Caroline To Be Senator

From Drudge and other sources:

When a powerful labor leader picked up the phone this week, he was surprised to hear the voice of a top aide to New York City Mayor Bloomberg. The aide made it clear: Caroline Kennedy [lose the Schlossberg] is going to be senator, "so get on board now!" Buttons are being pushed and strings pulled by the mayor, the New York Times plans to front [today]. The involvement has helped immediately elevate and coordinate the debut of Kennedy, who lacked an experienced political staff of her own.

But now, it is setting off an intense backlash among Democrats.

It's quite clear now that Caroline will assume her late uncle Bobby's Senate seat in New York.

What's not clear to me is why some Democrats are angry about this.

Look, I'm of a generation that naturally grants Caroline a wide berth to begin with. I admit it.

But, if Jesse Ventura can serve and Arnold Schwarzenegger can serve and George Murphy can serve and Lurleen Wallace can serve and Ronald Reagan can serve -- all because their names have (or had) drawing power -- then why can't Caroline serve?

A well-known name counts for something in politics.

But beyond that, Caroline is smart. She exceptionally well-educated. She certainly seems mature, reasoned, thoughtful and gracious. She a lawyer, an author and a public activist.

I don't think anyone's going to try to cut a deal with Caroline Kennedy or try to bribe her or try to push her around. Indeed, I have to imagine she will bring a great deal of dignity to the office.

In an age of jerks, crooks and outright thieves in office, what's wrong with Caroline?

She's better than Blago. Better than Spitzer. Better than Barney Frank. Better than 'ole Senator Byrd. And she's way better than John Edwards, William Jefferson and a helluva lot of other Democrats that come to mind.

In fact, she's head and shoulders above most of them.

So, I say "Go for it, Caroline. Show them how it's done!" And I wish her well.

BTW: Too bad Caroline didn't choose to come to Joisey and take on Lautenberg. She would have flattened that windy 'ole geezer in a New York minute.