Liz Moynihan, the widow of Daniel Patrick Moynihan, began working in New York politics in the 1950s. On election night in 1960, when the Moynihans were living in Syracuse, Bobby Kennedy called her to get a report on how things looked in upstate New York. When Bobby hung up the phone, he turned to his brother and told him he was going to be the next president of the United States. As the Moynihan re-election campaign manager in 1988, Liz gave me my start in politics when she asked me to be part of the very small campaign team she assembled on her way to winning a record-setting victory. Liz's strategy won 61 out of 62 counties, including counties that had been unwinnable for the likes of FDR and Bobby Kennedy when they ran in New York.
Liz spent everyday of her husband's 24 years in the Senate advising him on politics and governing. To the most powerful senator New York has ever had, no one's advice was more important than Liz's. Pat Moynihan was a graduate of New York City public schools, but throughout his senate career, he and Liz were residents of upstate New York. Hillary Clinton's first public appearance as a candidate for senate was at the Moynihan upstate home -- the only time Liz allowed their home to be used for a political event -- where Pat Moynihan formally endorsed his successor and assured voters statewide that she was up to the job.
No one in New York politics knows more about the state than Liz Moynihan. No New Yorker knows more about how to do the job of senator than Liz does, especially after living through the day-to-day duties of Pat Moynihan's years as chairman of two committees including Finance, the senate's most important committee. And no one else can tell us what Pat Moynihan would think about who should be the next person to take his old seat in the Senate. Liz Moynihan has just released this statement about Caroline Kennedy:
Caroline is a very intelligent, serious person with a long interest in government and the Constitution. As a US Senator she could be a great help to New York. I'm sure Pat would be thrilled to see her in that seat.
She is only in consideration because of her last name, money and family connections. No one with her resume (non-practicing attorney, co-author of a few books, charity board member, part-time volunteer on behalf of NY public schools) would be considered otherwise.
But perhaps all those people talking about the cost of reelection have a point. Perhaps only the very wealthy and people with relatives in government can win the senate seat in New York. Caroline Kennedy never raised money for anyone who wasn't a family member, and I doubt her friends would either.
The New York senate seat, may not be available to anyone but the wealthy. Maybe all the press releases and Kennedy sycophants are right and best the common people can hope for is a relatively sympathetic plutocrat.
Hillary sold the "Obama can't raise the money and can't win the general election line" and in NY it worked. So maybe the same line works for the NY senate seat. But I'm not giving them any of my time or money. I don't do volunteer work to further line the pockets of the wealthy and further aggrandize the famous. If the senate is going to be bought by someone, they can buy it themselves.
Mark Whitacker is pushing the MSNBC staff further to the right.
And as far as invoking the Moynihan name, well that just drives my point a little deeper. Why should the opinion of someone related to a past senator matter more than anyone else's?
Right now, she is asking for a high appointment while having no elected experience, from a governor who was himself NOT elected and has a lot to prove, after an election that was supposed to signify change and a departure from political royalty. I like her personally, but the mere fact that she can't see this gives me even more pause.
Where was the righteous indignation when the Bush Crime Family anointed Georgie heir apparent to the White House?
The bleatings now suggest to me an ulterior motive. Could it be just so much more Kennedy bashing?
Remember, the right-wing-lunatic-fringe rarely speaks directly to an issue. They look to talking points that might have a better chance of sticking than what they are really thinking.
Maybe we should replace elections with channeling.
Did you support Hillary or Obama in the primaries?
Caroline is not the lightweight-dilletante she is be depicted as. Just a very different personality than we are use to seeing in our politicians.
CTEveryman
The lack of specifics speaks volumes. What are Caroline's accomplishments? Passing the bar? - thousands in New York have done the same. Coauthoring a few books? Take a look at amazon, and you'll see this isn't unique either.
This appointment is about aristocracy and cronyism. It's an insult to those who believe in hard work and achievement.
culture and history, with a particular interestr in education and constitutional rights.
Prove me right! Let me know what you know.
See you in your travels.
Ann Rhoads
It seems so suspicious, that out of nowhere, Kennedy supported Obama. Now that Hillary might be SOS, it seems even weirder that Kennedy is ready to step into Hillary's position. This is too weird, but I can hardly wait to hear what her answer will be to Charles' Gibsons, "What do you think of the Bush doctrine?" There never was a Camelot, there won't ever be one, so can we just get some experienced people working in the government. Caroline Kennedy... the next head of FEMA? Oh the storm clouds are gathering.