Barack Obama is pulling a lot of his administration appointments from the U.S. Senate. So much so that the chase for these vacated seats look like a high stakes poker game. Caroline Kennedy has had her eye on Hillary's vacated seat but thus far has not shown her political cards and said publicly 'yes I want that senate seat'... that was, until today. Caroline Kennedy launched a tour of upstate New York to meet with politicians and power brokers Wednesday, and said publicly for the first time that she wants to be New York's next senator.
Kennedy said in a brief statement to reporters she "would be honored" to be considered for appointment to the seat held by Hillary Rodham Clinton, if Clinton is confirmed as President-elect Barack Obama's secretary of state."I just wanted to say, as some of you may have heard, I would be honored to be considered for the position of U.S. senator," Kennedy said. "I wanted to come upstate to meet Mayor Driscoll and others to tell them about my experience and also learn how Washington can help upstate New York."
Kennedy noted that a number of elected officials who also have been named as possible Clinton successors.
"There are lot of good candidates the governor is considering and he's laid out a process and I'm proud to be in that process," she said.
Gov. David Paterson will decide who gets the job. The new senator will have to run in 2010 to fill the last two years of Clinton's term and then run for a full term in 2012. AP