Today's stop on the whirlwind Caroline Kennedy listening world cup soccer tickets and political-exploration tour could not have been more different from the circus-like atmosphere that has been a fixture of her meetings with notable New Yorkers in recent world cup soccer tickets days.
Ms. Kennedy's meeting on Friday with Randi Weingarten , the president of the United Federation of Teachers, took place in a hotel restaurant where hardly anyone seemed to take notice of the daughter of America's 35th president.
world cup soccer tickets Sitting at a table by the restaurant's front door, Ms. Kennedy sat alone for a short time until Ms. Weingarten arrived. The two embraced warmly and spoke in an animated fashion for about an hour over nothing world cup soccer tickets more than coffee, with Ms. Kennedy frequently taking notes on a notepad.
In contrast with the previous day's meeting at a Harlem soul food restaurant with the Rev. Al Sharpton with a press corps of nearly 50 people in tow Friday's meeting at the Sheraton world cup soccer tickets Manhattan hotel was, well, almost normal. Ms. Kennedy seemed utterly relaxed during the lengthy talk with the leader of the teachers' union.
Before leaving with her political consultant, Josh Isay, Ms. Kennedy was asked her impressions of the last week, since her interest became widely known in the United States Senate seat now held by Hillary Rodham Clinton .
When asked if the discussion included politics, Ms. Weingarten said: "No. We talked about education and labor issues. We talked about the education world cup soccer tickets needs of the state and the nation. It was a discussion chock full of information."
Since President-elect Barack Obama named Senator Clinton as his choice for secretary of state, some politicians have mentioned Ms. Weingarten's name as a person Gov. David A. Paterson should consider for the Senate.
In the public discussion that Governor Paterson was considering appointing Ms. Kennedy to the Senate seat, once Senator Clinton is confirmed world cup soccer tickets as secretary of state, Ms. Weingarten world cup soccer tickets has been somewhat reserved in her public statements about that choice.
"She is very gracious and very nice," Ms. Weingarten said. "I love the fact that she talked about my members in the glowing terms that she used. I very much appreciate anybody who wants to engage in the public sphere. It's not easy to engage in it. And when you have people who do, it's a good thing."
But, she added: "Caroline Kennedy would be a real public servant for New York. She has been in the past and she would be in the future. I'm delighted we had the opportunity to speak so candidly and to have an in-depth conversation on education."
Still, it seemed unusual that Ms. Kennedy could sit unnoticed in such a public place, particularly in a week where her image has been on television, in newspapers , and on blogs and in Internet video .
(Indeed, one man in his early 30s, visiting from Germany, asked "why the lady at the table next to us was being photographed? When told that it was Ms. Kennedy, he said: "Isn't she running for something?")
"I didn't especially notice them, but then, we are in Midtown," Ms. Walcott said. "We're world cup soccer tickets a high volume place. And when people have a busy morning, they pretty much go about their business world cup soccer tickets and don't pay too much attention to others."
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And the way she took a bite at that chicken during the lunch with Sharpton yesterday was something. She will be a force to be reckoned with. Besides, everybody knows that her most valuable asset is that she has the ear of the President-Elect.
Our New York City schools already world cup soccer tickets spend enormous sums of money per student (among the highest in the country, if not the world) yet do a poor job. A major part of the cost of our schools is various contract requirements and work rules (hours per day, days per year, non-teaching administrative jobs, etc.) insisted on by Randy Weingarten and the teachers union.
That s what I like most about Caroline. She s not an insider and she hasn t been jaded, tainted or corrupted by the typical political manueverings, etc. As we all know the Kennedy s have always been geared to public service they don t need to be in politics, they want to be there. And like Hillary, she will throw her heart and soul into the job, and make a huge difference. Give her a chance, and I ll bet we will all be pleasantly surprised!
I believe in Caroline Kennedy s principals however, part of the reason anyone would ever enter into public service is due to the principal of adhering to a code in any representative republic that calls on all of us to at least vote. To at least make our voice heard, no matter the outcome, with a direct desire to influence the direction of our state, and of our country.
Having said that, if a private citizen wants to share his/her dreams and passion with the rest of the public, then the fact that this person HAS NOT voted as is her civic responsibility points to the fact that she does not want affect change with her fellow citizens she, unfortunately, chooses world cup soccer tickets to appeal to our baser selves who are intrigued with name, symbols and the media rather than our common responsibilities in taking care of OUR country.
The jockeying in Illinois and New York over appointment to the US Senate begs the question of why, if we are democracy, a seat on our nation s most important legislative body is left to the back room and not the people.
In Illinois, world cup soccer tickets Gov. Blagojevich looked to appoint the highest bidder, since the value of taking a seat without having to make one s case to the people, but nonetheless gaining the advantages of incumbency creates temptation for corruption.
In New York, we will also have a devil s bargain filled the Senate seat vacated by a former first lady. Reports have been published that consideration for that junior Senator s seat by Gov. Paterson may be based on his appointee s ability to raise $70 million in an election two years away.
Gov. Paterson, himself, a non-elected official whose career is owed to a trail-blazing father, would benefit from such a well-financed ticket. He may choose the daughter of a former President because of her draw in fundraising. Or the son of a former governor.
As an Obamaite I think that Kennedy represents the change that Obama sought and continues to seek. She is a political outsider who has not been entrenched with politics in the past. Moreover, when she gets appointed she will be one of thirteen senators who will have closer ties with the President because of her early support for him. Therefore, getting alot of resources for New York.
Caroline Kennedy and all associated world cup soccer tickets with her scheme to become senator should be entirely embarrassed and ashamed of themselves. From the over-use of her maiden name, through the sad use of her father s image, to the transparent tour of upstate and beyond this has been and continues to be a patently obvious ploy to somehow implant in the electorate s collective mind that she is entitled to this or any position world cup soccer tickets she desires. She is not entitled, she is not qualified to speak on behalf of NYS residents. She is a fraud of the worst ilk a lifetime, however long, of listening to the family s political war stories world cup soccer tickets at the dinner table does not in the least entitle anyone to serve in a governing position.
I m stupefied! Caroline Kennedy has a poor voting record; this indicates that she really wasn t all that interested in politics; two to three weeks ago she woke up one morning and she decided I want to be the US Senator from NY. She gets to meet with all these high-profile politicos because of her last name. The media hasn t followed or even discussed the activities of the other candidates who have tirelessly worked on behalf of the people world cup soccer tickets of NY such as Tom Suozzi, world cup soccer tickets or Carolyn Maloney. Some Caroline Kennedy supporters are so foolish to believe that just because she is a Kennedy that she is a good politician; they believe that she can re-ignite world cup soccer tickets the magic Camelot that was lost when her father and uncle were assassinated. This is not the 60s. NY is facing its worse economic crisis world cup soccer tickets since the 20s. It s so disgusting that the cult of personality is taking over our government.
world cup soccer tickets Now Ted Kennedy is calling world cup soccer tickets labor officials in D.C. to help his niece s campaign. The labor officials will lean, pressure world cup soccer tickets or lobby the Governor Patterson so that he will select a person with NO experience in politics because she feels entitled by her last name. This pandering, nepotism, and patronage goes against the CHANGE message that these two Kennedys supported just a few short months ago. And it s Washington as usual. Who is lobbying on behalf of the people of NY State? world cup soccer tickets Who looks out for our interests? NAUSEATING! Write Gov. Patterson an email and let him know how you feel about Caroline Kennedy. We need to stand up and let our thoughts and opinions be known.
Swiftpolitics has a vast network of paid consultants. world cup soccer tickets We pay them but the checks bounce. One of them is campaign consultant Lee Backwater. He was recently visited by Caroline Kennedy who wants New York Governor David Paterson to appoint her to the senate seat being vacated by Hillary Clinton. Lee tapes all his conversations. Here is the transcript.
Caroline Those stupid world cup soccer tickets windmills ? They wanted to put them off Cape Cod ! The whole family fought it. Who wants to see a windmill blocking our view ? Uncle Teddy would probably crash his sail boat into one.
I see the Times has submitted to Ms Kennedy a list of questions on the issues. Have you done the same to Attorney General Cuomo or Representative Maloney? A little world cup soccer tickets even handedness on your part would be appreciated, even if it is a done deal . (And, after two years, the electorate may even get involved )
As a Democrat, my chief concern about Kennedy is whether or not she will be capable of competing in the tough political arena. If she can t, she won t be able to retain the seat after it has been GIFTED to her. No Demo
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