'I Don't Know What Caroline Kennedy's Qualifications Are'

Neither do I. Except for the fact she's got the Kennedy name. But that's all it takes with Democrats, right?

Apparently not. My guess is Gary Ackerman, being from Queens, is probably a Cuomo guy.

A prominent New York Democratic congressman publicly questioned Caroline Kennedy's credentials to replace Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, saying she's no more qualified to hold office than Jennifer Lopez.

Rep. Gary Ackerman of Queens, a 25-year veteran of Congress, declared in a radio interview: "I don't know what Caroline Kennedy's qualifications are."

"Except that she has name recognition, but so does J.Lo," Ackerman continued on Steve Malzberg's radio show on WOR. "I wouldn't make J.Lo the senator unless she proved she had great qualifications, but we haven't seen them yet."

Well, according to popular lore, she's got a nice ass. Doesn't that count for something? Oh, and she can sing and act a little bit.

On second thought, she is more qualified than Kennedy.

Ackerman's interview was posted on the Web by Malzberg yesterday after being broadcast Monday.

Ackerman is the first prominent New York Democrat to question Kennedy's credentials at a time when Gov. Paterson is considering John F. Kennedy's daughter as one of a dozen potential replacements for Clinton, President-elect Barack Obama's choice for secretary of state.

Some Democratic activists have publicly questioned the fitness of Kennedy, a lawyer and mother of three who has never sought public office, for the Senate. But no prominent elected Democrat had been willing to take on a member of the powerful Kennedy clan until now.