Not Sweet on Caroline

Caroline Kennedy has deigned to throw her silver spoon into the ring to succeed Hillary Clinton in the U.S. Senate. The New York Times reports:

Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of an American political dynasty, has decided she will pursue the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, a person told of her decision said Monday.

The decision came after a series of deeply personal and political conversations, in which Ms. Kennedy, whom friends describe as unflashy but determined, wrestled with whether to give up what has been a lifetime of avoiding the spotlight.

Ms. Kennedy will ask that Gov. David A. Paterson consider her for the appointment. The governor was traveling to Utica today could not immediately be reached for comment.

If appointed, Ms. Kennedy would fill the seat once held by her uncle, the late Robert F. Kennedy. Ms. Kennedy has been making calls this morning to alert political figures to her interest.

The unelected Paterson was catapulted into office after Eliot Spitzer, Client 9, was caught with his pants down (figuratively speaking).

Question: What, if any, promises were made? Sen. Edward “Uncle Teddy” Kennedy reportedly told Paterson his niece “has contacts and family connections that would mean legislation affecting New York would receive prompt attention.”

Did the Kennedys promise to raise contributions for Paterson’s 2010 election campaign?

Clinton loyalists, including Stuart Applebaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, have trashed Kennedy’s qualifications to serve in the “world’s greatest deliberative body”:

Her voice has barely been heard during these long last eight years as so many of us have worked hard against the policies of the Bush administration,” said Applebaum, described by prominent state Democrats as a “close ally” of Hillary and Bill Clinton.

“She is a blank slate on New York issues. We simply don’t know where she stands, what her priorities are for the state or if and who she will fight for,” Applebaum continued.

While one member of a political dynasty trades on her last name, another scion with a famous name, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., is “fighting now for my character, and I’m also fighting for my life.”

Meanwhile, the Obama Transition Team released the following statement:

At the direction of the President-elect, a review of Transition staff contacts with Governor Blagojevich and his office has been conducted and completed and is ready for release. That review affirmed the public statements of the President-elect that he had no contact with the governor or his staff, and that the President-elect’s staff was not involved in inappropriate discussions with the governor or his staff over the selection of his successor as US Senator.

Also at the President-elect’s direction, Gregory Craig, counsel to the Transition, has kept the US Attorney’s office informed of this fact-gathering process in order to ensure our full cooperation with the investigation.

In the course of those discussions, the US Attorney’s office requested the public release of the Transition review be deferred until the week of December 22, in order not to impede their investigation of the governor. The Transition has agreed to this revised timetable for release, said Obama Transition Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer.

Talk about a stocking stuffer.