There Is No Plan

it's not easy being royalty

And ironically, not with a bang but a whimper.

After generations of dramatic exits, it’s ironic that Caroline Kennedy’s withdrawal from contention for the open Senate seat in New York should be so lacking in it.

It was so obviously a ruse (and a self-serving one at that) to use the timely collapse of her beloved uncle at the Inaugural luncheon as a way out of a hasty and ill-considered decision to seek the seat, that it makes a mockery of the Kennedy reputation for bravery and grit.

Of course, there was much talk of nannies with no papers, and a few other hiccups along the way, such as Caroline Kennedy’s apparent struggles with the English language, but in the end, the idea just petered out. And Governor David Patterson of New York ended up being the last person ever to pander to a Kennedy, and badly denting his reputation in the process.

Because the myth is finally over, Ladies and Gentleman. It seems, that the cult of personality, or in this case, the cult of family, indeed has a limited shelf life. Perhaps the American obsession with aristocracy is finally coming to an end. And not a moment too soon.

i am grateful

We now know for sure that Obama wanted to keep Lieberman on board. I’m certain his voice was the key to his survival as chair of the Homeland Security Committee. Obama probably didn’t make his reasons clear, but it seems certain they were straightforwardly tactical. Lieberman is in the Senate for at least four more years. So it’s a good idea for Obama to own him to help him beat GOP filibusters. It’s unlikely he cares much for a turncoat, but the key here is appearances. Who doesn’t like to be forgiven, and who doesn’t like to be seen as forgiving?

Lieberman was kind enough to do his part by saying that he was grateful to Obama for putting in a good word for him, a not so subtle hint that the President-Elect was running the show. The whole episode made Lieberman go all warm and fuzzy inside.  Katie Couric interviewed Lieberman earlier…

He added that he thought the Democratic message on the subject was, “it’s time for us to reconcile, to close ranks.” He added he was “very grateful” and “in some senses feeling closer to the Senate Democratic caucus than I have since the 2000 election.”

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