Politico on "Nepotism Nation"
Politico has done an excellent job documenting how the disturbing Caroline Kennedy boomlet is part of a "trend toward dynasty politics." The statistic in bold is particularly troubling:
[Obama's] secretary of state will be Hillary Clinton, the wife of the former president. The Senate seat she'll vacate is being pursued by Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of a president and the niece of two senators. Joe Biden's Senate seat may go to his son Beau. Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar, Obama's pick for interior secretary, could end up being replaced by his brother, Rep. John Salazar.
...While Obama's election and subsequent Cabinet appointments may have accelerated the trend toward dynasty, he's hardly responsible for it. There is a rich bipartisan history of dynasty in American politics that dates all the way back to the Founding Fathers; Obama-Biden actually represents the first winning ticket since 1976 without a son or a grandson of a U.S. senator on it.
...At the moment, the Senate includes six sons or daughters of congressmen.
And the House – the "people's House" – isn't exactly bereft of hereditary influence, either.
In the 111th Congress next year, there will be 21 House members with a parent who also served in Congress – plus five wives who currently hold their late husbands' seats.
It's perhaps worth mentioning that Governor David Paterson also owes his current position to nepotism (as well as his predecessor's sexual misadventures).
Posted by: Rob | December 17, 2008 at 01:19 PM
This situation is a good argument for term limits.
Posted by: David | December 17, 2008 at 01:22 PM
Disturbing as it may be, it isn't exactly a trend if its a practice "that dates all the way back to the Founding Fathers" is it?
Posted by: paul | December 17, 2008 at 08:34 PM
For term limits to have a chance to work, they must be applied across all states. Otherwise it creates an imbalance.
I wonder if Beau Biden would have accepted his dad's Senate seat if he hadn't been committed to going to Iraq.
Posted by: ronebofh.livejournal.com | December 17, 2008 at 11:07 PM
Is this a trend toward dynasty politics, or simply keeping with an old American tradition? - I am genuinely curious and not trying to be snarky.
Posted by: Nora | December 19, 2008 at 10:58 AM
Mike Luckovich weighs in.
http://comics.com/mike_luckovich/2008-12-19/
Posted by: rone | December 19, 2008 at 07:41 PM