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• American author, editor and attorney Caroline Kennedy is the daughter and only surviving child of U.S. President John F. Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. She lives in New York City with her husband Edwin Schlossberg and their three children.

  Kennedy had announced in December 2008 that she was interested in Hillary Clinton's U.S. Senate seat in New York. The seat was left vacant after Clinton became Barack Obama's Secretary of State.Boston Globe: Caroline Kennedy Throws Hat in Ring (December 15, 2008) On January 21, 2009, Kennedy withdrew her name from consideration, citing "personal reasons." After her withdrawal, rumors surfaced that she was having marital difficulties, which might include an affair with New York Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger. Kennedy has denied any problems with her marriage.ABC News: Paterson Taps Gillibrand for Clinton's Senate Seat (January 23, 2009) MSNBC: Tax, Nanny, Hubby Problems Doomed Caroline (January 23, 2009)

• Fast Facts

  1. Born: November 27, 1957 in New York, New York
  2. Graduated from Radcliffe College/Harvard University and Columbia Law School
  3. Married Edwin Schlossberg on July 19, 1986
  4. Three children
  5. President of the Kennedy Library Foundation
  6. Inspiration for the Neil Diamond hit song Sweet CarolineFox News: Neil Diamond: Caroline Kennedy Inspired 'Sweet Caroline' (November 20, 2007)
  7. Endorsed Barack Obama for U.S. President in the 2008 Presidential Election via an op-ed in the The New York Times
  8. One of the leaders of Obama's vice presidential selection searchNY Daily News: Obama confidante Caroline Kennedy mum on potential White House role
  9. Delivered a tribute to her uncle, Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) at the 2008 DNCThe Washington Post: Surprise GOP Speaker at Dem Convention: Jim Leach
  10. Pursued briefly the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by Hillary Clinton

• Voting Record

  Kennedy registered to vote in New York in 1988. Since then, she's failed to vote in several elections, including the 1994 New York senate election. Upon being presented with this information by Associated Press in December 2008, Kennedy said that she was "surprised and dismayed" about her record.FOXNews: Caroline Kennedy 'Dismayed' by Own Voting Record (December 27, 2008)

• Kennedy in the Senate?

  After President Barack Obama named Hillary Clinton as his choice for Secretary of State, Kennedy was mentioned as one of the candidates to take over Clinton's Senate seat. In the early weeks of December 2008, Kennedy signaled her interest in the appointment, speaking to New York Governor David Paterson, state controller Thomas DiNapoli, and state assembly speaker Sheldon Silver.New York Daily News: Caroline Kennedy approaches Sheldon Silver about Senate seat (December 14, 2008) MSNBC: N.Y.C. mayor praises Caroline Kennedy December 8, 2008) Kennedy withdrew her name from consideration from the appointment in January of 2008.

• Preliminary Platform

  On December 20, 2008, a Kennedy spokesperson provided The New York Times with answers to 15 questions posed to the potential candidate about her positions on several issues. According to the statement, Kennedy is in favor of same-sex marriage, supports the automaker bailout bill and opposes increased government restrictions on abortion rights. The statement reported that Kennedy opposed the invasion of Iraq and supported Obama's plan to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq by mid-2010.The New York Times: Kennedy's Platform Has Mostly Mainstream... (December 20, 2008)

• Election 2008

  After officially voicing her support for Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama in an op-ed for The New York Times, Kennedy was selected to help with the search for a Vice-Presidential running mate for the nominee.New York Times: A President Like My Father (January 27, 2008) New York Daily News: Obama confidante Caroline Kennedy mum on potential White House role (August 24, 2008)

• Positions Held

  Caroline Kennedy serves as the vice chair of the Fund for Public Schools, as the president of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, and is a member of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award Committee. She is a director of the Commission on Presidential Debates and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and serves as honorary chairman of the American Ballet Theatre.

• Works Published

  • In Our Defense: The Bill of Rights In Action
  • The Right to Privacy
  • A Patriot's Handbook
  • The Best-Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
  • A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children
  • Profiles in Courage for Our Time

• Related Pages on Mahalo

  Caroline Kennedy VP Team | Ted Kennedy Tribute | John F. Kennedy | Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis | Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy | Edward Kennedy | Robert F. Kennedy | Eunice Kennedy | Maria Shriver | Arnold Schwarzenegger | Sargent Shriver | Peter Lawford | Joan Kennedy | Neil Diamond | Sweet Caroline Lyrics | Barack Obama | Tim Roemer | Damon Weaver | Andrew Cuomo | Hillary Clinton Senate Seat | Kirsten Gillibrand | Arthur Sulzberger | Ashley Biden | Stormy Daniels Senate

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