CAROLINE: IT'S NOW MY TIME WANTS INTO FAMILY BIZ

NY Post ^ | July 6, 2008 | BRADEN KEIL and GINGER ADAMS OTIS

[COUNTrecount]

It's "her time" to get into the family business.

Caroline Kennedy's high-profile appointment to Barack Obama's vice-presidential search team was orchestrated in a deal brokered by her famous uncle, Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy, in exchange for his endorsement, The Post has learned.

It was the result of Carolina, a 50-year-old Harvard grad, indicating to her now-ailing uncle that it was "her time" to get into politics, insiders told The Post.

JFK's daughter is looking to get her feet wet in political affairs, sources said, including the possibility she could one day run for office in some capacity or accept a position within an Obama administration.

"Caroline was part of the deal" for Ted's surprise backing of Obama, an immediate family member said.

[COUNTrecount]

Neither Hillary! or Robert Kennedy initially "resided" in NY, yet both sought the NY Senate seat.One won, the other one? Things happen in June.

Carpetbaggers....since 1900 the term has been used more widely in the US to describe outsiders' attempting to gain political office or economic advantage, especially in areas (thematically or geographically) to which they previously had no connection.

Although she has lived on the Upper East Side most of her adult life, her real-estate holdings include late mom Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' sprawling estate on Martha's Vineyard, and Caroline has enduring family ties in Massachusetts.

[FES0844]

I agree, but sadly, it doesn’t matter...she’s a KENNEDY!

[Aliska]

Veep?

Uh oh, maybe. Something is up. I really don't like Obama, but it has nothing to do with the color of his skin. If the Republicans had someone just like him only different views, don't have to agree 100% with all of them, impossible, and some issues far too complex. I guess my mother is on my mind today because she would have said something like, "He could charm the birds off the trees." Yes, he has that, but I think I can see through most of it, think some genuine, can understand his appeal, but zero, zip, nada to me after having read his record and some of the other. Would almost rather see her president than Hillary or the big O, but she truly doesn't have the experience either, and that is saying a lot because I wish the politically entrenched families would just drop into obscurity or history.

My biggest disappointment are high profile Catholics who defy the most basic tenets of the faith. They set a bad example for those of us who are more sensitive and struggling and would be terrified to receive communion with an unconfessed, unrepentant, grave sin, same as I would feel in a Protestant church now that I believe it is serious business no matter what denomination you are, disregard other faiths. I try to be tolerant, no sense in going there here.

I got a "census" from the Republican Party, wrote a cover letter, don't know whether to include it or not, just another yes no undecided like any poll, and before you seal the envelope, money. Some of you wouldn't agree with all of it, would probably make some mad and think me a traitor so no posting it, and having reread it, maybe makes me sound bigoted, lacking clarity of thought, simplistic, and told them how I really feel about O I wouldn't say on a public forum although most would agree with me here on that etc., plus my writing skills have deteriorated and tried to pack too much in it. But I felt better even if it just stays on my hard drive.

[Aliska]

He kind of had me dazzled, too, but I’d like to think I’d stick with my principles no matter what. If his wife had that problem, we could have another Joan, only drugs, possibly, and for her (Joan) I feel pity (she wouldn’t like that) because I believe her husband didn’t help matters one bit. She started out with great promise and was in over her head.

[Aliska]

I thought your first paragraph was largely a mistake, EPA to some extent serves a good purpose but too powerful and overreaching, more government bloating, and some of it was truly bad for the environment, have been too verbose today, but normally I'm for privitization; however, I hate the new phone system loved the prices and simplicity of the old phone company we had, think nobody was being burned by that, maybe behind the scenes. I can understand with all the wires and piping, why it's best not to have a free-for-all in the utilities market. Heaven help us if we put the energy companies under government control although to a certain extent they are. Still the government monopolies on all of it and skyrocketing prices are distressing, think them out of proportion to what they could be and what my energy bills once were compared to now, 4X the mortgage payment on my house in the winter, inflation and demand. I'm not complaining about gas prices except for those truly hurt by them. Of course I don't like them, have conservative driving habits, would not be a bad person if I used 2 or 3 times what I actually do, and a small car for years; of course I notice a difference.

I try to put the Mary Jo business behind me, don't have proof she was pregnant, but I know she is dead from what sounds to me like negligent homicide. That grates on me still, not that I can't forgive a mistake, but a big mistake rewarded over and over, wish my life had been that charmed. Well not the way things are with him now.

[Non-Sequitur]

Is being a member of the Kennedy family a full time job? What other qualifications does she have?

In the Democratic party, what other qualification does she need?

[Aliska]

Your #79(?). Much I could say, but I agree with you about what I know, don't know everything, try not to envy the wealthy. I'm ashamed of my immigrant gr gr grandfather who sold liquor on Sunday and was hauled into court every year for the last five years of his life, sons alcoholics. It bothers me only because thought he was above the law or didn't care. Blue laws I think it was.

As to eco freak, I consider myself very concerned about the environment and try to live it in my own life, without going nuts over separating all the trash and going overboard, wouldn't think of throwing my trash out the car window, some pollution was truly a disgrace, but don't consider myself an eco freak by any means. People come first, and we can't even get our priorities right about them, another topic. Yes, drill offshore and ANWR and no excuses it will only cost more. So will more energy efficient cars will cost more for the initial outlay, we will have to pay for R&D blah blah, for the average consumer, wait and see. I resent going to HDTV on the public airways, is going to cost me for no good reason and a lot of tv's will have to be driven (no pickup) to recycling centers for electronics. I will have to buy an adapter or a new tv whereas mine is perfect for my needs, hardly ever turn it on, little worth watching.

Just told my daughter I thought a lot of global warming was hype, that sort of thing. Like we're all going to have draconian measures imposed on us if we don't watch it while the elite will go on life as usual.

I should have mentioned in reply to another poster I remember people who couldn't afford phones or chose not to have them. Now a cell phone is a necessity for the poorest among us, it seems. I can see it for some people, so I'm not anti-everything.

[Chode]

bingo...

[Osage Orange]

Caroline is definitely top rank for woman at age 50.

Each to their own.......

[wardaddy]

You think the privatization of public utilities like water departments and sewer departments and municipals gas companies was a mistake?

The fact is that private industry runs just about anything short of the military better than government. That is a bulwark of conservatism.

We saved usually at least 40% to the taxpayer prior to what the government run utility had...many public works departments run like a spoils system nepotism racket.

Further dealing with the EPA is a fact of life if one handles waste of any sort and you have to live by their regs or they will kill you with fines. They also offer contracts.

Since 1975, there have been many contracts to improve the nations water and sewer systems and to handle the waster therein. If we didn't take it, then you can bet a foreign firm like Severn Trent of England will. Outside of defense, it's been the largest federal and local effort since the interstate highway system and had to be done. You would be shocked at the size of the infrastructure involved and it does decay.

Privatiazation of public works has nothing to do with oil companies or power companies.

[Aliska]

You think the privatization of public utilities like water departments and sewer departments and municipals gas companies was a mistake?

No. If that's the way it was run in the past, I didn't have a problem with it. Now I do. But I also don't fit into the corporate world either although my ex worked for a F500 company. I only saw it through a wife's eyes, much I didn't like, and worked for the govt, much I didn't like about that. You were kind enough to respond to my post, and I thought yours deserved a response, lame though it was. Now your grilling has my mind going in circles. I have to parse my words very carefully and not say anything sometimes, because I don't like getting into arguments, not that you are trying to start one. I wasn't trying to bait anyone, but try to speak from my heart sometimes.

Some of this you obviously know more about than I do, I was never forced to think about a lot of it or had the leisure to, but that doesn't mean I didn't think about things with few people to bounce them off of other than my little world either.

I'm too tired to think about much else tonight, it's hot and humid, and I'm having a terrible problem with Jap beetles, only trying to make things better and me happier outside am beginning to wonder if it is worth it even though my yard and house were the scourge of the neighborhood before. Tomorrow I'm going to turn on the central air, never had the luxury of it before, son got it for me. I tough it out to save on my utility bill in the summer as long as I can stand it.