CBS - New Yorkers Sour on Kennedy

January 6, 2009
New Yorkers Sour On Caroline Kennedy
Posted by Brian Montopoli|


Here's some bad news for Caroline Kennedy, who hopes to be appointed to Hillary Clinton's Senate seat: A Public Policy Polling poll reported by WCBS finds that New Yorkers would rather see Governor David Patterson appoint Andrew Cuomo to the seat.

And the margin is wide: Fifty-eight percent prefer Cuomo in the seat, while just 27 percent want Kennedy.

A month ago, Kennedy led Cuomo by 20 percentage points among Democratic voters. Now she trails by that margin among Democrats.

In related news, Kennedy and at least five other contenders for the Senate seat have been asked to answer a 28-page questionnaire full of questions "about their finances, job history and any criminal record," according to the New York Times.

Because the questionnaires ask for private information – according to the New York Post, they include questions about the applicants' credit histories, medical information and personal debts – they will not be made public.

Kennedy has been criticized for not answering questions about her beliefs and finances. Her spokesman told the Times, "Caroline has consistently said that she will file any financial disclosure that the governor requests of her."