Report: Caroline Kennedy Withdraws Name For Senate Seat

By Jeralyn, Section Other Politics
Posted on Wed Jan 21, 2009 at 08:02:30 PM EST
Tags: Caroline Kennedy (all tags)

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Update: It's official. Caroline Kennedy released a statement just after midnight saying she withdrew her name.

Update: Commenters below are saying David Gregory reported on Maddow tonight that the media got it wrong and she has not withdrawn her name.

****With Hillary Clinton confirmed as Secretary of State, it will only be a matter of days before New York Governor David Paterson names her replacement.

It won't be Caroline Kennedy who withdrew her name from consideration this afternoon for personal reasons, specifically, the health of her uncle, Senator Ted Kennedy.

Who's left? [More...]

The other declared candidates are Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi, Rep. Steve Israel (D-Huntington), Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-Hudson), former Rep. Elizabeth Holtzman, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan) and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-Manhattan).

The Washington Post says Andrew Cuomo is the leading contender. A decision is expected Saturday.

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Report: Caroline Kennedy Withdraws Name For Senate Seat | 68 comments (68 topical)

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This development (5.00 / 0) (#1)
by CoralGables on Wed Jan 21, 2009 at 08:09:52 PM EST

certainly lessens the chances of a female replacement but doesn't eliminate the possibility entirely.

: Given how angry Paterson was when (none / 0) (#32)
by tigercourse on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 09:40:54 AM EST

no female judges were suggested to replace one who had to retire, I think it's pretty likely that a woman will still get the seat.
My money is on Maloney. But I've been wrong before. Alot.

Toobin doubts the rationale (5.00 / 1) (#2)
by Cream City on Wed Jan 21, 2009 at 08:15:10 PM EST

given, since the Senator was released so swiftly, so the hospital stay was a precaution -- as he is as "desperately ill," unquote Toobin, as the Senator was a week ago or a month ago.

Toobin says this is the graceful out that Caroline Kennedy was given when she got the word that she was not going to be given the appointment. So he says. Makes much more sense, but what do media know. . . .

I agree with Toobin (5.00 / 3) (#9)
by Jeralyn on Wed Jan 21, 2009 at 08:50:33 PM EST

I think she got a heads up.


: Aha, yep -- and here's why. (5.00 / 0) (#53)
by Cream City on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 02:49:08 PM EST

Says the New York Times:

ALBANY -- Problems involving taxes and a household employee surfaced during the vetting of Caroline Kennedy and derailed her candidacy for the Senate, a person close to Gov. David A. Paterson said on Thursday, in an account at odds with Ms. Kennedy's own description of her reasons for withdrawing. . . .
And it goes on to give insight into Paterson's staff against her, etc.
(Of course, such problems are not causing the Treasury nominee to withdraw.)

I ewas just going to suggest the same (5.00 / 1) (#29)
by ruffian on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 09:20:24 AM EST

Withdrawing ones name seems to be what people do this transition period when they have been told they will not be selected.


graceful (none / 0) (#27)
by jedimom on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 09:02:57 AM EST

yes and Caro needs to work on the graceful exit aspect as well as her speech mannerisms apparently, the in or out thing doesn't fly in NY...glad this embarassing escapade of nepotism is ovah!


: This reason seems as lame (none / 0) (#50)
by Slado on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 01:32:09 PM EST

as a celeberity going into "re-hab" after getting caught doing something.
Why not just say after further consideration I want to concentrate on other ways to help the American people, blah, blah, blah

I said not to bet on Kennedy (5.00 / 1) (#3)
by andgarden on Wed Jan 21, 2009 at 08:15:27 PM EST

And I don't really agree with the Post that Cuomo is the most likely bet.

I still think Maloney has a very good shot.

Misunderstanding or not, I think it would be hard (5.00 / 1) (#8)
by Angel on Wed Jan 21, 2009 at 08:31:04 PM EST

for Caroline to continue to actively seek the appointment. The perception is out there that she has withdrawn her name. Maybe, just maybe, Patterson intentionally misconstrued the import of Caroline's conversation with him....would make an easy out for him. I think he possibly felt boxed in by the Kennedys, and this gives him a reason to appoint Cuomo or Maloney or whomever. It has become apparent that New Yorkers prefer someone other than Caroline, namely Cuomo. She saves face by withdrawing.

Boxed in by the Kennedys? (5.00 / 3) (#18)
by gyrfalcon on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 12:42:39 AM EST

I keep reading stuff like this in blog comments but it makes absolutely no sense to me, first because the only Kennedy with any clout is Teddy, and secondly because I don't know what pressure he could (or would, but that's another matter) put on Paterson other than a good argument.

Having a lot of passionate supporters who happen to be related to you and share a famous name does not a boxing-in make, IMHO.

The only thing Paterson has been "boxed in" on is that there are very good arguments for each of several possible appointees, all of whom also have good arguments against them.

There's a weird fantasy out there about "the Kennedys" that simply doesn't comport with the realities of 2008.


Amen (5.00 / 2) (#35)
by daring grace on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 10:04:13 AM EST

I've found it amusing to read all the comments about the vaunted Kennedy clout and how it would overpower Paterson and swing the seat to CK.

New York state politics ain't so easily susceptible to 'outside' forces even assuming any were being brought to bear.

There are ample angles for scratching and clawing and bringing pressure to bear right here in our own backyard. We've got not only our own impressive dynasties to contend with (hello, Andrew) and the makings of a really tough hold on Dem power at the state level with the new All-Dem leadership in both houses and the Governor's mansion.


I don't really think Ted is the Kennedy (none / 0) (#49)
by Inspector Gadget on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 01:18:33 PM EST

with the clout for Caroline.

She remains viewed by many as the last remaining member of Camelot. If she gets special treatment, it's because of Jack Kennedy, not Ted. He may help, but she will always be the daughter of our most recent fallen President.

From the beginning, I thought she was only pursuing the job because it was an appointment and void of having to campaign for votes.


: Daughter of Camelot (none / 0) (#54)
by daring grace on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 03:24:22 PM EST

Maybe she really did want the position.
I don't know. Watching her and listening to the whole campaign for her, it all seemed so...half hearted to me. And serving in this capacity also just doesn't gibe as much with her usual behind the scenes brand of service.
She has always struck me as a fairly low key sort of celeb--interested in doing the things to burnish her parents' (and her brother's?) place in history, but completely disinterested in politics (and in putting herself forward this way) before. I think she's her mom's daughter in terms of her preference for privacy.
This never felt like her idea to me. But you're right. Her idea or that of someone standing behind her--the hope was to use JFK more than Teddy to help get there.

Maybe the Teddy clout is declining (5.00 / 1) (#41)
by Cream City on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 11:10:36 AM EST

is what this means? Politics can be cruel, the past is past, you can be yesterday in no time, as you're only as good as what you can do for tomorrow, etc. . . .

A Congress without Teddy Kennedy -- and Byrd -- is a worrisome thing, with so many wusses in power there.


He's got plenty of clout (5.00 / 1) (#42)
by CST on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 11:36:15 AM EST

In the two places he should have it, D.C. and MA. Nothing declining there.

It's a very worrisome thing - and I for one, am not gonna count him out until they nail the coffin shut. At which point... hope that Kerry can somehow grow a spine and start paying more attention to the people who put him there.


: Dream on (5.00 / 1) (#45)
by gyrfalcon on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 11:52:09 AM EST

Kerry has never behaved that way and isn't suddenly going to start.

No, it means Teddy (5.00 / 2) (#44)
by gyrfalcon on Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 11:50:31 AM EST

has never practiced that kind of hard-edged politics and isn't going to start now. That's just not the way he operates, even in Mass. In all my years of living in Mass., following politics closely and knowing a few people