Kennedy Finishes Tour
-
- December
- 17
In quick stops to upstate cities, Caroline Kennedy made her first public statements today about her plans to seek the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, but offered few details on what she would do in office.
The daughter of late President John F. Kennedy visited privately with leaders in Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo as she seeks to drum up support for her Senate bid.
In Syracuse, she read from a prepared statement, saying “I’ve told Gov. (David) Paterson that I’d be honored to be considered for the position.”
Later in Rochester, she offered more of an explanation on why she feels qualified to serve in the Senate.
“I have had a lifelong commitment to public service,” she said. “I’ve written books on the constitution and the importance of individual participation. I think I really could help bring change to Washington.”
The 51-year-old Manhattan resident admitted that “it’s my first time in Rochester, but I’ll be back as many times as Chuck Schumer,” a joke about the omnipresent senior New York senator.
Kennedy held to a carefully crafted script and was whisked away by aides after briefly addressing the media. Her trip was not made public by her staff, and she gave only brief notice to leaders that she was coming to town.
The visits drew criticism from some political leaders and observers, who said Kennedy needs to do more than just show up to win public support – especially in upstate New York where the economy needs revitalization.
“There’s no evidence that she’s qualified. The fact is she has a well-known name,” Rep. Peter King, R-Nassau County, who is planning to run for the seat in 2010, said on CNN Wednesday afternoon.
The Democratic governor will select Clinton’s successor after she is confirmed as secretary of state to President-elect Barack Obama, likely next month.
Winning support upstate is seen as critical for Kennedy, who would have to seek election in 2010, the same year Paterson will be seeking re-election.
Kennedy drew praise from the leaders she met Wednesday.
“I don’t think she has to explain her background,” said Rochester Mayor Robert Duffy. “She was not campaigning with me. She asked questions. She was interested in the region, the area, the issues.”
Kennedy has been slowly building support from leaders, including from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-Fairport, Monroe County, who attended the meeting in Rochester.
Some Democratic officials said privately this week that Paterson will be hard pressed not to pick Kennedy as her support grows. Some officials said the only other person that could compete with Kennedy’s stature is state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo has not publicly said whether he is interested in the job.
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, December 17th, 2008 at 5:58 pm by Joseph Spector.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
| 
Email This
