Caroline Kennedy: Paying to Play

The media has been focusing on the Rod Blagojevich scandal with all the zeal of a torch-wielding mob, but they fail to acknowledge that the dirty pay to play model demonstrated in Chicago is a microcosm of the political world. Everyone pays for everything, and only the wealthy can buy access to power.

New York can offer two other examples of paying to play with Senator Chuck Schumer, and the legacy candidate gunning to fill Hillary Clinton's vacated seat, Caroline Kennedy.

Blagojevich's swear-laced scheming was crude, super illegal, and what ultimately led to his public demise, unsubtle. The governor never learned how to delicately press the boundaries of acceptability, and instead charged through them with all the nuanced skill of a rabid bull.

The fallen governor should have looked to Chuck Schumer, who demonstrates how to us pay to play the acceptable way. Schumer is the official beneficiary, advocate and overseer for Wall Street. A Democrat, he fully embraced the free market principles that have led to the current financial turmoil. Since Chuck's largest contributors are from Wall Street, he votes to please his corporate masters, and in doing so, he continues to buy access to power. It doesn't matter if deregulation is bad for his state, and the country, as long as those fat Wall Street checks continue to roll in.

Blago should take note: at no point did Chuck get on the phone and demand, "his fucking money." Instead, he quietly and assertively raised Wall Street contributions by 50 percent. Then he used that money to hold onto his power, and vote in the interest of Wall Street, and not New Yorkers. The contributions keep rolling in, and Chuck does it all over again. That's the acceptable way of paying to play.

Caroline Kennedy is also subtly pressing her bony elbow into the back of David Paterson, demanding what is rightfully hers. I write "rightfully" because...ya' know...she's a Kennedy, and we're supposed to live under their rule until Jesus comes back, I think. That's written in the Constitution, or something.

But seriously, no one can offer a compelling argument for why Caroline is particularly well-suited for the job other than her ability to raise a ton of money for the Democratic party. That Kennedy money is another tricky way of paying to play. If Caroline can cough up around $70 million, she gets to play, but if she was a poor gal named Smith or Gonzalez with an impressive resume, winning smile, and a noble spirit, she'd get her little ass booted to the curb.

To all the future, corrupt politicians out there, here are some parting words of advice: deceive wisely. Politics is a dirty, foul game for the rich and unscrupulous, so lie, but lie wisely. Steal, but steal subtly. Pay to play, but for God's sake, do it in the most quiet, underhanded way possible to spare us all the embarrassment of having to acknowledge what a morally bankrupt system we vote to uphold.

Follow Allison Kilkenny on Twitter: www.twitter.com/allisonkilkenny

Comments

[hollywood2008]

Its this sense of entitlement that is really sickening.

[meko]

Carolyn Kennedy is just like Jeb Bush and Rod Blagojevich - another member of a family dynasty pushing for power.

Thanks to his well-connected father-in-law, the Chicago Democratic machine basically appointed him into a congressional seat (not a senator, but still something). From there, it was just a matter of keeping his head down, avoiding any controversial legislation, and getting made governor.

[DrPaulProteus]

The article implies there's an honest way to rise to the corrupt heights of the US Senate.

[joycehelene]

I would think that with Uncle Teddy pulling for her and the Kennedy name that would be all she needed to get, on the list for the Senate job, but for Caroline to hire a Lieberman opperative is really the pits. One thing you can say is that she is learning fast how down and dirty politics is. I guess we would all like her to stay the sweet Caroline of our memory and keep doing the good things that she has been doing all her life and leave politics to others. She is all that is left of the Camelot legacy and I think she should leave it at that.

[Docbcs]

So right! The only difference is that Blogojevich wanted payment up front. Patterson, and the NY Dems are willing to take deferred payment, in 2010 and 2012.

[ReportThis]

Allison, you nut! Could you identify your preferred candidate for the post?

[Docbcs]

How about Carolyn Maloney, who has a track record of fighting in Congress for New Yorkers?

[karela]

And no hope at all of raising enough money to run back to back elections in 2010 and 2012. The noble poor will not be able to hold this New York state for the Democrats. It's a state with a lot of money and a lot of power and it's going to take somebody who has their own of both to hold it. It's a nice plus that Caroline also has the skills, the intelligence and the incorruptible integrity to do it without selling her votes. The generation of Kennedys who gave us JFK sacrificed a lot for this country and Caroline sacrificed a lot too. The name shouldn't be the only reason for choosing her, but it sure shouldn't be a curse to her chances either. She's earned her place in America. She has been serving the people her entire adult life without taking much public credit for it. Now she's ready to do more and we're lucky to have her. That name means more than money. It means integrity when Caroline and Teddy wear it. You won't find any buried slime in her past and no one will ever buy her votes with campaign donations. A lot of people here apparently resent money and simultaneously hate politicians who sell their souls for it. If you're the best fund raiser in America, second only to Obama, you don't have to trade votes for campaign funds. It allows a rare degree of clean Senate work. Think about it.

[partyofone]

Carolyn Do-Nothing Maloney? Are you joking? She lines up to get her guaranteed meager alottment of pork, and spins it for re-election.

[glorialovelace]

How about Kirsten Gillibrand? She's one of our few Democratic congresswomen from upstate, she is a real, practicing lawyer, she has an Ivy-league education, and she is a very attractive young mom.

[tel8034]

Why all the gum beating about Caroline?

The American people put George W. in office with nary a heart beat .................... And Caroline is certainly more qualified than Bush is (and ever was) to serve the people?

Is the little green man rearing his jealous head?

If by 2010 Caroline has proven that she is not up to the task of being a Senator, then all that needs to be done at that time is NOT to vote for her in the election....................... PLAIN AND SIMPLE.

We heard this same inexperienced nonsense about Obama .

[meko]

So you believe the choices are all about one family dynasty over another? Why not give one of the commoners a chance.

At least Obama ran for state office. Caroline Kennedy never even ran for school board.

[tel8034]

So are you saying that Caroline should be penalized because she happens to have the Kennedy name ................. Something she had no control over?

The repubs vilified Barack Hussein Obama for a name which he had no control over, and we blasted them for that, and rightfully so.

Now Caroline is receiving the same unjust treatment as did Obama, just because of her name?

No-one knows how effective or inefective she will be as a Sentator ............... Based on her Senate performance (2009 - 2010) she will be rejected or ratified in the 2010 election (months from now) nevertheless...................... Why not give her a chance?

Up until now Caroline (who grew up in NYC unlike Hillary) was everyone's darling and perceived as someone who gave much more than the idle talk of many other wannabes, in actually giving service on a consistent basis, so why all the hate now?

Isn't that the reason of all persons who enter frontline politics (some of whom started out by just giving service to a local community)? ................... To be able to continue to serve the people more effectively.

[jasonball]

There is something utterly pathetic about the way people keep using Bush as their standard for comparison.

"If BUSH can do X... than!"

Wake up. Bush is a nightmare. This guy should not be the default level of our standards and measurements.

Is Caroline more qualified than Bush? That's a pretty dangerous statement. After all, Bush dedicated much more of his life to service jobs than her. It would be very easy to reply that "no she's not as qualified, and that's scary."

But the real argument is, again, being more qualified than Bush isn't necessarily qualified enough.

And no no, the real argument is: why Caroline? There are probably a hundred thousand activists, academics, business owners, or public servants more qualified than Bush. What makes Caroline stand apart? Gee... I wonder. If you have an argument other than that she can raise a lot of money or is "a Kennedy" please let me know. I think that was the demand of the post as well.

[karela]

You need to do some serious research, as you prove by saying, "Bush dedicated much more of his life to service" than Caroline did. She's been serving the people her whole life. She just did it quietly. Do you know of anyone else who fund raised $65 million for New York schools in the past two years? She has served in a great many ways. It is her father's legacy and she takes it seriously. Get informed.

[dexxjones]

outstanding post. you just summed up much of what is wrong with our politics

who here doubts we will have a chelsa clinton, more bushes, a reagan possibly etc etc in our future?

[saturnine maniac]

Jeb Bush is gearing up for a run. And, he´s not part of any dynasty, but Chris Matthews was as well. Our Senate is such a millionaire´s club.

Time for real public campaign financing!

[dexxjones]

i forgot about jeb. 300 million people in this country and THIS is who we wind up with?

[PatCroft]

Very well said Allison.

That said, I often wonder what the actual dollar amount per senator is when tabulating staffs, offices, and per diems. It must total upwards in to the millions or rather tens of millions. Ahmmm at one time in this history per diem was their only merit and representation was mostly done on a pro bono basis so long as the representative owned a piece of property and were not a female in nature.

Perhaps a better method of representation is a lottery.

But, I have often wondered why these people just don't take all of their cash and move off shore and leave the representation to some one else.

[Docbcs]

Politics has become rich man's (or woman's) cabaret,

[TonyCInSaTx]

Well, Allison is right of course, all of politics is essentially a popularity contest, and the political positions pretty much theater, from the local sheriff and city council members all the way to the POTUS and Congress. Politics is a game for the rich and/or famous, and it should not surprise us when they give and get favors from their cohorts and only do enough work and pay enough lip service to their constituents to keep from getting ousted.

This is how the founding fathers failed us; the checks and balances don't work when everybody can make more money by conspiring together to rip off the taxpayers. This is why Congress acquiesces to Bush on every critical point for eight years; they ultimately benefit from it financially. This is why Republicans can be bribed with $120 billion in pork to pass a $700 billion dollar bailout they had rejected. They didn't reject it out of principle, they rejected it as a simple ploy to get the pork.

Quid Pro Quo is best done by inference: You get a $5,000 contribution. It is perfectly legal for you to understand my business and my obstacles. So figure out what I need, address it, then avoid ever mentioning it to me. This way there is no smoking gun to discover, even if we were being recorded, and guess what? You are my favorite pol and bigger money is on the way. If you screw me, the money stops.

[karela]

You have just made an excellent argument for electing a Caroline Kennedy who is not corruptible and who will never sell her vote for campaign donations because she won't ever need to. She has her fathers ethic of service and she wants to serve because she believes she has something to offer. She also has the ability to hold the seat in back to back races in 2010 and 2012 for a full term. She's honest. She's intelligent. She's quite effective in getting people to listen to what she has to say and want to join her efforts. We won't ever have to worry about her doing a Blago. A nice poor person with no connections could well do a good job if they could hold the seat in elections, but they couldn't and we'd have another Republican in the Senate. How about we give up the jealousy and think about the best way to get laws passed that help us live better lives. Caroline, Teddy, JFK and Bobby all worked for the regular people. The question is not whether you'd rather have unknown, poor Joe Smith or Caroline Kennedy. The question is whether you'd rather have Caroline Kennedy or another Republican Senator in two years.

[ESerafina42]

Oh, yes, we should ONLY elect rich people because Lord knows, they NEVER want any more money than they already have.

[KGinSanFrancisco]

What is this blogger saying? If Hillary was only Hillary Rodham she wouldn't be elected to the senate either! At least Caroline was born in NYC, has lived most of her life there and has worked tirelessly for public education and other causes in NY. She's every bit as qualified as the next person, more so than Hillary for Sec of State.

[PATina]

No... what's she's saying is that if Carolyn Kennedy were just a broke Carolyn Schlossberg... even w/ the same qualifications... she'd have a snowball's chance in hell of being appointed NY's next Senator.

Yes she's qualified... but if she wasn't famous... had little money... and never served in a political office... David Paterson wouldn't even consider her for the job.

[partyofone]

and stretching the analogy, under similar circumstance there would be no Senator Hillary Clinton to replace.

[Docbcs]

The operative word is ELECTED!!!!! The people of NY voted for HRC, on the basis of what she stood for, and offered us. That's different than an appointment. Even Sarah Palin, whether you like her or not, was ELECTED!

[ReportThis]

In this case the operative word is "APPOINTMENT"!!!! There is no provision in the statutes for an interim election -- it's the Governor's perogative. And by the way -- Hillary held no elective office before she campaigned for the Senate. Everyone has to start somewhere. (If only Hillary had chosen somewhere else ... .)

[Cesaria]

The act of running seems to be key here and that's odd because simply running doesn't make one qualified. Whatever qualified means since the bar and description keep on moving from one candidate to the next. Caroline would be able to run in 2010 right? That makes it okay then?

[karela]

A whole lot of people in New York voted for Hillary because her husband did her bad. She turned out to be a great Senator, so they kept her. Whoever is appointed will have the same issue of not having been elected. Why not appoint someone who is likely to be able to hold the seat for the dems over back to back elections in 2010 and 2012?

[partyofone]

KGinSanFrancisco good point. And we still don't know where the Clinton's mega millions came from, a good chunck of which was "loaned" to Hillary's presidential campaign and "forgiven." Could that "loaned" money have just been a pass through for illegal campaign contributions? Why isn't the FEC concerned about campaign "loans" and where the money comes from?

[siegfried]

As opposed to Hillary Clinton, who ran for the senate as a poor woman from Harlem with no political conections.

[Myshkin57]

But the people of New York had the opportunity to vote against her in both the primary and the general.

[hlhicks]

Let's ignore one salient point: Hillary wasn't from New York, had never lived in the state, and her only connection to the state was the open seat. And I didn't see these same people talking about her in the negative and quite frankly, bitchy way some of these women are talking about Caroline Kennedy. It's amazing because instead of focusing who would be best for the state they are now concerned about the privilege of the appointment. I wonder sometimes if they understand that whoever gets the seat will not have run for it. They act like Kennedy is receiving something that is shady or illegal and by mentioning the Blago scandal they are playing the same false equivalency game that the media is playing with Blago and Obama. I frankly want another person in the Senate who can and will work with the President Elect and I am sick of these posts which are trying to drive public sentiment against her.

[partyofone]

And she was the WIFE of the sitting president, who was twisting arms to get her financed and elected. The turnout was low, after Rudy dropped out, Hillary has had no real opposition, because the Clinton political machine and warchest bulldozed them out of the way.