Is Caroline Kennedy Qualified to Serve in the Senate?

By U.S. News Staff

December 16, 2008 RSS Feed Print

Caroline Kennedy would like to be appointed to the Senate should Sen. Hilary Clinton be confirmed as the next Secretary of State. ABC World News has called Kennedy "the heir to America's political royalty." Meanwhile, polling shows that Kennedy is tied with New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo among registered voters for the position. Is Caroline Kennedy qualified to serve in the Senate? And if so, does she deserve Hilary Clinton's seat? Post your thoughts.

Previously: Palin does not have John McCain's Support for 2012. Does she have yours?

Tags:
Caroline Kennedy,
Senate,
Congress

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Agreed, she has her name only for recommendation.

Which can be compared to entrusting Chuch Yeagars daughters Susan or Sharon as pilots...based on his superior performance with jet aircraft...

Not for me!

sparkyrn of MA 9:19AM December 31, 2008

There is a reason why we have campaigns - it takes a lot to run and win. If we just appointed the front-runner with name recognigtion or "star power" (you liberals focused on celebutantes make me ill) then Hillary would have been your nominee. Campaigns tell you a lot about the person. Didn't you learn that with Barack and McCain? There are plenty of New Yorkers about whom we can tell much more that is substantive. The adjectives used to describe Kennedy could be used to describe any number of people you would never agree are qualified. You are all being led by your noses, your parochial politics, your tabloid grasp of the issues, and your fantasies about how the world works. May you get what you deserve!

dog of MT 8:09PM December 24, 2008

A person with no elected political experience has filled a vacated seat in the Senate.

In he last 50 years there was William Blakley, appointed TWICE to the senate when the seat was vacated.

Pierre Salinger. a White House Press Secretary was appointed to fill a vacated Senate seat.

In the 92nd Congress the spouse of the governor of Louisiana, Elaine Edwards, was chosen to fill a vacant seat.

Muriel Humphrey was chose to fill the seat vacated by her husband,Hubert, when he passed away.

Maryon Allen of Alabama was chosen to replaced her husband when he passed away.

David Karnes was chosen to replace Edward Zorinsky. His only previous experience was as head of the Federal Home Loan Bank.

Jocelyn Burdick replaced her husband Quentin as Senator from North Dakota. Finally the last time someone who had no previous experience as an elected official was just a few years ago, when

Jean Carnahan was chosen to fill her husband, Mel Carnahan's Senate seat when he passed away.

There is nothing exceptional about someone who has never been elected to political office being selected to fill a vacated seat in the Senate.

Caroline Kennedy certainly has spent more time around politics and politicians as any of the people noted above, and at least she has a law degree, which gives her some knowledge of legislation, which is a primary concern to a legislator

Historically,at least recently, it has been the tradition for the spouse of the departing member to fill the vacated Senate seat...

I wonder if President Clinton is busy...

Nicholas J. of GA 12:18PM December 18, 2008

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