Caroline Kennedy and her father
aboard the "Honey Fitz" in August 1963.
In recent days and weeks, some observers have been fretting about Caroline Kennedy's lack of experience that would serve as her qualification to serve in the U.S. Senate.
For some, the idea of appointing a "caretaker" to serve until a special election can be held in 2010 has merit. They believe the best short-term approach is to appoint someone who will promise not to run in two years and let the voters choose from the candidates who announce for the post — possibly including Kennedy.
Robert Stein of the Connecting.The.Dots blog thinks he has a solution.
New York Gov. David Paterson, he writes, should appoint a "caretaker" and Stein has a recommendation that, on the surface, seems reasonable — former Gov. Mario Cuomo.
I can't argue with Stein's characterization of Cuomo — "a wise, experienced, respected politician who knows New York State better than any other."
But, given the fact that Cuomo's son is frequently mentioned as a prospect for the seat, wouldn't the appointment of his father be considered almost the same kind of nepotism that is apparently being applied to the Senate vacancy in Delaware, where an aide to Vice President-elect Joe Biden is serving as the caretaker for Biden's seat until Biden's son completes his tour of duty in Iraq?
If Andrew Cuomo did, indeed, seek the seat in 2010, Mario Cuomo would hardly be a neutral observer.
Of course, it would be foolish to ignore the possibility that, in such a scenario, Paterson might be trying to aid his own political cause by, conceivably, making it easier for Andrew Cuomo to run for the Senate.
Andrew Cuomo has, as Stein observes, been mentioned as a possible challenger to Paterson for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. He might be expected to re-direct his efforts if his father is appointed to the Senate seat.
I agree with the things Stein says about Mario Cuomo. But, if Paterson is going to pick someone to be a caretaker until 2010, it should be someone with no ties to any of the people who have been mentioned as candidates in the special election.
Meanwhile, the Boston Globe is reporting that another survey, this one conducted by CNN/Opinion Research, finds that a majority of Americans believe Kennedy is qualified to be a senator.
During the weekend, I reported here that Rasmussen Reports found that 40% of respondents in a national survey felt Kennedy was qualified.
Again, I have to say the same thing I said during the weekend.
This is an issue for people in New York. It is their Senate seat. It is not the business of anyone else.
Throughout American history, voters in various states have been given the option of choosing someone for the Senate who took an unconventional path to that office. Most senators have been lawyers — like Kennedy — but others have arrived in the Senate with different occupational backgrounds. Most, though, have had more political experience than Kennedy.
But I think it would be a mistake to disqualify her simply because she has never held political office before. If Paterson thinks she is the best person to be senator at this time, he should appoint her.
Members of both the House and Senate have come from all walks of life — doctors, priests, teachers, businessmen, farmers, athletes and entertainers. The main thing that is necessary is for the voters to be confident in the advocacy skills of that person.
We've even seen that on the presidential level.
In the last century alone, we've had the following presidents who were not lawyers:
George W. Bush was a businessman.- George H.W. Bush was a businessman.
- Ronald Reagan was an actor.
- Jimmy Carter was a farmer.
- Lyndon Johnson was a teacher.
- Dwight Eisenhower was a soldier.
- Harry Truman was a businessman.
- Herbert Hoover was an engineer.
- Warren Harding was a newspaper publisher.
- Woodrow Wilson was a teacher.
Just as it was up to the voters of California in 1964 — and again in 1970 — to decide whether they wanted to be represented in the Senate by a song-and-dance man (George Murphy).
Just as it was up to the voters of Minnesota this year whether they wanted to be represented in the Senate by a comedian (that race remains unresolved at this point, but the comedian, Al Franken, holds a narrow lead in the recount).
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