Pleading Her Case?

Caroline Kennedy sure is doing a whole lot of pleading in her listening tour across much of New York State to claim that she should be appointed by Democrat Governor David Paterson to replace Sen. Hillary Clinton should she be confirmed to be President-Elect Barack Obama's Secretary of State.

What exactly has she done that makes her suitable for the position? Her claims to fame?

That would be her last name, which apparently is more than enough for many.

She's claiming that she's raised a family, which is a sign of her ability.

Really? How come Democrats repeatedly denigrated and castigated Alaska Governor Sarah Palin for not only being a small town mayor and the governor of the state of Alaska, but for raising a family of five?

Can you say hypocritical double standards? I know you can.

Kennedy has not done anything that should warrant being chosen Senator from New York, not when there are other suitable politicians who have put in their dues and done service for the citizens of the state. Why should they be passed over for Kennedy, unless it's that last name that will trump all? Kennedy has lined up a bunch of high profile people to help back her efforts, including other members of the Kennedy clan.

Meanwhile, the Daily News is starting to ask some serious questions about key issues of the day, including where she stands on the auto bailout and the financial crisis.

She's nice, smart and has a golden political pedigree, but where does Caroline Kennedy stand on the auto bailout, immigration, Wall Street regulation and other sticky issues?

The answer, many New Yorkers are quickly realizing, is "No one knows." And there's no guarantee they will before Gov. Paterson bequeaths Hillary Clinton's Senate seat upon her, as he seems inclined to do.

"You will find out where she stands when she runs in 2010," said former Mayor Ed Koch, a supporter. "She's a liberal with sanity, which is what I look for in any candidate."

All that's really known is that Kennedy is a fierce advocate for public education, having raised millions for city public schools.

She is also solidly pro-choice, according to Kelli Conlin of NARAL Pro-Choice New York, an organization Kennedy has supported for years.

Beyond that, her views are cloaked in the same privacy as her personal life.

Why should New Yorkers have to wait until 2010 to know where their Senator stands on key issues? Why should any of this be a secret? Shouldn't New Yorkers have the right to know who they have in the Senate representing their interests? Koch's words are extremely condescending and highly suggestive that the political masters know better than the public about what's good for them.

In fact, it would be nice if the Daily News or the New York Times actually had their reporters ask these questions of Kennedy, rather than simply chasing her around the state and offering up free face time without actually informing people of what this woman stands for. Right now, no one knows, and yet she's well on her way to convincing Gov. Paterson that she should be replacing Hillary.

Meanwhile, many New Yorkers seem to prefer Andrew Cuomo to Kennedy. I don't think anyone quite realizes what that would mean for the media covering New York politics. It would be a rugby scrum watching Cuomo and Sen. Chuck Schumer fighting for face time before the cameras. Then again, that might be just the thing to get the local media out of the doldrums and improve the bottom line for sagging media companies.