I'm unconvinced that Caroline Kennedy, as just outright wrong as that whole scene is, can be propery considered 'nepotism.'

It's my take, first of all, that it's partially a payback for her rather public endorsement of Obama, and her willingly tying him on to the Camelot myth.

Then, too, there's the issue of star power. As has been pointed out elsewhere... remove the Kennedy name and you have someone who would be laughed off any list of appointees, and certainly off any lists of people to be elected to the position. If the election of Obama reminded the Democrats anything it's the electoral draw of star power, which the Camelot myth feeds into. Which, frankly, is the only way Uncle Teddy has managed to stay in office all these years.

This who thing does rather cast a question mark over the Democrats constant whining about Sarah Palin and her supposed lack of experience, though.

Now the 3 yr delay in reporting it does raise some uncomfortable questions for JJJr, but revenge does not leap first to mind as a motivation.

Certainly there is some other motivation in addition to what I mention, but after a three year delay, simply being a 'good citizen' doesn't strike me as plausable as a sole reason, either. My take is the feds had some kind of leverage on JJJr, too, or perhaps his father, and he traded information on Blago to keep his own butt outta jail.

What that leverage is or was, of course, we may never know. But that whole thing goes directly to my point about anyone coming up in that environment is not clean, but any stretech, and that includes Obama.

She won a special election to fill her late husband's seat. Vacancies in the House of Representatives are never filled by appointment.

That's right, of course. I'd forgotten. It's hard to beat a widow, though, and she has been re-elected in her own right numerous times.

As for congress I am not really keen at all on the concept of appointments. I think all empty seats should be filled by special elections. I know they are costly, but I am not keen on the idea of a governor picking my senator based on reasons other than actual competence.

I fail to see much of a practical difference. In this case, the appointment will be a Democrat, as will the winner of the special election. Either one will vote with the caucus a vast majority of the time. No need to spend a large sum of the peoples' money for an insignificant difference.

I am not keen on the "Hey so and so retired, resigned, passed away etc let's appoint their wife, sister, son, brother" appointments.

As for congress I am not really keen at all on the concept of appointments. I think all empty seats should be filled by special elections. I know they are costly, but I am not keen on the idea of a governor picking my senator based on reasons other than actual competence.

Do you know what finally tripped Jesse Jackson Jr's trigger to work with the feds to bring down Blaggo? He wouldn't arrage a high paying job for Jackson's wife, without money being involved.

Bit, according to what I read here, there was a 3 yr delay between the solicitation of the $25,000 campaign donation, and JJJr's reporting of the attempted "shakedown". In '03 after Blago had been elected and JJJr's wife had been turned down for the job, Blago said something to the effect of, "You see what $25,000 would have done?"

Now the 3 yr delay in reporting it does raise some uncomfortable questions for JJJr, but revenge does not leap first to mind as a motivation.

Did you miss the last eight years?

i was being ironic. its been going on much longer than the last 8 years (you only use the number 8 bc you have an irrational hatred towards bush)

Do you know what finally tripped Jesse Jackson Jr's trigger to work with the feds to bring down Blaggo? He wouldn't arrage a high paying job for Jackson's wife, without money being involved.

Chew on that for a while. Nepotism? I'd say that's part of our problem, sure. But it runs deeper.

when do we get to strip congress of anything but ceremonial powers?

Did you miss the last eight years?