I am shocked, just shocked, to learn that New York Gov. David Paterson leaked nasty lies about Caroline Kennedy to the press, apparently because he actually did plan to select her for the Senate seat and was sore that she left him at the alter. According to the New York Times, the leaks may have been illegal.
And in only tangentially related news, the National Organization of Women, noting that only three of Obama's 14 Cabinet appointees are women, is supporting Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan for Health and Human Services secretary, the job that had been slotted for Tom Daschle. A former social worker and state legislator with an interest in health care, Stabenow is relatively new to the Senate; she was elected in 2000. The woman I'd rather see in the job, with the reputation for influence within Obama's circle, is Katheleen Sebelius. Ezra rates her in his second tier of dream Daschle replacements, with only John Podesta in tier one.
--Dana Goldstein
