Andrew Cuomo Puts Kibosh on Caroline Kennedy

The New York Times is reporting today that an aide to New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is working to undermine Caroline Kennedy's Senate bid. Apparently, Joseph Perocco has been working the phones to labor leaders and other power players in an attempt to raise doubts about Kennedy in advance of Governor David Patterson's decision on his appointment.

A top Cuomo aide urged labor leaders and upstate officials to refrain from embracing Caroline Kennedy for the job, according to several people with direct knowledge of the conversations.

Two of the people, including a prominent upstate Democratic operative, said the Cuomo aide, Joseph Percoco, had suggested the upstate officials give Ms. Kennedy a cold reception and had questioned her credentials.

"He said, 'Don't you think it should be someone who understands upstate? Don't you think it should be someone with experience? Shouldn't it be somebody who knows New York better?' " said the operative, who spoke anonymously out of fear of antagonizing the attorney general. "They've been trying to feed people."

Someone who knows New York better ... someone like ... Andrew Cuomo!

This should raise some eyebrows in Albany, considering that Cuomo has been coy at best about expressing interest in the Senate seat. Why the sudden power play?

It couldn't have anything to do with this new poll showing Cuomo beating Kennedy two to one in a survey of who New Yorkers want as their next Senator, could it?

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