The NY Post's reporting - - -
DESPITE claims that he's still undecided, Gov. Paterson is "certain" to pick Caroline Kennedy to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton in the US Senate, several unhappy contenders for the job have told friends and associates in recent days.
The contenders based their conclusion on the view that Paterson, after nearly two months of indecision, would "greatly embarrass" and "entirely humiliate" Kennedy, anger her prominent political family and even offend President-elect Barack Obama by picking someone other than President John F. Kennedy's daughter.
As for the governor's claim to be weighing a last-minute finalist, the contenders agree with a close Paterson friend who said, "It's clear David is just trying to play mind games with the press." …
The rest of the Post’s story’s here.
It goes on to report a number of other reasons why political players say Kennedy has a lock of the Senate selection.
But the Post’s story fails to mention one of, if not the most important, indicators Kennedy would get the nod. And we’ve known about it for weeks.
I posted about it on Jan. 3 in Write Off Caroline’s Chances? I vote “No.”
The post quoted from this CBS News story:
… The good news for Kennedy is that, as Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver told CBS 2 HD exclusively on Wednesday, he's changed his mind and is now willing to support her. Silver had been the biggest thorn in Kennedy's side, constantly criticizing her credentials for the Senate position. But now, he's singing a different tune.My comments included this call:
"She's obviously very bright and has been around politics her whole life," Silver said….
…If I had to bet today, I’d bet Kennedy gets the nod.That wasn't a hard call, was it?
When “power hitters" like Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver do a 180 turn, it tells you which way the wind’s blowing.
2 comments:
One can look on the upside - she will have to defend that seat in the rough and tumble of NY politics - the Republican Party needs to get its collective act together and field a candidate that is articulate, grounded in real community action, and with a real resume. Of course there is always the chance (though I would not bet on it) that the Democrats will decide that an appointee should be seasoned in the political to and fro and mount a bruising primary. Cuomo hands down in a debate with Caroline!
cks
One other thing - the comments are almost all extremely negative about her selection. If Patterson thinks that he has gained himself voters in his bid to hold onto the governor's seat, he had better think again. He will be the first recipient of a Kennedy backlash.
cks
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