The people just don't know Caroline like I do. That was the essence of Andrea Mitchell's defense of the would-be senator after Pat Buchanan analogized her to another nominee who famously flopped. Appearing on Morning Joe, Buchanan unleashed a merciless metaphor.
PAT BUCHANAN: It's not only entitlement. It appears–we are getting close to Harriet Miers country, where Bush put her out there, and it became transparent when people started going after her that she wasn't quite up to this --
Buchanan's barb stirred Andrea into action.
ANDREA MITCHELL: I think people would be very surprised, Pat, if they got to know her.
Maybe so, but when Joe Scarborough proposed that Kennedy sit down for an hour with Katie Couric for the express purpose of letting people get to know her, Mitchell gave thumbs down. According to Andrea, going public in that way would offend Gov. Paterson, who has the power of appointment. Please. If Caroline did well with Katie, it would build such momentum for her that Paterson's putative concerns would be overwhelmed.
When Scarborough asked Andrea if Kennedy was conversant with the issues, Harold Ford Jr. jumped in to say that she shouldn't be held to a higher standard than other senators. Agreed Andrea: "how many hearings have you guys watched? I mean, you've watched them every day. You know it." Translation: the Senate is swimming with mediocrities—one more won't hurt anything!
Of course we all remember how the MSM was happy to lower the bar for Palin. Or not.
Note: Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) made the rounds on Today and Morning Joe, where on the latter he made no bones about his interest in running for the Senate seat in 2010. He made an interesting revelation about Caroline's much-vaunted work at an educational non-profit. She apparently toiled to the tune of an average of . . . one-to-two hours a week.
View video of King's Today appearance here.
