Hey, Party Hosts — Buy A Mop, Why Don’t You?

It’s not so much that I’m worried that someone will steal my shoes but rather what if my socks stink . . . not that I’m speculating or anything:

A group of homeless people came in off the cold Manhattan streets Monday to feed their souls with a yoga class at an East Side shelter.

. . .

Her homeless students appeared apprehensive and some were reluctant to remove their shoes as the session of muscle stretching poses started. But by the end of the class, the five participants were peacefully chanting “Om” and most said they felt a calmness coursing through their weary bones.

How Sheekey Of That Guy . . .

It’s no wonder people are resigned to having Caroline Kennedy as their next senator when you hear what’s going on behind the scenes on her behalf:

When a powerful labor leader picked up the phone this week, he was surprised to hear the voice of a top aide to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York.

The aide, Kevin Sheekey, a deputy mayor, made it clear: Caroline Kennedy is going to be the next senator from New York, “so get on board now,” according to a person with direct knowledge of the call.

As Ms. Kennedy’s unusual campaign for the seat takes shape, the mayor’s top political strategist is pushing hard behind the scenes for her, with Mr. Bloomberg’s blessing.

The involvement has helped immediately elevate and coordinate the debut of Ms. Kennedy, who lacked an experienced political staff of her own.

But now, it is setting off a backlash among some Democrats who see in her well-orchestrated emergence the same message of inevitability and entitlement that surrounded Mr. Bloomberg’s successful bid for a third term — a campaign overseen by Mr. Sheekey.

They worry that the Bloomberg administration’s advocacy for Ms. Kennedy will only reinforce her image as a privileged Upper East Sider whose biggest base of support is from Manhattan’s exclusive social set.

“It appears to be another case of central casting by the city’s cognoscenti,” said a Democratic city councilman, John C. Liu. “It’s amazing how much it’s all about the upper crust.”

Rory I. Lancman, a state assemblyman, said that there was “a growing concern that high public office is being reserved for a better class of people — people who can buy into it like Michael Bloomberg or people who can come into it through their celebrity like Caroline Kennedy.”

. . .

Questions about Mr. Sheekey’s role prompted Mr. Bloomberg to declare on Wednesday that the mastermind of his two political campaigns was acting on behalf of Ms. Kennedy as a private citizen, not as a public employee.

“If Kevin in his private time wants to make calls for that, that’s his choice,” Mr. Bloomberg said. When asked whether he was supporting Ms. Kennedy’s bid for the Senate, the mayor said: “I am not out there campaigning for anyone.”

At The Risk Of Encouraging People To Continue To Write Letters To The Editor . . .

. . . this one was funny:

It is amusing that Andrew M. Cuomo, who owes his whole career to his dad, may not get the Senate seat of Hillary Rodham Clinton (who owes her whole career to her husband) because David A. Paterson (who owes his whole career to his dad) may give it to Caroline Kennedy (who owes her whole career to her dad).

As Liza and Frank once sang, “If you can make it here, you’re likely someone’s heir” . . .

She’s Got Sharpton — Reachin’ Out, Touchin’ Me, Touchin’ You!*

Although it does seem like the Reverend is lowering the bar for what passes as qualified when it comes to being a Senator:

Since the possibility of Ms. Kennedy’s candidacy for the Senate has, understandably, already generated a fair degree of debate and discussion, I feel compelled to state that I unequivocally disagree with those that say she is not qualified and could not bring needed leadership to this state and country. My knowledge of her in the area of education and on behalf of children generally, the fact that she has written several books[**], and her other civic involvement more than qualifies her to be Senator. Ms. Kennedy is an accomplished author on Constitutional Law, the Bill of Rights, and political courage. She is also a lawyer.

Elected office is not the only area of public service that establishes leadership in this country. We just elected a community organizer as President of the United States.

Harriet Miers was a lawyer, too! Oh, never mind . . .

On the one hand, it seems like it could be smart to have someone outside of politics hold the seat for a few years until an actual election happened with actual candidates who actually had to campaign for votes. But on the other hand:

In addition, a person with direct knowledge of the conversations said that Ms. Kennedy and Mr. Paterson had spoken several times in recent days and that the governor had grown increasingly fond of her. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid antagonizing the governor, said that Mr. Paterson also had come to see Ms. Kennedy as a strong potential candidate whose appointment would keep a woman in the seat and whose personal connections would allow her to raise the roughly $70 million required to hold on to the seat in the coming years.

Under state law, Ms. Kennedy would have to run and win in 2010, to finish out the last two years of Mrs. Clinton’s term, and again in 2012, to win a term of her own.

Another person who had advised Mr. Paterson said that Ms. Kennedy could offer political advantages to the governor, who was elevated to his position after Eliot Spitzer resigned in March and in two years must ask voters to actually elect him as governor.

“The upside of her candidacy is that the 2010 ballot will read Kennedy — Paterson,” said one of those advisers, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly about the governor’s thinking. “David craves national attention and money. If you connect the dots, it leads to her.”

Look at it this way — voting in New York has always been an academic exercise. At least now they’re finally getting rid of the pretense . . .

*Even creepier than it sounds.

**Which books? Glad you asked.

First They Came For My Solitaire And I Said Nothing Because, Frankly, It’s Kind Of A Boring Thing To Do . . .

. . . then they blocked MySpace on the computer systems, and I said nothing because I’m not like 14. But then they decided to take away the water cooler, in another back-door measure masquerading as an environmental initiative, and suddenly I discovered that my coworkers and I had no more safe space in which to discuss television programs like 30 Rock, Grey’s Anatomy or the Real Housewives of Atlanta:

City Councilmen Eric Gioia (D-Queens) and Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn) will introduce a bill next week that would stop city agencies from buying bottled water and water coolers for workers at city agencies.

The city spends $2.1 million annually on bottled water, according to the Department of Citywide Administrative Services.

“New York City has some of the cleanest water in the country, and we should use it,” said Gioia.

He noted that the move would also save on storage and disposal costs and help the environment by reducing waste and truck traffic for water-delivery services.