To quote my favorite three-year-old neighbor, "What the ?" I just learned today that New York Governor David Paterson plans to appoint Caroline Kennedy to the NY Senate seat currently occupied by Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton. Caroline Kennedy! That's right, a woman whose credentials and qualifications can be summed up in one word: Kennedy. Caroline is about as qualified for this position as I am. She is a professional fundraiser and she is darn good at it. Her work on non-profit organizations has drawn millions in revenue. She helped raise over $65 million dollars for the New York City public schools alone. Her name is power and she knows how to wield it. However admirable her volunteer work is, it's ridiculous to say this qualifies her for appointment to the Senate. And so here we sit, twenty minutes after Sarah Palin was savagely beaten down and exposed as unqualified to run for national office, only to witness another absurdly unqualified woman, not be put up for vote, but instead, appointed to one of the most powerful positions in the land. Our citizenship met Sarah Palin, judged her weak, and voted accordingly. At least she could boast of being a successful governor! Caroline has nothing but her rich heritage and yet, she'll be 1 of 100 senators deciding the fate of our nation during this crucial moment in time. Ludicrous!
So, why would Patterson make such a preposterous appointment when there are countless elected public servants in the state of New York who actually have merit and ideas to contribute to the Senate? (By the way, everyone is sentient to the patronizing stance that it must be a woman who replaces Sen. Clinton. Offensive to the nth degree!) Well, see above paragraph. Patterson is purchasing Caroline Kennedy's fundraising potential and will no doubt cash in his premium two years from now when he runs for re-election. Caroline will dutifully make the phone calls and cheerfully host the dinners to garner millions of dollars for Patterson (and other Democratic incumbents). Because the exchange of goods will not actually occur until 2010, Patterson will get away with this outrageous mockery of serving the public good.
And to think that Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich will be sitting alone at the defense table. Patterson should be right next to him. The arrogance of these men, to think they can put their personal interest above that of the state's is, as Dan Carlin so aptly argued, treasonous. How do these people get elected? Wait, come to think of it, Paterson was not elected governor, but instead took office in the wake of the Governor Spitzer scandal. The people of New York are actually three steps away from selecting Hillary Clinton's replacement. In light of that, wouldn't it be all the more prudent for Paterson to appoint a New York state senator whom the people have elected at some level, showing some civic trust and endorsement? Democracy is wasted on those who are too indolent to elect respectable leaders. Shame!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
I lost you at 'Governer'.. but love tht you know what youre talking about. Maybe you could start classes for the rest of us!
Things like this in politics 1) turn me completely OFF to politics; and 2) make me embarassed to live in a nation where things like this can actually happen!
You are so eduacted and on top of it all, but I agree with you 100%! You are awesome!
Yes, the arrogance is astounding! And while this practice of appointing people based on heritage or the fact that they were married to the former politician occurs more often than most are aware, it is still just as offensive. We don't/shouldn't put people into office because of their dynasty. Do any of these people remember the American Revolution? As an article I read stated when they quoted Thomas Paine, this kind of appointment is "an insult and imposition to posterity." And don't think that Uncle Teddy is not pulling the strings to make this happen. Many of these people know Ted Kennedy will not be with us much longer and want very much for there to be a Kennedy still in office; qualifications be damned. Disgraceful.
I think that all of us need to resign ourselves to the fact that all politicians live by one rule and one rule only....If you're not cheatin you're not tryin!! We are so blessed, and so cursed at the same time aren't we?!? But hey...there's always hope!
I agree with your assessment of the Kennedy situation, but am curious who you would consider a qualified candidate. You mentioned that Ms. Kennedy had no more qualifications than yourself, but you are exactly the type of person I would want to vote for---in a few years--I understand that currently you have your hands full loving and raising a family which deserves all the focus one can give. But otherwise, I want a candidate that is driven, organized, fearless, and has a proven track record for success. You. You. You. So maybe, you are MORE qualified to be the senator of New York. Except that you live in Utah. Now that's a problem.
Thought you'd be overjoyed to know that Caroline Kennedy withdrew her senate bid (although I'm guessing you already know).
That's wonderful news for the people of New York. Did Caroline happen to mention my blog or my name? I wonder if I got her thinking about her sense of entitlement. Or... perhaps Governor Patterson began clarifying what he wanted from her in return for the appointment. (Oh, that sounded randy and it wasn't meant to be.) Either way, I hope someone with a history of public service and at least one successful election under his/her belt is appointed. (At this point, I'd accept Junior High Class President.)
Post a Comment