Low voting, donations may hurt Kennedy bid

NEW YORK, Dec. 26 (UPI) -- Caroline Kennedy's bid for New York's soon-to-be vacant U.S. Senate seat could be hindered by her lack of voting and party donations, an expert says.

Baruch College public affairs professor Doug Muzzio said Kennedy, a lawyer, may lose out on the seat being vacated by incoming U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton due to an inconsistent Election Day voting record during the last two decades, the New York Daily News said Friday.

Muzzio also said a near lack of donations to top Democratic officials in her home state could hurt Kennedy's attempt to earn the nod from New York Gov. David Paterson.

"Voting is the minimum thing that you can do, and she hasn't done that. The next thing you can do is you could donate money, and she hasn't done that," Muzzio said.

"It calls into question her commitment to politics and to government."

Meanwhile, New York Councilman John Liu has questioned Kennedy's qualifications for the Senate.

"My comfort level with Caroline would be enhanced knowing she is truly upholding Democratic values or the values espoused in the Democratic national platform, which I'm not sure has been fully demonstrated yet," the Queens official told the Daily News.