NY Times
December 21, 2008
Kennedy Offers Hints of a Platform, and a Few Surprises
By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE
ALBANY — In just a few days, Caroline Kennedy’s bid to replace Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton has acquired nearly all the trappings of a traditional New York statewide campaign: a bevy of consultants, a tour of upstate cities and television cameras tracking her every move.
Now Ms. Kennedy has added something else to the list: a platform — of sorts.
Ms. Kennedy has not yet given a substantial interview to any publication and at recent appearances has declined to answer more than a few questions from reporters. But on Saturday, Ms. Kennedy’s spokesman provided written answers to 15 questions posed by The New York Times.
Most of the answers were brief, and some did not fully address the questions. Taken together, they cover only a small slice of the broad array of issues, from the parochial to the profound, that any New York senator is expected to confront. But as Ms. Kennedy seeks to convince Gov. David A. Paterson that she deserves the seat being vacated by Mrs. Clinton, the answers — drafted by Ms. Kennedy and her staff — provide a glimpse of her political ideology.
In most respects, Ms. Kennedy’s answers described views similar to those of other New York Democrats, including New York’s senior senator, Charles E. Schumer, and Mrs. Clinton. But she appears to support same-sex marriage, a significant difference between herself and Mrs. Clinton as well as president-elect Barack Obama, whose endorsement by Ms. Kennedy was a watershed event in the presidential race.
“Caroline supports full equality and marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples,” the statement said.
On social issues, Ms. Kennedy appears to oppose restrictions on abortion rights, including laws that would require young women to notify a parent before obtaining an abortion. But asked if she would support any state or federal restrictions on late-term abortions, Ms. Kennedy did not directly address issues like so-called partial birth abortion, instead simply offering an endorsement of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision in 1973.
“It’s a politician’s answer, and it doesn’t really tell you very much,” said Jack M. Balkin, a professor at Yale Law School.
She appears to share mainstream Democratic views on most labor issues. Ms. Kennedy supports federal legislation, known as the “card check” bill, that would make it easier for unions to organize, the highest priority for the labor movement. She expressed some concern about what she described as “unintended, negative consequences” of the North American Free Trade Agreement, but stopped short of saying that it should be modified.
Ms. Kennedy also said she supported the auto industry bailout bill passed by the House and widely supported in parts of upstate New York that are home to auto-parts manufacturers.
She did not provide answers about other issues that may prove more controversial. Ms. Kennedy did not say whether she supports a cap on local property taxes in New York, something that has sharply divided Democrats and Republicans in Albany. And she did not say whether she supports raising state or federal income taxes for the rich to help balance the budget and pay for government programs.
In her responses, Ms. Kennedy expressed strong support for Israel and said an undivided Jerusalem must be the country’s national capital.
In responses issued on Saturday to written questions from two other publications, Politico.com and The Buffalo News, Ms. Kennedy said she opposed the Bush administration’s decision to invade Iraq and “supports President-elect Obama’s plan to work with our military leaders to begin a responsible withdrawal.”
But Ms. Kennedy did not answer a question from Politico about whether she would support a Democratic candidate for mayor during the 2009 elections or supported Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s controversial but successful effort to alter New York City’s term-limits law to allow him to run for a third term.
Ms. Kennedy’s Senate effort has been managed by Josh Isay, a consultant to Mr. Bloomberg, who won his first term as a Republican and is now an independent. And she is also being aided by Kevin Sheekey, one of Mr. Bloomberg’s top deputies.
This lack of an answer could provoke Democratic officials in New York, many of whom had little relationship with Ms. Kennedy until she undertook a whirlwind tour of meetings this week, and some of whom will expect her to back the party’s nominees in general elections.
“As the last Democratic nominee, I would be very upset by a response like that,” said Fernando Ferrer, the Democratic nominee for mayor in 2005. “I don’t know if this is a disqualifying nonanswer, but it certainly doesn’t make Democrats comfortable.”
Mr. Ferrer noted that politicians were expected to back their party’s nominees in general elections, though some Democrats broke ranks to endorse Mr. Bloomberg in 2005.“I assume she would want Democratic support if she won a primary, and I presume she wanted Senator Clinton to support Senator Obama in the presidential race when it became clear that Senator Clinton did not have the delegate votes.”
A spokesman for the state Democratic Party, Carly Lindauer, said in a statement: “The mission of the New York State Democratic Committee is to help elect Democrats, at all levels, across the state. We hope that as a member of the party, the next senator would share that commitment and work with us to achieve our goals.”
In her responses, Ms. Kennedy said she opposed school vouchers but supported charter schools and Mr. Bloomberg’s efforts to maintain mayoral control of city schools.
In response to a question about whether she would favor modifying the school-governance law — which must be renewed by state lawmakers in the months ahead — Ms. Kennedy’s statement said: “She is always open to new ideas on how to make the law better so long as they don’t prevent the mayor from taking the actions he thinks are appropriate and for which he will be held accountable.”
On illegal immigration, Ms. Kennedy supported a position promoted by her uncle, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, backing a so-called path to citizenship for the undocumented.
“Caroline believes all undocumented workers should be required to legalize their presence in the United States and that we must create a way for them to do so,” according to her statement. “Undocumented workers should pay a fine, learn English and go to the back of the line behind those who came here legally.”
In her responses to The New York Times, Ms. Kennedy described herself as a “strong supporter” of gun control. In her responses to The Buffalo News, Ms. Kennedy added that she wanted to restore the federal ban on assault weapons that expired in 2004. Both positions are likely to find more favor in New York City and its suburbs than upstate.
Ultimately, however, Ms. Kennedy must satisfy only a single voter: Mr. Paterson, who has sole discretion over who to appoint to Mrs. Clinton’s seat.