This is a hard diary to write, but a necessary one. Hard because I feel like I have been here forever - I weathered the Pie War and the Pope War. I was here when Armando was posting, as well as MaryScott O'Connor. I was here when kos used to dis Cheers & Jeers, and complained it was a "mojo fest" - now BiPM is paid to host it.
But it is a necessary diary, because I simply cannot stay, knowing my money (I'm one of those subscribers) was used by kos to fund a poll that will be used to support his claim that Caroline Kennedy should not be the next Senator from NY.
When all is said and done, the reason why kos doesn't want Caroline Kennedy to be the next Senator from New York is blatant, open prejudice. Just as you can be prejudiced against someone because of their race, or age, or sex, you can be prejudiced against someone because they had the good fortune to be born into a particular family, and you were not.
I loathe prejudice. It makes my skin crawl. And, as clicking on my user name will readily reveal, I grew up in an Irish Catholic family. My mother managed the campaign office for President Kennedy in 1960. I have a framed photograph in my office of my mother standing with President Kennedy. I have another framed photograph of my father standing with Bobby Kennedy during the Senate run. The murder of President Kennedy is a day I can, and never will forget. I was eleven. I heard the news over the PA system, and I hurried home, terrified I was going to have to tell my mother the news. But she had already heard. As a family, we sat through that horrible weekend. When Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald on national television, one of my brothers cried out in anguished approval. And my father turned to him and said "No. No.". My Dad was afraid that with the murder of Oswald, we would never know what really happened.
When Bobby Kennedy ran for the Senate, my parents were, once again, enthusiastic supporters. When he was murdered (once again, we were watching his triumphant win in the California primary), my parents were heartbroken. I had been working for Gene McCarthy, and had been arguing with my Dad about the Presidential race. But murder has a way of quieting dissension. And so things were quiet around my house for a few days.
I think Caroline Kennedy would be a great Senator. I also think Andrew Cuomo (who made the famous "shuck and jive" comment in January, who tried to primary Carl McCall in 2002 (that campaign didn't work out so well), is a terrible candidate. I've diaried about that here. I tried to explain upstate politics here.. But kos is on a roll here. So I give up, I surrender.
The point is not whether Paterson will appoint her. I have no idea whether he will or he won't. After all, everyone involved is political royalty, including David Paterson. My point is that kos, for reasons known only to him, doesn't want Caroline Kennedy to be our next Senator. I've heard a lot of reasons from kos and from Adam B. None of them hold much water for me. Because, in the end, it's prejudice.
And prejudice I cannot abide.