Caroline’s tax and nanny woes

Most speculation last night and this morning about Caroline Kennedy’s abrupt and very circus-like withdrawal from consideration to fill Hillary Clinton’s Senate seat seemed to coalesce around the likelihood that she knew New York Gov. David Paterson was about to appoint someone else. But there is, apparently, another answer. Nicholas Confessore — part of the ...

589225_090122_Kennedy2.jpg
589225_090122_Kennedy2.jpg

Most speculation last night and this morning about Caroline Kennedy’s abrupt and very circus-like withdrawal from consideration to fill Hillary Clinton’s Senate seat seemed to coalesce around the likelihood that she knew New York Gov. David Paterson was about to appoint someone else. But there is, apparently, another answer.

Nicholas Confessore — part of the “crack [New York Times] political team” that Kennedy likened to women’s magazine writers last month — and Danny Hakim report that, like so many wannabe politicos before her, her candidacy stumbled on tax and household employee issues.

(Well, candidacies stumble unless you are Treasury nominee Tim Geithner, and you just apologize profusely for any tax issues. Then your nomination sails through committee and onto the Senate floor.)

Kennedy, naturally, denies the speculation but is still staying out of the race. It’s a little funny, though, that Kennedy was tripped up by two of the very few charges Republicans never even tried to hang on Hillary Clinton.

Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images

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