Caroline: "I'm a Kennedy Democrat, a Clinton Democrat"

Photograph of Caroline Kennedy and the Rev. Al Sharpton amid the media frenzy by Bebeto Matthews/AP

Caroline Kennedy had lunch at Sylvia's with the Reverend Al Sharpton today and told reporters, "I feel like I'm a Kennedy Democrat, a Clinton Democrat, [Sen. Charles] Schumer, Barack Obama -- these are all leaders whose values I share and I feel like those are the kinds of values that I would bring."

However, Republican Rep. Peter King has been vocal questioning her abilities; he said to CNN, "I'm not aware of anything she has ever said about the Islamic terrorist war against us, what we have to do to defend ourselves, what we should do on foreign policy. I'm not saying you have to be a politician or to have held office ... but you have to be somewhere in the public arena. The fact is that she has a well-known name, her face has been on a lot of magazines but, really, very limited involvement in the public sphere."

Yesterday, Kennedy headed upstate to meet politicians in Syracuse, Buffalo and Rochester (and it was apparently very tightly controlled) and said, "I just hope everybody understands that it is not a campaign but that I have a lifelong devotion to public service. I’ve written books on the Constitution and the importance of individual participation. And I’ve raised my family. I think I really could help bring change to Washington.” She even joked, "I'll be back as many times as Chuck Schumer."

An interesting subplot is how trusted adviser to Mayor Bloomberg, Kevin Sheekey, has been pushing hard for Kennedy. The NY Times quotes someone who says "Sheekey's up to his eyeballs in this." While Bloomberg said Sheekey's private time is up to him, the mayor told The View, "If it were my call to pick somebody, I'd know exactly. I can't tell you, because I'd be getting involved. I should stay out of this race, it's up to Governor Paterson, he's lucky to have a number of different candidates. I was asked about Caroline Kennedy, she's very competent, she's done a lot for New York City."

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By Jen Chung in News on December 18, 2008 3:17 PM

Comments [rss]

glennQNYC

This charade is appalling. Go Peter King!

nik13

Just what we need, another Kennedy in search of the throne. With a very short resume: a Kennedy, a socialite, a Kennedy. Cannot she just wait till uncle Ted Kennedy (D-Chivas) leaves his post?

Iphie

She's also the kind of Democrat who doesn't vote.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2008/12/18/2008-12-18_records_show_caroline_kennedy_failed_to_.html

Voting is for the little people who think those sorts of things matter.

NannyState

"Welcome to Buffalo, Caroline. This is the airport, and that's your hotel, and this is your limo, and oh, those people over there? They're people."

hungryghoast

does she realize that those things don't nearly mean what they used to mean? She's not exactly making a good case here....

HughGass

She looks like she just opened up the Ark of the Covenant.

Don't look at it Marion!!!

Pull My Finger

Thats the freaking crypt keeper!!!!!

ides_of_march

Campaign slogan:

Vote for me, my daddy came a lot.

Oh, wait, she wants to be appointed, nevermind.

ides_of_march

She's a Kennedy Democrat ---- wow, this woman has an jaw-droppingly awesome grasp of the friggin' obvious. She's also a Clinton democrat and an Obama democrat so she's not only entitled, she's schizophrenic.

I thought this country dispensed with inherited titles of nobility around 1776 but I guess I was wrong.

jaycjay

No one's going to look good when shot with that extreme barrel distortion. Really, her head isn't that huge.

The AP actually paid for that shot?

Snoopy

I looked at the photo again and I must ask, We haven't seen much of her over the years since John John died and perhaps she died and Keith Richards younger sister took over the role of being Caroline Kennedy. Perhaps?

Wza

Wow..that's a bad pic.

Snoopy

That photo needs some serious photoshop work. I sure hope she doesn't use it in her promo book. She's 51 and looks more like an embalmed version of her aunt Pat Lawford who died at the age of 82.

I see the Rev. Al brought out all his crew. They be cool and shit. Hanging and all like what rev want.

Why doesn't she use her real name, Caroline Bouvier Kennedy Schlossberg? Is she all of a sudden embarrassed that she married a Jewish guy?

At least they named their son Jack, not of the presidential line but of the mother's side "Black Jack" Bouvier a man who liked his cards and his women the same way. "21"

jaycjay

Pretty bizarre lens choice for photojournalism, Bebeto.

chris lee

ditto.. on the fisheye compliment. she's a hottie though..a little older than me..I'll bet my member would turn to gold after entry..

Rfive

I would not hit that.

Felix Hoenikker

Translation: I'm a lying corporate shill for hire with populist rhetoric.

btw, that fisheye closeup is not flattering.

Outter Burrougher

well, i say bloomberg doesn't want her - saying she's done good work for nyc isn't really an endorsement in other parts of the state.