In this series, which started in July ‘08, wowOwow follows the political news swirling around Caroline Kennedy since her surprise endorsement of Barack Obama and high-profile placement on his VP selection committee. Now, Caroline is ready to launch a political career of her own. With the Caroline Kennedy Candidacy Watch, we’ll follow all the latest news. 

Caroline Kennedy finally sat down with some New York newspapers over the weekend to tell us a little bit about who she is and what she stands for – or not, depending on which interview you read.

The New York Times says that while Kennedy defended her reasons for why she should become the next junior senator from New York, she’s not being too specific about anything.

In an interview with Times reporters Nicholas Confessore and David M. Halbfinger, Kennedy "provided only the broadest of rationales for her candidacy for the Senate, saying her experience as a mother, author and school fund-raiser, her commitment to public service and her deep political connections had prepared her for the job," the newspaper says. "She still seemed less like a candidate than an idea of one: forceful but vague, largely undefined and seemingly determined to remain that way."

Kennedy is hoping to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate. It’s up to New York Gov. David Paterson to pick Clinton’s replacement. Kennedy still is not disclosing information about her finances, but did admit the economic downturn has affected her family a bit. She said it’s too soon to say how she could improve on Clinton’s performance, admitted she’s not a "conventional choice," and said her celebrity could help bring home attention — and financial help — to New Yorkers and their needs.

"This is the opportunity that’s presenting itself right now, and I’m interested if the governor thinks that I could do a good job and help New York and help him," Kennedy said.

She also credited her mom, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, with giving her the courage to seek the Senate job.

But when Confessore and Halbfinger asked Kennedy to describe the moment she decided to seek the Senate seat, Kennedy got a little testy.

"Have you guys ever thought about writing for, like, a woman’s magazine or something?" she asked them. "I thought you were the crack political team."

Ouch. 

Kennedy is taking heat, even from fellow Democrats, for not being experienced enough for the job, and for not telling people what she’s about (à la Sarah Palin). Before this weekend’s interviews, DNC member and longtime Clinton surrogate Robert Zimmerman blasted Kennedy, saying (hat tip, Politico): "Caroline Kennedy has got to demonstrate the leadership and commitment she has to the state … I mean, Queen Elizabeth is more accessible to her subjects than Caroline Kennedy has been in terms of talking about the issues."

Although many Democrats have bashed her for being too close to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and they’re not sure she would really be a loyal Democrat, Kennedy said she wouldn’t be beholden to anybody.

"I’m really coming into this as somebody who isn’t, you know, part of the system, who obviously, you know, stands for the values of, you know, the Democratic Party," Kennedy told the New York Daily News.