NYC mayor praises Caroline Kennedy for Clinton’s Senate seat

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave a boost to Caroline Kennedy as a possible Senate candidate, saying she is experienced and “can do anything.” “Caroline Kennedy is a very experienced woman, she’s worked very hard for the city. I can just tell you she’s made an enormous difference in New York City,” said Bloomberg after meeting on Capitol Hill with other U.S. mayors to seek stimulus spending from Congress. – from AP

Gov. David A. Paterson said on Sunday night that Caroline Kennedy has not yet explicitly indicated to him that she wants to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton as senator. He added that he was still considering a number of candidates to fill the seat.

The chatter in Democratic circles has been dominated by the news that Mr. Paterson discussed the Senate seat with Ms. Kennedy last week, holding open the possibility that she might be chosen to occupy the seat once held by her uncle Robert F. Kennedy, and serve alongside another uncle, Senator Edward M. Kennedy.

Mr. Paterson, for his part, has spent much of the past few weeks fielding questions about whom he will choose to replace Mrs. Clinton, who was picked to be secretary of state by President-elect Barack Obama. The governor made sport of the speculation during a speech in Washington on Saturday night.

But he said that though he and Ms. Kennedy had discussed the Senate seat, the ball was essentially in her court.

“I have enough qualified candidates that I don’t think I have to draft anybody,” he said in an interview on Sunday night. “Part of the consideration is how willing people are to serve, so I would figure if they were willing, they would make the request. I haven’t really taken anyone in hand and asked them.”

- from NYtimes