Rick Klein is ABC News' Senior Political Reporter and author of The Note's morning look at the upcoming day in politics. Throughout the day, ABC News' political team contributes to The Note with the very latest news and analysis from the nation's capital.
To email Rick Klein, click here.
RECENT POSTS
- The Note's Must-Reads for Thursday, November 26, 2009
- Palin to Headline 'TEA Party Convention'
- GOP Strategist Predicts "Purity Test" Resolution Fails at RNC
- Democrats Divide on War Tax
- Gibbs: Obama to Emphasize Exit Strategy
- Price Tags: Costs Rise for Obama on Afghanistan
- The Note's Must-Reads for Wednesday, November 25, 2009
- ‘Top Line’ with Sally Quinn -- Inside the First Obama State Dinner
- GOPers to Biden: Stop Using Stimulus Jobs Numbers
- Exit Ramps: Democrats Grow Restless on Afghanistan Strategy
THE NOTE CATEGORIES
- 2010
- Afghanistan
- Bill Clinton
- CIA
- Congress
- Democratic party
- Environment
- Financial Reform
- GOP
- Gov. Mark Sanford
- Gov. Sarah Palin
- Guantanamo
- Health Care
- Hillary Clinton
- Immigration
- Iran
- Iraq
- John McCain
- Mitt Romney
- North Korea
- Obama Agenda
- Politics Live
- President Obama
- Republican Party
- Ronald Reagan
- Sen. John Ensign
- Senate
- Sonia Sotomayor
- Stimulus
- Sunday Shows
- Supreme Court
- Ted Kennedy
- The Note
- The Note Must-Reads
- Top Line
- Vice President Biden
- Virginia
MONTHLY ARCHIVES
« Previous | Main | Next »
The Caroline Comeback?
January 08, 2009 12:47 PM
ABC News’ Rick Klein Reports: After a rocky political debut, don’t look now, but things just might be looking better for Caroline Kennedy’s Senate chances.
On Wednesday, Kennedy picked up the backing of New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd, who pushed back against perceptions that she’s not ready for the Senate.
“The press whines that she doesn’t have a pat answer about why she wants the job. I’ve interviewed a score of men running for president; not one had a good answer for why he wanted it,” Dowd wrote.
“I know Caroline Kennedy. She’s smart, cultivated, serious and unpretentious. The Senate, shamefully sparse on profiles in courage during Dick Cheney’s reign of terror, would be lucky to get her.”
Significantly, Kennedy’s strategy has shifted in recent days. After giving a series of interviews to New York media outlets -- to decidedly mixed reviews -- and after holding public events where she hasn’t exactly knocked ’em out of the park, Kennedy has gone quiet.
This matters on two levels. First -- it avoids encounters with reporters where, for example, the number of times she says “you know” are counted.
Second -- and more importantly -- it helps build a case with the only person who matters in this exercise: Gov. David Paterson, D-N.Y., who has the sole discretion in whom to appoint to fill Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Senate seat.
Paterson has seemed at times to be favorably inclined toward appointing Kennedy, who has the backing of prominent national Democrats -- including, of course, the Kennedy clan.
But observers and associates say Paterson doesn’t want it to appear that he’s being pressured into picking Kennedy. Thus, less visibility from Kennedy probably only helps.
“Kennedy has gone back to the unglamorous, quiet work of calling and visiting the state's political players -- union heads, environmental leaders, Sister Paulette LoMonaco of Good Shepherd Services, the Bronx and Brooklyn children's aid group,” New York magazine’s Chris Smith writes.
“It's a strategy that both suits her low-key personal style and is designed to influence Governor David Paterson without pressuring him, by creating a positive buzz behind the scenes. So instead of traveling to Albany [Wednesday] and pulling the spotlight again, Kennedy stayed home to watch Paterson's State of the State speech on television.”
Paterson was asked about Kennedy and the vacant Senate seat by ABC’s Terry Moran, for a “Nightline” piece that aired Tuesday, and he made clear that he doesn’t want to be bullied:
“In situation such as this, I’m going to wait until our senator is confirmed. I think she will be confirmed. I think she’ll get overwhelming support. But I think the most prudent way to select a senator is to wait until the previous senator has actually vacated,” Paterson said.
“And there is a lot of pressure on me to make the decision early. There are a lot of reports every day. We have the rumor of the day around here that I have to appoint someone. I am not going to be coerced. I am not going to be unduly persuaded. And I’m not going to be pushed around.”
“There’s an old baseball umpire. His name was Bill Klem. And once there was a pitch, and he didn’t say anything. And the batter and the catcher looked at him and said, ‘Well, what is it?’ And he said what I’m saying. ‘It ain’t nothin’ until I call it.’”
On Kennedy, he said: “The rumor of the day is that she was in and then the next day the rumor was she was out. Back and forth. Meaning that there are a lot of people who are investing energy in rumoring, coercion, and all kinds of activity that a governor that is really trying to do his or her job should ignore. And I have properly done so.”
January 8, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (21)
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
I find it rather disconcerting that after 8 years of silence during the Bush administration, Caroline Kennedy is now wanting to be proactive in politics. Where was her voice previously?
Posted by: kat | Jan 8, 2009 1:08:14 PM
Kat, maybe she was practicing that old adage, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." Bush leaves me speechless, too.
Posted by: obamamama | Jan 8, 2009 1:13:50 PM
There is no reason why Kennedy should get the nomination and there is no reason why she shouldnt.
So, Paterson needs to look at his political future and see which way cashes him in big time if he wants to be re elected and Caroline Kennedy is the big ticket item.
Posted by: teddy | Jan 8, 2009 1:58:11 PM
Good for her. She has a law degree, a family history behind her of public service and though Palin would like to say Caroline is getting better treatment because of her class, its just that Caroline Kennedy HAS class she isn't some "good ole gal" that with her white trash act tries to fake it.
Posted by: Brenda | Jan 8, 2009 2:02:35 PM
There is a pile of dog poo frozen to the grass in my back yard that is more qualified than Kennedy and Palin put together.
powmadeak47.com is dead on. We have become a freaking joke. You could go to your county jail and pull 10 people out of the cells that are more qualified than 90% of the sludge in Wash D.C.
Posted by: Blake | Jan 8, 2009 2:09:07 PM
obamamama - That 'silence is golden' policy is probably the most destructive ideology on earth. she kept quiet, while people like me got #^$& on by the GOP for speaking out. She is nothing and never will be.
Posted by: Blake | Jan 8, 2009 2:12:12 PM
wow. How lame . ABC censored my comments abbout how lame these tools are
Posted by: Blake | Jan 8, 2009 2:17:16 PM
That's weird, now they are back up.
Posted by: Blake | Jan 8, 2009 2:17:56 PM
The Kennedys and the Clintons are fighting over the futire of the Democrat party. Huh, I thought Obama already won this fight.
Posted by: please! | Jan 8, 2009 2:28:55 PM
Caroline Kennedy will be a terrific senator.
Posted by: Cassandra Washington | Jan 8, 2009 2:35:05 PM
Palin is crying ,that Kennedy is getting the soft touch and they nailed her to the wall.Big difference from Senator to Vice President..What a cry baby she is keeping herself in the public eye .Time for her to get LOST and stay there.She was no good from the start and nothing has changed >>>>>>
Posted by: NH voter | Jan 8, 2009 2:36:15 PM
She's a joke you know, I mean you know, she can't talk, you know, she thinks shes entitled, you know, adn you know, she doesn't even vote, you know
Posted by: MSN exposed | Jan 8, 2009 2:42:11 PM
LOL,...nice to know the good old liberal boys & girls are back at it again.
The kings & queens of the double standard. LOL, when it is all said & done, Paterson will appoint her. He desperately needs her ability to raise money. Palin was 100x more qualified for any office than Kennedy. That is the simple fact you libbies cant deal with. Hence you had to trash her and her family. It is obvious that the only women who should be allowed "in the game" according to you people and those who support your views. Hmm....very open-minded and bi-partisan of you!!!
Kennedy has wanted ZERO to do with politics, now she wants to play because she cn start with actually having to do through the rigors of a campaign. Hey, good for her, let her go play with in the mudpits for a couple of years. Its not like she is going to do anything with out Uncle Teddy's approval anyway.
Hell, another perfect pick for NY !
Posted by: Mike_C | Jan 8, 2009 4:04:04 PM
she may have all the fancy degrees and education but she shoulds like a fool when she talks.
Posted by: mj | Jan 8, 2009 4:37:38 PM
Mike C, Are you talking about Caroline ("Ya know") Kennedy?
Posted by: Mihann | Jan 8, 2009 5:00:21 PM
Let's see, we have one Kennedy credited with getting us through the cuban missile criss without anyone ever acknowledging that he was the one who got us into the crisis in the first place.
Robert Kennedy was implicated in the death of JFK's mistress.
Finally, we have another drunken kennedy that left a woman to die in a watery grave, who didn't feel the need to report the wreck to the police until 11 hours later, after he had talked with his people to cover up his crime.
We have had enough Kennedys for one century.
Posted by: dave | Jan 8, 2009 5:46:30 PM
Today, NY Gov. David Paterson has finally understood and mentioned that "Caroline K.is lack of experience".
Also he has reviewed and interviewed suitable ten to fifteen persons.
Caroline Schlossberg who used the phrase "YOU KNOW" 142 times in that
interview with the NY Times means she is NOT READY to be the Senate seat, at all. Thank Gov. Paterson for your understanding.
Posted by: Janet-NY | Jan 8, 2009 7:34:29 PM
Caroline Kennedy is a positive role model and would make a great senator.
She is more educated and qualified than Sarah Palin.
Caroline required her children to finish high school and Palin did not.
Posted by: Rev. Ike | Jan 8, 2009 7:47:12 PM
Ole Maureen bashed Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin constantly but she blows kisses to Caroline. The New York Times makes me sick - so ultra liberal - the ultimate Obama rag 24/7. Palin will become a US Senator and she will be back in the limelight.She has worked hard for it. Hillary can sit back and laugh at Maureen now and all her other critics. As for Caroline she needs a position in the Arts- not in the Senate.
Posted by: jimbo | Jan 9, 2009 6:51:06 AM
Is Gov. David Paterson going to do the "Pay to Play" and select Caroline so he can depend on her financial backing?
Posted by: Barracud | Jan 10, 2009 10:58:40 AM
Post a comment
POLITICAL VIDEOS
THE NOTE BLOG ROLL
- ABC News -- George Stephanopoulos
- ABC News -- Jake Tapper
- ABC News Politics
- ABC News -- The Numbers
- ABC News -- The Blotter
- The American Prospect -- TAPPED
- The Atlantic -- Politics Channel
- The Boston Globe -- Political Intelligence
- Center for American Progress -- Think Progress
- Center for Responsive Politics
- The Chicago Sun-Times -- Lynn Sweet
- The Chicago Tribune -- The Swamp
- Drudge Report
- FactCheck.org
- FiveThirtyEight
- Heritage Foundation -- The Foundry
- The Hill -- Briefing Room
- The Hotline
- The Huffington Post
- The Los Angeles Times -- Top of the Ticket
- NPR -- Political Junkie
- National Review -- The Corner
- The New Republic -- The Plank
- The New York Times -- The Caucus
- Newsweek -- The Gaggle
- Political Wire -- Taegan Goddard
- Politico -- Ben Smith
- Politico -- Mike Allen’s Playbook
- PolitiFact
- Real Clear Politics
- Talking Points Memo
- Time -- The Page
- USA Today -- On Politics
- Variety -- Wilshire & Washington
- The Wall Street Journal -- Capital Journal
- The Washington Post -- The Fix
- The Washington Post -- 44
