It will be less controversial and much easier for New York Governor David Paterson to appoint former US President Bill Clinton to fill up the senate seat to be vacated by his wife Senator Hillary Clinton.
Governor Paterson said earlier that he is getting annoyed by the constant jockeying by supporters of the high-powered hopefuls including Caroline Kennedy.
In a report by wcbstv.com, ‘as the process of picking Sen. Clinton’s replacement gets messier, the option may become increasingly attractive to Gov. David Paterson who has sole authority to name a successor.
It added that. ‘a big name like Bill Clinton or democratic former Governor Mario Cuomo could have an immediate impact for New York in the senate while letting the large field of hopefuls duke it out in 2010, according to three democratic advisers in New York and Washington who are close to the discussion with Paterson’s inner circle on the issue.
The proposal is anchored on the suggestion that Bill Clinton will only act as caretaker until the next election in 2010. All the other aspirants for the New York Senatorial seat can then run in the 2010 elections. This scenario can spare Governor Paterson of criticisms from supporters of candidates who will not be chosen for the post.
The caretaker option is legal and it was exercised last month by the Governor of Delaware, Ruth Ann Minner, when she picked a former aid of Vice-President-elect Joe Biden to succeed him as caretaker senator of Delaware. The lawyer son of the Vice-President elect who is on tour of duty in Iraq will run for the regular senate set in 2010 elections.
Doug Musso, a political science professor commented on the difficult situation of Governor Paterson. ‘If he is trapped about this Caroline Kennedy thing, this gives him, in a sense a way out…without naming someone else that would really anger the pro-Caroline Kennedy people.
It could not be ascertained at this time if former President Bill Clinton will agree to the proposal