Will Obama Persuade Governor Patterson To Appoint Caroline Kennedy As Senator By Giving NY Money?

Obama doesn't owe Kennedy anything. And I don't think she would want to get the position because of any pressure from Obama. She certainly doesn't need the money or the hassle. I think she genuinely wants to be involved now that Obama is in office. If she isn't appointed, I don't think that it will upset her too much.

Persuade? LOL.

"But, to the rescue is President Elect Obama, who has said that he will try to get New York some of the money it needs so the fares won't go up so high and the roads in New York State can be fixed."

Reference? Link? Anything. Sure, we are not writing for the New York Times, but please, claims like that should be referenced or give a time, place, an exact quote at least.

Even in the hypothetical there is nothing unethical here. The governor would not benefit personally from aid to NY transit systems.

Carla, Alan and Dave, thanks for the comments.

Carla, I do believe that Obama owes her big time and he knows it. Before she supported him no one ever compared Obama to her father. Suddenly Caroline says that Obama reminds her of her father's politics and boom, the comparison is out there. Personally, I don't see any comparison.

Kennedy wants to be senator very badly. I don't know if you live in NY but if you did you would know how important it is for her to get this seat. The only way she would become senator is if she were appointed because many New Yorkers do not think she is qualified, which she isn't. She will be very disappointed if she doesn't get to be senator. She expects to get it, she's a Kennedy and Kennedy's get whatever they want.

Alan, what links do you want? Obama has offered money to NY for transit and roads in NYS. I doubt if this will happen if he didn't want Kennedy to become senator to pay her back for her help. Months ago Kennedy said she wanted to become NY's next senator. Experts gave her no chance and now suddenly, she at the top of the list.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/11/the_next_senator_from_new_york.html

Dave, I never said it was unethical like trying to sell a seat and Patterson keeping the money for himself but it would be unethical to the people of NY to appoint a senator who had no experience when there are so many others who would be a better senator. The Transit Authority needs the money if Kennedy becomes senator or not.

It might be stupid or misguided to appoint Kennedy if she is unqualified--but not unethical. I don't know much about other candidates but let's stipulate that there are those who better understand the needs of upstate New Yorkers and have experience in elective office and other qualifications. Then a "smarter" choice exists, and perhaps, New York loses if Kennedy is appointed.

But, beyond the potential transit system "pork" that NY might receive as a "thank you" for a Kennedy appointment, what if the Senate itself is a more effective body as a result of Kennedy's presence. Bills get passed that deal with infrastructure improvement and health care and education reform, that, in turn, benefit New Yorkers. In that "big picture" view the appointment might not look so bad.

Thanks for your perspective, Sharon. It's an interesting time in politics.

Sharon,

I canot believe that Obama is working hard to get Caroline appointed senator. She is eminently qualified based on her experiences, the work she has done and the organizations in which she has served. She has dedicated her life to public service and needs not the great wealth. Her interest would appear to be genuine and altruistic. I haven't memorized her qualifications but I have e seen them written out and they are rather impressive.

It is a state decision, not a national one and the fact that Obama may try to send certain monies to NYS for transit is in keeping with his promoting green jobs and can well be irrelevant to the senate appointment. He will be sending money for various projects to Idaho, what is the quid pro quo there? The same applies to most every state in the nation!

Dave and James, thanks for your comments.

James, Kennedy is far from qualified to become Senator. Just because she's done public service does not make her qualified. I'd rather a senator who has some background in politics and I don't mean having the "right" name.

And I do believe that Obama does want Kennedy as NY's next senator to thank her for working for him. She put the Kennedy name behind him and that helped him quite a bit.

NYC transit needs a lot of money and not for green jobs. The money is needed just to keep the subways running. As it is many lines are going to be cut drastically and many lines will be stopped.

The Transit Authority of NYC is not like Idaho, I would think. Subway fares will be going up along with tolls for bridges, tunnels, and highways. NYC is five different boroughs. Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island are separated from Manhattan and the Bronx and there is no way of getting to Manhattan where most of the jobs are unless you take a subway, an express bus, a bridge, and a tunnel.

Obama, I'm sure, whispered in Patterson's ear because Kennedy was last on the potential list to replace Clinton and suddenly she is first on the list.

Sharon,

The person you would personally like is a matter of choice for you and your right to so choose! The constitution lays down the rules on who is qualified and Caroline far exceeds these qualifications. Many senators have taken office with less experience and that's okay if that is what the person or persons doing the selecting want.

Who would make the "best" senator is a highly subjective opinion. I'll support totally your right to have a preference but don't discount anyone who is a citizen of the country and the state and is thirty years or older, because from there on it is strictly a matter of preference and personal opinion.

I wouldn't offer a guess as to who might make the best senator for New York. I have no preferences and could not care less whether Caroline is the person or someone else. It will be a democrat, we know. But I get amazed at the phony qualifications people put up as a requirement for candidates to any office when it is all a matter of personal preference. That is perfectly okay but don't try to sell it as something it is not!

Not being from New York, I really don't have a dog in that fight so my comment only reflects qualifications and not the person. I do understand how, if you are from New York, you might have strong feelings one way or another. But the constitution says she is eminently qualified and that is hard cold fact.

I really cannot believe that Obama has been "whispering" in anyone's ear concerning this as he has his plate very full and knows he will get a democrat anyway. I feel such a statement is both presumptuous and ridiculous. Some of his staff may have put in a word for someone they feel would make the best senator and that is political fair game.

No, New York is not like Idaho, it has many, many more people. Other than that, there is little difference. We have need for a large amount of additional public transportation here. And I would hazard the guess that descriptions fits places all over the US. Never forget that there is always quid pro quo of some type involved in all decisions a governor might make. And that is not a slap at any governor, they cannot be expected to appoint persons with whom they violently disagree.

Politics has changed little over the years since our founding and all these things have been prevalent since those days. Had the founding fathers had some idea of specific requirements for the office, they had every opportunity to write them in. They did not. They simply wanted citizen representation. If you feel that Caroline cannot represent the average citizen as well as someone else, that would be ground for a preference. It would scarcely disqualify her! BTW, I've not even heard that Caroline was first on the list, just that she is on it. And, she may well not get it, or she may. We'll see.

I appreciate your sharing your thoughts and opinions on this with me!