Vatican Blocks Caroline Kennedy Appointment as US Ambassador

So.... um... like.... you know, Mr. Pope... um... like... I'm ... you know, pro-choice and stuff!

How naive and narcissistic of Obama to even think of nominating someone who is pro-choice to be US Ambassador to The Vatican?

Seriously, what is he thinking? What's next, nominating Louis Farrakhan as Ambassador to Israel?

Puh-lease! I get it. She supported Obama during the campaign and he wants to reward her with something. I'm just not exactly sure what she's qualified to do!

Even Kumar is more qualified, apparently.

The Telegraph reports:

Vatican sources told Il Giornale that their support for abortion disqualified Ms Kennedy and other Roman Catholics President Barack Obama had been seeking to appoint.

Mr Obama was reportedly seeking to reward John F Kennedy's daughter, who publicly gave her support to his election bid. She had been poised to replace Hillary Clinton as New York senator, but dropped out amid criticism that she lacked enough experience for the job.

The Italian paper said that the Vatican strongly disapproved of Mr Obama's support for abortion and stem cell research. The impasse over the ambassadorial appointment threatens to cloud his meeting with the Pope during a G8 summit in Itay in July.

Ms Kennedy, 53, has said that she supports abortion. Raymond Flynn, a former US ambassador to the Vatican, said earlier this week that Ms Kennedy would be a poor choice.

"It's imperative, it's essential that the person who represents us to the Holy See be a person who has pro-life values. I hope the President doesn't make that mistake," he told the Boston Herald. "She said she was pro-choice. I don't assume she's going to change that, which is problematic."

The White House refused to comment.

Hope at Last! NY Governor Paterson Taps Conservative "Blue Dog" Democrat to Replace Hillary Clinton In US Senate

We proudly salute New York Governor David Paterson who announced today that Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand will replace Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the US Senate.

Gillibrand, whose family and politics have strong Republican ties, is friendly to the NRA and voted against the TARP bailout in September, The Village Voice reported.

The irony is that Paterson may be swinging from the nation's most prominent Democratic family to one with strong Republican ties. Gillibrand's father, Doug Rutnik, is an Albany insider and lobbyist whose ties to former GOP powerhouses Joe Bruno, George Pataki and Al D'Amato are legendary.



Ironically, Chuck Schumer, who defeated D'Amato in 1998, is said to be Gillibrand's top Democratic champion. What's even more ironic is that Gillibrand has a one hundred percent rating from the National Rifle Association, and Schumer made his own national reputation as a sponsor of the assault weapons ban and a fierce proponent of Brady bill and other gun control legislation. Gillibrand even opposes any limitations on the sale of semiautomatic weapons or "cop-killer" bullets that can pierce armored vests.

Schumer's other signature issue is the care and feeding of Wall Street, and Gillibrand voted against both of the Schumer-supported financial service bailout bills last fall, which have delivered billions to New York, salvaging institutions like Citigroup. An editorial in Crain's, the city's premier business news magazine, said recently that Gillibrand "should be disqualified" from seeking the senate seat "by her politically expedient vote" against the bailout.

Despite voting with House Democrats 93% of the time, she does validate her "Blue Dog" status in some instances.

Gillibrand has described her own voting record as "one of the most conservative in the state." She opposes any path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, supports renewing the Bush tax cuts for individuals earning up to $1 million annually, and voted for the Bush backed FISA bill that permits wiretapping of international calls. She was one of four Democratic freshmen in the country, and the only Democrat in the New York delegation, to vote for the Bush administration's bill to extend funding for the Iraq war shortly after she entered congress in 2007. While she now contends that she's always opposed the war and has voted for bills to end it, one upstate paper reported when she first ran for the seat: "She said she supports the war in Iraq." In addition to her vote to extend funding, she also missed a key vote to override a Bush veto of a Democratic bill with Iraq timetables.

That being said, Town Hall reports The American Conservative Union rates Gillibrand to be just as Liberal as Sec. Clinton:

Cong. Kirsten Gillibrand from Columbia County, NY. Her ACU rating in her only year rated year in Congress -- 8. Exactly the same as Clinton in 2007.

***Related

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Caroline Kennedy Withdraws Her Name From Consideration to Senate

No matter how you slice it, Caroline Kennedy will NOT replace Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the US Senate.

The New York Times cited personal reasons:

Her concerns about Senator Edward M. Kennedy's deteriorating health (he was hospitalized after suffering a seizure during President Obama’s inaugural lunch on Tuesday ) prompted her decision to withdraw, this person said. Coping with her uncle’s condition was her most important priority, a situation not conducive to starting a high profile public job.

But The New York Post is reporting that another factor might be in play.

Caroline Kennedy tonight withdrew her name from consideration to replace Hillary Clinton in the U.S. Senate after learning that Gov. David Paterson wasn't going to choose her, The Post has learned.

During the last few weeks, the media had reported is was all but a certainty that Ms. Kennedy would be Gov. Paterson's choice.

As of today, the Governor remains "clueless".

Like, OMG! Caroline Kennedy, You Know: "You know...you know....you know....you know"

Couldn't resist! Like, Oh my God Becky...

"I'm really coming into this as somebody who isn't, you know, part of the system, who obviously, you know, stands for the values of, you know, the Democratic Party," Kennedy told the Daily News Saturday during a wide-ranging interview.

"I know how important it is to, you know, to be my own person. And, you know, and that would be obviously true with my relationship with the mayor."

"You know, I think, you know, we're sort of, uh, sharing some of this experience. And um, as I've said, he was a friend, a family member, and um so, and uh obviously, he's, you know, he's also had an impressive career in public office."

"It's really, you know, it's not about just the Kennedy name," she said. "It's about my own work and what I've done with those values."

Like, OMG! Sweet Caroline would, you know, make like a great Senator, you know!?

And the Left crucified Sarah Palin for the way she speaks.

Replacing Sen. Clinton: Kennedy-Cuomo-Paterson and NY State Family Fueds

Governor Paterson has his work cut out for him with respect to replacing Hillary Clinton. The top candidates are inter-woven in a web of marriage, betrayal and power sharing that would make Shakespeare proud!

Politico has a great article on New York nepotism, highlighting the family tiff between the Kennedys, the Cuomos and the Patersons.

It's no secret that New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo was once married to Kerry Kennedy, the cousin of Caroline, and sister of Robert Kennedy Jr. Their bitter divorce left the Cuomos and Kennedys at odds with each other.

Gov. Paterson has that to contend with, not to mention his father's connections to state politics.

"As we always say, politics in New York is a different ballgame," said pollster Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute of Public Opinion, adding, "Illinois may be making headlines, but it's still the Second City."

Indeed politics throughout the US are mired by nepotism, pay-to-play and behind the scenes wheeling and dealing.

Still, Gov. Paterson is in a most unenviable position; he cannot please everyone and is sure to have at least one New York Power Family against him.

And he thought answering Elliot Spitzer questions would be tough!