Various articles out today, including this one in the Times, report that Caroline Kennedy is lobbying David Paterson for the job of New York's junior U.S. Senator:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/06/nyregion/06demwomen.html?bl&ex=1228712400&en=87713734acb711c3&ei=5087%0A

Hillary's seat is of course the one that belonged to her uncle, Robert F. Kennedy.  Caroline Kennedy was born in and has lived most of her life in New York City and is an attorney and long time political activist, who has been quietly very active in public affairs, particularly in local education issues.

Gov. Paterson is under intense pressure from feminist groups to pick another woman to replace Hillary.  They don't think it is acceptable for the Senate's most high profile female senator to have her seat taken by a man.  Paterson is also being pressured by hispanic and african-americal lawmakers who want the seat for one of their own, as well as lawmakers from buffalo and elsewhere up north who think it should be the "upstate's" senate seat. 

DSCC and DNC officials of course want someone who can actually get elected to the seat when the time comes.  If Paterson chooses someone like Nydia Velasquez or Carolyn Maloney who aren't that well known statewide, there is going to be an excellent chance of the GOP targeting that seat when it comes up, or other more well known democrats doing so.  Party officials are going to want Paterson picking someone who can actually keep the seat.

Paterson himself has to think about his own election campaign in 2010, and no doubt wants to avoid angering this or that faction within the party by choosing the wrong person with his Senate pick.  He doesn't want his Senate pick used against him by disaffected party members as a rallying cry for primary opposition in his own campaign.  This alone has to be a strong incentive to pick someone from outside the New York political machine. 

I have stated on here before that picking Caroline Kennedy to replace Hillary makes a lot of sense for these reasons.  She's high profile, she's a woman, she's a lifelong New Yorker, and when the election does come, you can't realistically see the voters of New York denying the daughter of John F. Kennedy the chance to continue serving in her uncle's seat.  I actually doubt a serious democratic candidate would run against her unless she gets into some controversy or does a terrible job.  Consider also that Caroline Kennedy chaired Obama's vp search committee and is closely aligned with the new President-elect.  New York state could benefit from having a Senator with strong ties to the White Hosue.

So I am sure Paterson is giving Caroline Kennedy serious consideration.  But of course she has never held political office before and this might be annoying to all the career politicos in the state who have spent years building their resumes for this kind of position.  They are probably calling Paterson and asking him, "how do you know she'd do a good job?"  and "is the Senate the right place to start a political career?"  To which Caroline Kennedy would say, "Hillary Clinton had never held office before either did she?"