No, Please, Not Another Kennedy

(Elihu Vedder's "The Fates")

The Fates have kindly persevered far too often in rectifying our grievous mistakes of the past. Why continually put them to the test? Isn't Ted Kennedy's career enough of a warning? It's almost like they were saying, "damn, you people insist on electing these people, so here, we're going to let you keep just this one so you can see what's up with that. Just to show that we still have your best interests at heart, and in the hopes you finally learn your collective lesson, we're going to cause him to get caught doing something so stupid he'll never rise any higher, just to keep him from doing TOO much damage, but people-this is it."

Now Caroline Kennedy Schlossbery has expressed interest in taking the soon-to-be vacated New York Senate seat currently held by soon-to-be Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, which happens to be the same seat held by her Uncle Bobby (whose "removal" was one of those big favors the Fates kindly did for us). The irony here is that she was partially responsible for Obama beating Hillary in the primaries, so Obama might feel like he is somewhat on the spot, but that's probably a minor issue. Hillary, after all, already has her pay-back.

Now it's time for the people of New York to get theirs.

Caroline Kennedy will probably get the nod from Democratic governor Dave Patterson, with Obama's probable enthusiastic approval, and she will be no doubt be a consistently "liberal" vote, little more than a glorified yes-woman to Harry Reid and Obama, and will probably get mucho face time in the press, something which she is typically unaccustomed to, as one of the bridge builders between the executive and legislative branches. She'll doubtless have an influence on judicial appointments, health care initiatives, and education, among other things.

The torch is about to be past (yes I know this "past" is a typo but I decided to keep it as in this case it is appropriate) to a not quite as old generation of Kennedy's by the old decrepit Liberal Lyin' Ted, who might in a few years seem somewhat moderate by comparison.

But at least for the next four years, assuming this appointment goes through, the people of New York will have a right to complain, and will hopefully take their fate back into their own hand when the seat comes up for re-election in 2012, as opposed to once more entrusting it in the hands of doubtless very liberal Democrat Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg and telling her to run with it.