, Chelsea, is the rightful heir apparent.
Let Caroline fill Uncle Ted's seat...quite a feat in and of itself...Ted's health has not be the best of late and he should take it easy. He has served his' constituency well.
Andrew should try to defeat our' munchkin Mayor Bloomberg...he that would be king. Lol.
Interesting to look at the whole picture, right. In states with term limits, this could keep "select" people in office(s) ad infinitum.
The process seems long. Apparently if they opt for a special election in Illinois it will mean voting in March or so and that was seen as too much of a delay by some. Obviously in that short time the more well-known (celebrity) candidates would have a distinct advantage.
Interesting.
David, I would agree that this is probably the case.
I'm also not following the Irishman/Italian heritage logic. Paterson is neither of Irish or Italian heritage (as far as I know), so again, how much would he really care?
Ditto for the Hillary/Obama reference. Who is the "true American" vote, and why would whoever isn't the true American vote have favored Obama rather than Hillary Clinton, especially if political royalty and name recognition is such an important metric?
Actually, the facts surrounding John Kennedy's assassination are well known.
On the other note, however, it seems like she is getting a lot of press and very publicly running for the job. Is Andrew Cuomo actively pursuing it? I don't see any coverage of him.
I lie in New York and I haven't met anyone that can stand Sharpton. He might have a few racists that back him, but, that is not influence. No politician in New York would be caught cavorting with Sharpton. You have to also think of New York State (not just the City) in an election. Upstate New York...plus Queens, Nassau County, Suffolk County, Staten Island, most of Manhattan and Brooklyn would vote against anyone with anything to do with Sharpton.
It shows extreme lack of political savvy on the part of the Rip Van Winklesque Caroline. It's all the buzz around my neighborhood, which is 75% black...Sharpton is a pariah.
"It doesn't speak to a deep-felt commitment to the electoral process," Baruch College political scientist Doug Muzzio said when told of Kennedy's ballot breakdowns.
Records show Kennedy did not pull the lever for any of her fellow Democrats in city primary races for mayor in 1989, 1993 and 1997 and 2005, which Republicans went on to win three out of four times in the general election.
She was also AWOL for the primary and general elections in 1994, when Sen. Daniel Moynihan was running for reelection to the seat Kennedy hopes to hold.
Aides to Kennedy - who Thursday said she was running in part because this is no time to "sit out" - conceded Thursday night that at times the daughter of former President John F. Kennedy has done just that.
Most of the time, she voted, aides said. A review by The News found that of the 38 contested elections since 1988, Kennedy skipped about half, almost all of them primaries.
...Thursday, Kennedy went to Harlem for a soul-food sitdown with the Rev. Al Sharpton, who, ironically, was Moynihan's Democratic opponent in 1994.
...Inside, the two shared a lunch of grilled chicken and collard greens at the same table where Sharpton and Obama had dined in November 2007 - a meeting that was key to his presidential win, Sharpton joked with Kennedy.
"If she believes that," Sharpton quipped, "then I got some other things I can sell her in Harlem."
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2008/12/18/2008-12-18_records_show_caroline_kennedy_failed_to_.html?ref=nl&nltr_ct=1&nltr_id=Caroline%20Kennedy's%20voting%20record%20proves%20spotty
Even Al jokes about his' lack of influence.
Felix - But it seems like Sharpton is in the middle of everything. Frankly I can't shake my memory of the old Tawana Brawley thing.
"You have to also think of New York State (not just the City) in an election."
I agree with you there. Hillary Clinton did her "listening tour" upstate when she was running for Senator (and even did one while she was still First Lady). Caroline Kennedy seems to have done something similar this week, though I only caught part of it.
Which of course begs the question of why should she be appointed Senator when she only recently has taken an interest in politics? The Governor of New York State should be taking that into consideration when he makes his selection. He may find her pedigree overrides her lack of previous political ambition, assuming he believes she is capable of doing the job. Or he may not. Seems he won't do anything until Hillary is formally confirmed by the Senate for Secretary of State (which seems likely). So there is time for the hype to die down enough for him to make an informed decision in which he won't feel he's been pressured by public opinion into the decision. Given that he wasn't elected to his position himself, I'm pretty sure he's thinking about what impact this will have when he has to run for reelection himself.
than that other election that happened in Nov ...