On Saturday's "Good Morning America," various hosts and reporters gushed over the "exciting," "tantalizing" prospect that Caroline Kennedy could replace Hillary Clinton in the U.S. Senate, should the former first lady be confirmed as Barack Obama's secretary of state. ABC News political director David Chalian enthused that "on top of the new Obama administration that she was a huge proponent and supporter of, it [the appointment] would just rise to this moment of, sort of, a return to that age of Camelot."
Weekend GMA co-host Bill Weir began the segment by wondering, "And who could upstage a Clinton but a Kennedy?" Later, fellow co-host Kate Snow cooed, "So, tantalizing. Kennedys and Obamas and Clintons, all the talk." Clearly agreeing, Weir enthused, "Exciting to talk about."
Reporter Rachel Martin instructed viewers, "Public service is part of the expectation of being a Kennedy."
A transcript of the December 6 segment, which aired at 7:18am, follows:
BILL WEIR: Well, there is big buzz this morning about a possible replacement for New York Senator Hillary Clinton when she moves to Foggy Bottom. One big political name could replace by an even bigger one. And who could upstage a Clinton but a Kennedy? ABC's Rachel Martin has the story from Washington, live. Good morning, Rachel.
ABC GRAPHIC: Return of Camelot: Caroline Kennedy to Senate?
RACHEL MARTIN: Good morning, Bill. For most of her life, Caroline Kennedy stayed far away from the family business. But her work with the Obama presidential campaign put this quiet Kennedy front and center on the political stage. Public service is part of the expectation of being a Kennedy.
CAROLINE KENNEDY (at Democratic National Convention): We are all in this together, and that we each have something to contribute to this country.
MARTIN: Now, JFK's daughter is considering a new kind of contribution. Democratic sources tell ABC News that New York Governor David Paterson has approached Kennedy about taking over Hillary Clinton's Senate seat if she's confirmed as secretary of state. It's the same seat once held by Caroline's uncle, Robert F. Kennedy. The road was cleared for such a conversation after Caroline's cousin, RFK, Jr., reportedly turned the job down. Yesterday, the governor tried to keep a lid on details.
DAVID PATERSON (New York Governor): We talked about a number of things. The seat did come up in the conversation.
MARTIN: Kennedy is said to be considering the job. But there are some major disincentives. Whomever the governor chooses will serve two years, run in a special election in 2010, and run again in 2012. And people close to Caroline Kennedy say that may be too expensive and hard on her family. But Democratic sources say she's got the cache to fill the campaign coffers and discourage any real Republican competition.
DAVID CHALIAN (ABC News political director): For Caroline Kennedy to enter the body that her father, her uncle, her other uncle have all served, on top of the new Obama administration that she was a huge proponent and supporter of, it would just rise to this moment of, sort of, a return to that age of Camelot.
MARTIN: It's a heavy legacy. But it's one that many Democrats would like to see Kennedy carry on. Caroline's is not the only Kennedy name swirling in the political ether. Her cousin, RFK, Jr., is now thought to be a lead contender to head up the Environmental Protection Agency under an Obama administration. So, potentially, a new generation of very high-profile Kennedy leadership on the horizon. Bill and Kate.
WEIR: Okay, Rachel. Thanks very much.
KATE SNOW: So, tantalizing. Kennedys and Obamas and Clintons, all the talk.
BILL WEIR: Exciting to talk about.
—Scott Whitlock is a news analyst for the Media Research Center.
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GAG ME
December 9, 2008 - 15:20 ET by MillerTimeWarpTantalizing ? .....Kate Snow...again gettin off on just saying the Clinton name. Gag me with a backhoe.
Exciting to talk about ? Gag me a second time.
Unreal....
I don't suppose anyone
December 9, 2008 - 15:37 ET by motherbeltI don't suppose anyone considered giving Nita Lowey the seat that was snatched away from her when Her Royal Clintoness decided that she wanted it....
Nah....
Well, at least Caroline Kennedy is already a NY resident...
KATE SNOW: So, tantalizing. Kennedys and Obamas and Clintons, all the talk.
BILL WEIR: Exciting to talk about.
What on earth is tantalizing and exciting about Kennedys and Obamas and Clintons?
Oooh, I wonder if they'll all have parties together (gush,gush), and if Caroline and Michelle and Hillary would all go shopping together.......
Oh, grow the hell up.
Speaking as a NY resident
December 9, 2008 - 15:38 ET by MillerTimeWarpI am thrilled that Clinton will be out of my state. The governor was hinting at Cuomo, or Gillibrand for Clinton's replacement. So, does Kennedy just trump everyone? Is it me, or has every aspect of social living been reduced to a freakin popularity contest ?
/sarcasm on
How can I text my vote ?
/sarcasm off
So, does Kennedy just trump
December 9, 2008 - 16:41 ET by motherbeltSo, does Kennedy just trump everyone?
She just might. Nita Lowey was going to run for that seat but got kicked to the curb when Her Royal Clintoness wanted it. The least they could do is give it back to her.
The Kennedy Clan... When
December 9, 2008 - 17:48 ET by BDThe Kennedy Clan...
When the hell have any of them accomplished anything BEFORE they went into politics?
Hell, the last one who turned a profit at anything was Joe Senior in the 1930's......
For a party that is supposedly for the common man, the Democrats LOVE to have their own hip pocket royalty in the Kennedy clan.
"Hell, the last one who
December 9, 2008 - 18:28 ET by misterbee241"Hell, the last one who turned a profit at anything was Joe Senior in the 1930's......"
And he was a rum runner and a bootlegger.
Hey, ya can't dispute that
December 10, 2008 - 09:39 ET by BDHey, ya can't dispute that the Kennedy fortune is based on crime. Now they just use the political arm to forcibly extract money from their victims - they call it "taxation."
"What on earth is
December 9, 2008 - 18:26 ET by misterbee241"What on earth is tantalizing and exciting about Kennedys and Obamas and Clintons? "
Betting on which one od's or goes to prison first?
Just what America needs,
December 9, 2008 - 15:39 ET by SlicksterJust what America needs, another liberal, elitist who has never had a job. There never was any camelot except in the minds of the useful idiots. The Kennedys do not perform public service, they are government leeches.
Will Patrick Kennedy Interit Ted Kennedy's Seat?
December 9, 2008 - 15:44 ET by allanfI wonder if Patrick Kennedy will inherit the seat of his father, Senator Ted Kennedy. I know he is a Congressman from Rhode Island now, but a mere residential technicality won't stand in the way of history.
Nor would the Capitol
December 9, 2008 - 16:30 ET by fitzfongNor would a concrete barrier and the Capitol Police, apparently.
"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it." -Ronald Reagan
fitzfong.blogspot.com
The daughter of a cuckold
December 9, 2008 - 15:48 ET by Lord ErondCould someone please tell me what there is to admire about the Kennedy's? Patriarch Joe was a bootlegger, and criminal, his sons adulterers, murderers and drunks and drug users. Am I supposed to believe that the Kennedy's are something to be admired? I will take my simple existence over all the Kennedy's money ANY DAY, ANY TIME. I'd spit on everyone of them but they aren't worth the energy it takes to spit on them.
"What you can not enforce, do not command" -Sophocles-
→ JFK
December 9, 2008 - 15:53 ET by Cool ArrowHis OJT included a ringside seat to a slaughter when he pulled air support at the Bay of Pigs, and the building of the Berlin Wall as Krushchev rightly perceived his limpwristedness.
About the time he started to grow a spine, he got shot.
That about sums it up.
You left out "good hair."
December 9, 2008 - 16:12 ET by SickofLibsYou left out "good hair."
And Sara Palin was the one
December 9, 2008 - 15:52 ET by billbAnd Sara Palin was the one with the thin resume!
The only reason
December 9, 2008 - 15:54 ET by MidAmericaThe only reason Caroline is not messed up like her dysfunctional Kennedy cousins is that she was not raised as a Kennedy. Jackie O was a classy and devoted mom who did her best to not raise them as Kennedys.
There is a new disease...
December 9, 2008 - 15:55 ET by AmericanEnergist...it's MLTS (Matthews Leg Thrill Syndrome)
It happens anytime the libs have a feeling that they had when hippies and Vietnam protesters roamed the earth.
I spoke of this on my show at www.BlogTalkRadio.co...
www.ArmchairEnergist...
Caroline can do anything
December 9, 2008 - 15:59 ET by Mica the MagnificentAccording to Fox News this morning, NYC mayor Mike Bloomberg said Caroline 'can do anything.'
Wow! What else do you need to know to make her senator?
Personally, I'd like to see that elderly Katherine Hepburn-like voice-over RFK jr take over the senate seat.
Hey! He could get discounted heating oil from his buddy Hugo Chavez. What can Caroline do for New York?
Oh yeah, I forgot. She can do anything.
I'll bet she cant catch
December 9, 2008 - 18:34 ET by misterbee241I'll bet she cant catch a [flatulence] and sew a blue button on it.
A Kennedy -
December 9, 2008 - 16:09 ET by SickofLibsA Kennedy - check
Columbia/Harvard Law- check
ZERO experience - check
Never held an actual job other than fundraising - check
These days, that's more than enough, so it's a go I guess.
The US is turning into ancient Rome with all this ridiculous nepotism and inheritance of positions by bloodline. Better get those little Obamas up to speed and on-track, cause we're going to be needing them as Senators in 20 years or so.
Enough with Kennedys, Clintons, Cuomos, Daleys and all the rest of them!
When oh when will some in this country get over...
December 9, 2008 - 16:21 ET by PrairieSkytheir "Kennedy infatuation?" I have had it up to here with this shop-worn, misguided lovefest that the MSM, especially, has with the dysfunctional Kennedy clan.
Caroline Kennedy seems like a very nice, intelligent woman, but that fact, coupled with the fact that she is a (gasp!) Kennedy, does not automatically make her qualified for a senate seat.
But, hey...I guess that's a common theme this year...
Jobs for hire-
President of the United States (no experience required)
US Senator from the State of New York (no experience required)
US Senator from the State of Illinois (for sale)
"...peace is the highest aspiration of the American People. We will negotiate for it, sacrifice for it, we will never surrender for it, now or ever." President Ronald Reagan~ January 20, 1981
If the objective is
December 9, 2008 - 16:29 ET by fitzfongIf the objective is to choose a Senator "Famous for Being Famous", why Caroline Kennedy? Surely Paris Hilton, Nicole Ritchie or Kim Kardashian would fit the bill...and they could keep the seat 20 or 30 years longer.
My prediction depends on how much power the Democrat Party entrusts to David Patterson. If they allow him the freedom to make his own choice, I think he'll pick Andrew Cuomo. This would eliminate a potentially serious gubenatorial primary rival. My sense though is that the Democrat Party does not respect Patterson and will pull rank on him. They want to protect Chuckie Schumbag in 2010, and what better way to guarantee strong Democrat turnout than to enable a bunch of drones to vote for JFK's daughter?
"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it." -Ronald Reagan
fitzfong.blogspot.com
Will we
December 9, 2008 - 16:33 ET by littlemissmuffinWill we NEVER be rid of the Kennedys????
"If we conservatives moved to those seven non-existent States, the government couldn’t find us and tax us to death!"
Unless they're planning
December 9, 2008 - 16:36 ET by fitzfongUnless they're planning more touch football games on downhill skis...no.
"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it." -Ronald Reagan
fitzfong.blogspot.com
Not as long as they keep
December 9, 2008 - 16:40 ET by motherbeltNot as long as they keep having kids, apparently.
No, there are too many of
December 9, 2008 - 18:37 ET by misterbee241No, there are too many of them. When all other life has faded from this earth a kennedy and a roach will still be here.
PAY PER VIEW
December 9, 2008 - 16:33 ET by MillerTimeWarpThats right ! Sunday Sunday Sunday....its Obama's ego against the neverending Cameltoe...er..Camelot Kennedy. Which will make you gag more. Will it be the Savior's Inauguration or Kennedy's new digs in New York. We don't know ! So much to see, and so much not to care about.
Another worthless Kennedy in
December 9, 2008 - 18:23 ET by misterbee241Another worthless Kennedy in Congress, yeah, that's what we need.
My elderly Roosevelt-democrat aunt told me upon John-John's death, he was the best of the Kennedys. I agreed, and told her that was because his mother kept him away from the rest of the Kennedy trash.
Gov. Palin had zilch for
December 9, 2008 - 18:34 ET by bigtimerGov. Palin had zilch for experience to be named as a VP running mate...but Sweet Caroline is the Cats Meow.
No prob here...plus it's so exciting to talk about.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
The Kennedys are American
December 9, 2008 - 18:47 ET by Chris NormanThe Kennedys are American Royalty
They inherit their power from generation to generation...
Check, check and check
December 9, 2008 - 19:22 ET by brerolNever served in the military. Check. Never ran or presided over a large organization. Check. Never won or for that matter ran for political office. Check. Never served in a high profile position in the U.S. goverment. Check. She is a Kennedy. Check. Now we know why the media is so excited.
What was so great about the
December 9, 2008 - 19:47 ET by KevpotWhat was so great about the 'age of camelot'? Was it a philandering president whose nepotism put his brother in the AG slot? The Vietnam war? The USSR thinking we were weaklings who could be pushed around and tested? Talk about revisionism....
Kevpot... Yeah but...
December 9, 2008 - 19:55 ET by Clear thinkerKevpot...
Yeah but... they looked good!
Giovanni’s “Smelly Turd Award” Winner
Making Fun of AGW http://giovanniworld.wordpress.com/
Part of the Lib mythos.
December 9, 2008 - 19:55 ET by ahusserThe BS never fades or goes away. As an example check out McCarthyism, we are reminded of that BS every few weeks.
Change: When the winds of change blow hard enough, the most trivial of things can become deadly projectiles. From a Poster
Ted Kennedy does NOT make this decision
December 9, 2008 - 21:21 ET by Gat New YorkOnly Governor David Paterson can make that decision.
What makes this interesting is that whomever he picks must be up for re-election in only 2 years - the same time Paterson and the other NY US Senator Schumer are up for re-election. Paterson was never elected to Governor (took over when Spitzer resigned), so he has no established base statewide. Therefore his priority will be to make sure whomever he picks reflects positively on him statewide and will not drag down the Democratic ticket that year.
Also, there is very bad blood between Andrew Cuomo and the Kennedy family. If Cuomo is passed over for Caroline then Paterson will probably have to face Cuomo for the nomination.
Camelot
December 9, 2008 - 22:59 ET by thebutlerdiditA term that was never used when JFK was alive. Seems to me it is associated with DEATH. Something gross about the continuing use of it, in my view. They breed a lot, the Kennedys, but they also pass away at a pretty fast clip. I don't know anything about the NY Senate seat, per se, but it seems to me there has to be someone that has experience in there somewhere. I heard that Fran Dresher wanted the seat. I know we have a "nanny"state now, but wouldn't this be taking it too far?
tbdi... Hey Fran really
December 9, 2008 - 23:19 ET by bigtimertbdi...
Hey Fran really wants that seat...not wanted it.
Btw..from what I heard reported by the esteemed msm today regarding all of her qualifications to take the seat, heck she beats Sweet Caroline hands down...which as far as I am concerned isn't saying much.
(of course the msm didn't compare the two in their reports, they wouldn't dare... I just laughed at all of this, even though I know we may get one of these pathetic leftist bimbos as a Sen.) they may as well join the crowd, we may be getting Franken and Matthews, why not a couple comedic gals to add to the mixture.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
But I thought that
December 9, 2008 - 23:37 ET by thebutlerdiditthe reason that they,{MSM}, hated Palin was because she wasn't "informed." How does that square with them if they pick Fran? She is not "informed," as far as I can see. Of course she probably will get a pass because she is from Hollyweird. It gives you a special kind of intelligence. How to deal with those "elites" in the media, and I guess in NY. I actually like Fran, she has had a hard row to hoe, as we say here in the south, and she is a native Nyer. I guess I find it hard to believe there aren't more pols who would want the seat.