Typical New Yorker Owns $50 Million Martha's Vineyard Estate

Naturally, for someone from a party that bleats endlessly about "affordable housing," she lives large on a $50 million estate re-zoned so the little people have no chance of living near her.

Forget Chappaqua.

This amazing Martha's Vineyard spread will be the next home-away-from-the-Beltway for New York's junior senator if Caroline Kennedy is tapped to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The 366-acre estate - worth at least $50 million - just underwent a major renovation and rezoning that will keep it the exclusive province of Kennedy, 51.

It's also the spot where she got her first call to public service, six years before she launched her campaign for Hillary Clinton's soon-to-be-vacant Senate seat.

In 2002, her houseguest, Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, reportedly floated the idea of her coming on board the city's Department of Education as a fund-raiser.

Kennedy and her advocates have been relentlessly touting that two-year stint as qualifying her to be senator.

If Kennedy succesfully manages to finagle her way into a Senate seat despite having zero qualifications, she'll likely be the wealthiest U.S. senator.

If Kennedy were to be appointed to the Senate, her fortune would plant her firmly in the top five wealthiest members. Despite common perceptions of the Republicans being the party of wealth, the five richest senators are all Dems: John Kerry ($336.2M), Herb Kohl ($241.5M), Ted Kennedy ($103.6M), Jay Rockefeller ($93.7M) and Mark Warner ($90.9M).

A little dubious putting John Heinz Kerry on that list considering he married into the Heinz fortune. But even Kennedy's wealth surpasses that.

By all accounts a very wealthy woman who could be worth as much as $400 million, Kennedy has said she will not release details of her finances unless Democratic Gov. David Paterson picks her for the Senate seat that will open up if Clinton is confirmed as secretary of state.

Gee, I wonder how that common perception of Republicans all being rich came about?