Sweet Caroline … Bahm-Bahm-Bahm …

Sit down. It ain’t your turn … DUN-dun-DUN-dun-DUN-doh …

A much better Hillary replacement. And I don't mean that in a creepy way.

I do not want Caroline Kennedy to be my senator, filling Hillary Clinton’s seat. I do not want Andrew Cuomo either, but I will take the latter over the former based on their substantive intellectual and professional contributions to political discourse. Kennedy and Cuomo are doing relatively well in opinion polls because theirs are names New Yorkers recognize. The short list of other contenders for the seat includes current, little known congressional representatives.

A very viable option is Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY 20). In 2006 she became the first democrat in over 25 years to represent (what is now) New York’s 20th Congressional District (adjacent to the 22nd district where I live). Gillibrand is a Blue Dog Democrat: She is fiscally conservative and socially liberal, with a few atypical stances like strong support of gun-ownership rights. Her voting records on the environment and business development are moderate. I do not agree with all of her positions, but I have confidence in her experience. Actively promoting the interests of veterans and small, independent farmers, Gillibrand is quite attentive to her constituents’ needs. The last point was a loud message in her recent reelection bid and arguably was important in her defeat of opponent Sandy Treadwell by 24 points. When Gillibrand was first elected in 2006, replacing John Sweeney (who was drowning in a sea of ethics issues), she made it a point to publicize her official calendar, revealing what she is doing and with whom she is meeting on the people’s behalf. She also releases information about earmarks she has requested.

Gillibrand is an up-and-comer. She is from Albany and therefore free of the “just another city liberal” taint. Her appointment would not appear clique-ish and would not inspire the visceral reactions big dynasty names like Cuomo, Clinton, or Kennedy draw, potentially alienating voters and jeopardizing a Democratic senate seat in two years. With her centrist fiscal views, Gillibrand could be valuable in building Democratic Party support in relatively Republican areas of the state (which, by the way, is just about every part of New York outside of the city’s five boroughs).

Nonetheless, Governor David Paterson is facing a lot of pressure from the Democratic Party establishment to appoint Caroline Kennedy. With an ailing Ted Kennedy, there is a chance that for the first time in 50 years, the Senate will be Kennedy-less in the near future. The Democratic Party is also interested in a replacement candidate who will garner headlines and, presumably, fundraising dollars. In fact, fundraising is something at which Caroline Kennedy excels, that and editing poetry compilations. These skills and great connections, though, are not enough to justify a senate seat.

This senate appointment is going to test Paterson’s independence. If he selects Kennedy, will he be able to spin the appointment as his own rather than as a foregone conclusion he rubber-stamped? Certainly, if he were to select Gillibrand for the post, he would send the message that substance is more important than image and that he understands there is a New York outside of the city, that can work in tandem with the city, with labor and natural resources critical for economic recovery and energy development.

Caroline Kennedy could withdraw her name from consideration with great aplomb and emerge with her thoughtful and gracious image intact and protected from the mudslinging of an aggressive campaign. She would be doing herself, the state, and the Democratic Party a huge service.