and for all the wrong reasons. Paterson while not being quoted, the other contenders believe the following:

they believe that Paterson, after nearly two months of indecision, would "greatly embarrass" and "entirely humiliate" Kennedy, anger her prominent political family and even offend President-elect Barack Obama by picking someone other than President John F. Kennedy's daughter

Now what does any of that have to do with her qualifications? More importantly the will of the people. The people of NYS want a special election to choose their own representative....and again just like in Illinois, the powes that be just blow past the will of the people.

It is being tested and uncontested every day that the Constitution of the USA is merely a historical document, that is completely and totally ignored by today's politicians....and tolerated by we the people.

When appointments are made in this manner, they should not be called representatives....because they were not the choosing of the people.

Our apathy will only continue to allow the chosen few to participate in the running of this country and will certainly allow those few to tamper with our freedoms as the see fit.

BTK

That is truly sad. Bad choice by Patterson and for the wrong reasons. I love NY, but their leadership has been bad for many years now.

This country is in for harder times than many think. Not only are the politicians in it for themselves and not the people, but the people have handed over their sovereignty and liberty free of charge. So be it.

I seem to remember that Gov. Patterson said that his choice must be acceptable to the Upstate NY voters. Not even my friends in Tompkins County think that this is a good choice. Upstate newpaper editorials are against this selection. I am willing to bet that in two years NY will have a new Gov. and Sen. At least one will be from the GOP.

...once upon a time there was an area called New York under the rule of the British monarchy. Then one day, after determining that life under a monarchy was intolerable, New York joined forces with other like-thinking areas and divested themselves of Britiish monarchial rule and became a democratic republic in league with other democratic republics. After a while, New York slowly reversed its thinking and began the path back to a form of monarchy - complete with royal families, princes and princesses, and the favors that accompany the regal being...

Where will it end? Time will tell!

I rarely have a chance to look at TOTV of late, but I did follow a thread a while back about the forthcoming senate selection for New York State, important to me as a New Yorker, and wondering if the posters were similarly New Yorkers or were just making political comment. Well, it's now four days since Governor Patterson made his choice--not Caroline Kennedy but rather Kirsten Gillibrand--and I cannot help but notice that NO ONE has added to the thread where previously everyone expressed absolute certainty that Kennedy was a foregone conclusion. I don't do political posts; my interest here has to do with knowing that what happens in New York affects me as a New Yorker. Hmmm....

I was happy to see the pundents wrong. We have an Upstate Senator, though I would have prefered Louise Slaughter. Louise had the misfortune of supporting Caroline Kennedy. I am, by the way, born and raised in Upstate. Go Bills!