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. Could Caroline be ready to launch a political career of her own? With the Caroline Kennedy Candidacy Watch, we’ll follow all the latest news.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has already come out in favor of Senatorial hopeful Caroline Kennedy, and now his top aide’s joining the unofficial campaign.

Kevin Sheekey, a deputy mayor and Bloomberg’s top political strategist, has his boss’s blessing in calling around to labor leaders and others, telling them to get on the Kennedy train. Bloomberg on Wednesday said he has “great admiration” for Kennedy but has stopped short of actually endorsing her over any other contender. According to one source close to the state’s labor movement, one powerful leader received a call from Sheekey this week in which he was told to "get on board now" and back Kennedy’s political future.

This isn’t the first time Sheekey’s used his abilities for Caroline’s famous family. He worked for California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who’s married to Kennedy cousin Maria Shriver, and reportedly earned the clan’s respect after Schwarzenegger won his election. In fact, Shriver asked him to run the Terminator’s next campaign but Sheekey stuck with Bloomberg. Sheekey played a role in bringing Kennedy to Josh Isay, the powerhouse consultant who’s introducing her to the who’s who of New York’s political scene.

Though they mean well, Sheekey and Bloomberg may be hindering Kennedy’s efforts. According to The New York Times, some Democrats think this "well-orchestrated emergence" reeks of the same sense of "entitlement" that helped Bloomberg win a controversial third term in New York City. There’s worry that Kennedy’s simply a socialite whose privileged history has trumped actual political skill. And that’s part of why Kennedy’s traveled upstate — to prove her provincial chops. Although she’s trying to keep a low profile, the press has been swarming all over Caroline, and it’s making it difficult for her to avoid policy-related questions. When asked about her qualifications yesterday, Ms. Kennedy said, simply, "I just hope everybody understands that it is not a campaign but that I have a lifelong devotion to public service," she insisted as she left the office of the Monroe County Democratic Committee in Rochester. "I’ve written books on the Constitution and the importance of individual participation. And I’ve raised my family. I think I really could help bring change to Washington." Kennedy’s foes are equating her allegedly lackluster replies with those of Sarah Palin during the presidential election.

Bloomberg may be backing Kennedy, but AOL’s Political Machine reports that New York Gov. David Paterson sees things a bit differently:

Multiple sources close to New York Governor David Paterson tell Political Machine that he is not leaning toward appointing her. One source said that Paterson has not expressed a preference, and is concentrating more on rolling out the state’s budget. The Kennedy buzz is an unwelcome distraction at this point, the source said.

Another source close to Paterson told me that a lot of pressure has been brought to bear on Kennedy’s behalf, but also said that he had not expressed a preference for the seat.

Some Democrats are still worried – not so much about how good a fund-raiser a Kennedy would be – but about her viability as a good candidate.

"I’ve talked to some national Democrats who are going to be in charge of making sure this seat isn’t in jeopardy and they’re not 100 percent behind Kennedy,” MSNBC political guru Chuck Todd said Thursday morning. "The issue is – is she going to be any good of a candidate?"