Caroline Kennedy daughter of JFK resigns from post at Harvard Kennedy School
https://www.masslive.com/boston/2020/02/caroline-kennedy-daughter-of-jfk-resigns-from-post-at-harvard-kennedy-school.html
Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of the late President John F. Kennedy, has resigned from her post at the Harvard Kennedy School, officials said.
Kennedy, a 1980 alumni of the Cambridge university and graduate of Columbia Law School, is an attorney, editor of multiple New York Times best-selling books and a former U.S. ambassador to Japan during the Obama administration.
She also served as honorary chair of the senior advisory committee at the John F. Kennedy School of Government’s Institute of Politics. It is unclear how long she held the position and why she decided to resign.
“Caroline Kennedy is a distinguished public leader with an exemplary record of service to her country," Douglas Elmendorf, dean of the Harvard Kennedy School, said in a statement Wednesday. “I am extremely grateful for the extraordinary dedication and commitment she has shown to Harvard Kennedy School over many years.”
Kenneth Duberstein, former chief of staff to President Ronald Reagan, also resigned from his position as chairman of the senior advisory committee at the school, according to Harvard.
The Washington Post, which broke the news about Duberstein and Kennedy’s resignations, reported, citing anonymous sources, that there had been tension between Kennedy and Elmendorf leading up to her and Duberstein’s decisions to leave their posts.
“Ken Duberstein has served the Institute of Politics with exceptional dedication for many years," Elmendorf said in his statement. "We greatly appreciate his absolute commitment to encouraging students to enter public life and for his tireless efforts to strengthen the IOP to support and inspire those students.”
The former chief of staff started serving on the institute’s senior advisory committee 25 years ago after he was asked to do so by former U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy, Duberstein said in statement, adding that after “careful consideration” and conversations with Caroline Kennedy, he decided to step down immediately.
“Working side by side with Senator Kennedy, John Junior and with Caroline has been a rare privilege and high honor. And thanks to all of you for your extraordinary commitment to encouraging the next generation of dedicated public servants,” Duberstein’s statement said. “I hope the next chairman continues to guard jealously the sacred role the IOP plays for undergrads at Harvard.”
Kennedy made headlines earlier this month after endorsing former Vice President Joe Biden ahead of the New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary in an opinion article for The Boston Globe. She argued Biden is Democrats’ “best bet to win the White House” in 2020.
“We need a president who can bring people together, who knows how to get things done at home and abroad, whose word we can count on,” the former ambassador wrote in the article.
The Kennedy family has continued to be involved with the Institute of Politics since it was created in the 1930s. IOP, although residing within a graduate school, largely educates undergraduates, according to the Post’s report.
“Caroline’s role at the Institute of Politics will always be prized and remembered,” the dean’s statement said. “Her commitment to the IOP’s crucial mission of inspiring students to pursue politics and public service has made a tremendous positive difference to the hundreds of Harvard College students who participate in the IOP each year and to the members of the IOP staff.”
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Caroline Kennedy: Joe Biden for president
We need a president who can bring people together, who knows how to get things done at home and abroad, whose word we can count on, and who can nurture the next generation of leaders.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/02/04/opinion/joe-biden-president/
By Caroline Kennedy,Updated February 4, 2020, 2:00 a.m.
In January 2008, I joined my uncle, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, to endorse Barack Obama for president. We believed America was ready for a new generation of leadership, for a president who would inspire us, as my father did, to believe in the power of ordinary people to do extraordinary things, and the nobility of public service.
We face a very different world today. President Trump has done immense damage to our institutions, exploited our differences, and shredded our credibility around the world. I am excited by the Democratic candidates and the ideas they have put forward. But this year, it’s not just policy proposals that are on the ballot. Our fundamental values are at stake as never before in my lifetime.
America’s place in the world and the society our children inherit will be determined by the character of the leader we choose. We need a president who can bring people together, who knows how to get things done at home and abroad, whose word we can count on, and who can nurture the next generation of leaders. We need Joe Biden.
As vice president, he came to Japan not long after I arrived as ambassador in 2013. He stepped off Air Force Two wearing his aviator glasses and a big smile. He radiated American optimism and generosity of spirit. He made clear that America would always stand by our allies, and that we were committed to keeping the region peaceful and prosperous. He delivered tough messages as well, but he did it in private, with skill and respect. He thanked our diplomats for serving far from home. I saw a leader who was strong but fair, and who had the trust and respect of other countries.
Joe Biden is admired abroad because of his record of accomplishment at home. As senator, he secured a unanimous vote to extend the Voting Rights Act for 25 years. He led the fight to ban assault weapons — twice defeating the NRA. He wrote and passed the Violence Against Women Act to combat domestic violence and sexual assault. He won Senate support for historic agreements to reduce nuclear arsenals and ban chemical weapons.
When Barack Obama was running for president, he asked me to help lead his search for a running mate, and I supported Joe Biden. Their strong partnership and commitment to fundamental American values achieved real progress on climate change, marriage equality, tax fairness, and criminal justice reform.
As vice president, Biden secured Republican votes to pass the American Recovery Act, which helped prevent a second Great Depression. He was Obama’s point person for the Affordable Care Act — working with my Uncle Teddy to guarantee quality affordable health care to millions more Americans.
But this election is about more than achievement. It is about character.
I have admired Joe Biden since I was a Senate intern, in 1974. He was a new senator, devout Catholic, and devoted father to two young sons who had just lost their mother and sister. Teddy recognized him as someone who shared his belief that government should always be on the side of those who need help. In their own families and beyond, they gave others strength in times of loss. They never stopped listening