Kennedy Is Said to Be Politicking for His Niece

By DAVID M. HALBFINGER

While Caroline Kennedy is maintaining her public silence about whether she wishes to succeed Senator Hillary Clinton, her uncle, Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, has been working behind the scenes on her behalf, according to Democratic aides.

In recent days the Massachusetts senator has called Senator Charles E. Schumer, as well as Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey, who took over last month as head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee when Mr. Schumer stepped down.

Mr. Kennedy’s message, according to Democratic aides who were not authorized to discuss the conversations, is that Ms. Kennedy — backed by the Kennedy family’s extensive fund-raising network — would have the wherewithal to run back-to-back costly statewide races without having to seek help from Mr. Paterson or Mr. Schumer.

The ability to raise significant money is a key concern for Mr. Paterson, who has been deluged from every direction by politicians interested in the seat, which the governor is expected to fill early next year. Whoever is chosen will have to run in 2010 and again two years later.

Efforts to reach Ms. Kennedy on Monday were unsuccessful. A spokesman for Senator Kennedy declined to comment.

The governor has sought to downplay the frenzy over Ms. Kennedy’s potential interest in the Senate seat. The mere suggestion that she might be Mrs. Clinton’s replacement has made headlines around the world.

On Sunday night, Governor Paterson met with senior advisers, Mr. Schumer and Representatives Charles B. Rangel, Nita M. Lowey, and Gregory W. Meeks to discuss the process for making the appointment. Those gathered urged the governor to go slowly, Mr. Meeks said.

Asked about Ms. Kennedy, Mr. Meeks acknowledged her appeal.

“Does she know politics?” he said. “Absolutely. Could she be a great senator? I don’t see why not.”

Mr. Meeks also noted that Ms. Kennedy was an intensely private person.

“That’s the biggest decision she’s got to make,” he said. “Whether she’d want to leave her private life behind.”

An aide to another official at the meeting said that those present also weighed the pros and cons of other contenders, including Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo and Representative Kirsten Gillibrand from upstate New York.

But some influential Democrats have privately suggested that given the buzz set off by Ms. Kennedy’s emergence, the governor would have little choice but to appoint her if she decided she truly wanted the job.

Some people close to Mr. Paterson, however, are trying to quash that notion.

“Governor Paterson is in charge; he is going to make the decision,” Mr. Meeks said, adding that he would not be swayed by “pressure from the press or anyone else.”

Also on Monday, Kerry Kennedy, a daughter of Robert F. Kennedy, who once held the New York Senate seat, went on MSNBC to say that her cousin would be a great choice.

Meanwhile, Representative Carolyn Maloney announced she had hired the political consulting firm of Bill Lynch, a sometime adviser to the governor, to promote her for the seat.

In what could be read as a dig at the waiting game for Ms. Kennedy, Ms. Maloney said in a statement: “This is no time for people to be coy about whether or not they are up to the job of stepping into Senator Clinton’s big shoes.”

Nicholas Confessore, Danny Hakim and Carl Hulse contributed reporting.

Editors' Note: December 10, 2008
An article on Tuesday about politicking on behalf of Caroline Kennedy as a possible candidate for the Senate seat being vacated by Hillary Rodham Clinton reported that Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Ms. Kennedy’s uncle, had called Gov. David A. Paterson to advocate for his niece. The information was attributed to Democratic aides, speaking anonymously.

On Tuesday, both Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Paterson said no such conversation had taken place. The Times should have sought their comment before publication. A corrective article is on Page A38.

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