Jeff Wartman

Caroline Kennedy, daughter of the late President John F. Kennedy, is making a push to replace Hillary Clinton in the U.S. Senate as Clinton leaves to join the Obama cabinet.  However, questions about her own experience and competence are being raised as David Patterson waits for Senator Clinton to formally resign before he can make any appointments.

Kennedy has made one early, very crucial mistake.  She is refusing to release a financial disclosure prior to her appointment.

The former First Daughter is refusing to release financial information as she seeks to become New York’s next senator, maintaining her family dynasty’s longstanding practice of keeping its fortune tightly under wraps.

The problem with this is that as a U.S. Senator, she will be required to file the disclosure.  She won’t have a choice.  But, she is now saying that she will only file the disclosure once she becomes a Senator — not before.  She is refusing to release something she will later be required to release, which only leads to one conclusion:  there is probably something on there that she doesn’t want anyone to know about until after she becomes a Senator.

Furthermore, Ms. Kennedy doesn’t have the experience needed to be in the U.S. Senate.  Now, I’m not a “stickler” for experience.  I never thought the the “Obama doesn’t have executive experience” argument held much water.  I’m much more interested in examples of good judgement, thoughtfullness and ability to reason.  However, Caroline Kennedy has shown none of these.  She has shown she is another legacy who is looking for an appointment on her family name.

New Yorkers need to stand up and tell Governor David Patterson that Caroline Kennedy is unfit to be a United States Senator.