Caroline Kennedy for NEA Chair

Cross posted in my Daily Kos diary. Please log into Daily Kos and recommend my diary!

Ever since Caroline Kennedy endorsed Barack Obama's presidential candidacy in January 2008, the chattering classes have been speculating about possible roles in an Obama administration: Secretary of Education? UN Ambassador? Vice President?

Notwithstanding her book, Profiles in Courage For Our Time (a sequel to her father's book), the annual Profiles in Courage Award, and hosting the annual Kennedy Center Honors, Caroline Kennedy has been famously publicity-shy. It seems to me she might be equally averse to a high-level cabinet post. So-how about appointing her to head a government agency providing funding to something near and dear to her heart?

I would like to make a modest proposal: Appoint Caroline Kennedy as the next Chairwoman and CEO of the National Endowment for the Arts.

While Ms. Kennedy is not, herself an artist (which is not a requirement for this post), she has a well-documented commitment to the arts. She is Honorary Chairwoman of American Ballet Theatre, and worked for five years for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, giving her a hands-on perspective of the workings of arts institutions.

Since the NEA is a governmental institution, political savvy is also a must. After call, Congress holds the purse strings, as we have seen through repeated attempts to cut, or even zero out, NEA funding. Caroline Kennedy has gained first-hand knowledge of the workings of Congress not only through her work with the Obama campaign, but through her internship with her uncle, Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA).

Caroline Kennedy has the knowledge of the arts and the political savvy necessary to oversee the NEA. Most important, she has the proverbial "fire in the belly" to help the NEA fulfill its mission "to enrich our Nation and its diverse cultural heritage by supporting works of artistic excellence, advancing learning in the arts, and strengthening the arts in communities throughout the country."

The Kennedy family seeks to make a difference in our country, and Caroline Kennedy is no exception. She can make a big difference by promoting excellence in the arts in our country by chairing the National Endowment for the Arts.