You’d think, as the 25th approached, Caroline Kennedy would only increase in power. Like Superman recharging near the sun, Catholics derive energy from Christmas the way Jews do from Passover, and Episcopalians from gin. But that doesn’t appear to be the case this year. According to the Times, Governor Paterson is annoyed that Caroline’s handlers are telling people her appointment to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate is already a “done deal,” which makes Pattycakes feel boxed in. Democratic State Assembly leader Sheldon Silver doesn’t want her to be senator because she’s aligned with Mayor Bloomberg, who is not a Democrat and is also basically enemies with Silver. And resistance among state party leaders is beginning to solidify against her.
Plus, the Daily News, New York’s liberal-leaning tabloid where Caroline used to toil as a copy girl, has gone and dug up her rough net worth — a surefire blow to her populist appeal. Kennedy’s worth is well over $100 million, according to the paper, which includes a $40 million, 366-acre oceanside estate on Martha’s Vineyard (we almost threw up typing that, and we like rich people). After a bunch of billionaires basically brokered this year’s change on mayoral term limits, New Yorkers are already chafing against the feeling that we live in some sort of pseudo-democratic oligarchy. Which we wouldn’t mind, if we were the oligarchs. Or if we even just had the estate on Martha’s Vineyard.
Resistance to Kennedy Grows Among Democrats [NYT]
Caroline Kennedy: The $100M Woman [NYDN]
