During the December 16 edition of MSNBC Live, anchor Andrea Mitchell baselessly suggested that Sen. Hillary Clinton has been insincere in what she has said about who should fill her Senate seat if she becomes secretary of state. Discussing the possibility that Caroline Kennedy could fill the seat, Mitchell stated: "[O]nce [Rep.] Nita Lowey [D-NY], who really had been up for the seat when Hillary Clinton claimed it back in 2000 -- once Nita Lowey said she didn't want it, that Clinton has sort of backed off. At least that's what she claims, but others around her are making a lot of noise." Mitchell did not note a report earlier in the day that Clinton “has told her supporters not to involve her in their efforts to stop Caroline Kennedy's path to the U.S. Senate, a person familiar with replacement discussions said.”

Moreover, Mitchell did not challenge Republican strategist John Feehery's claim that criticism of Kennedy reportedly from some supporters of Clinton represented “payback for the Kennedy endorsement of [President-elect] Barack Obama.” Mitchell also did not explain why she was asking a Republican strategist to discuss what she called “Democratic concerns” about the Senate seat.

In a December 16 Politico blog post headlined “Clinton chides supporters on Kennedy,” senior political writer Ben Smith reported:

Prominent Clinton supporters, including Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.), union leader Stuart Applebaum and fundraiser Robert Zimmerman, recently expressed skepticism about the choice, suggesting that Clinton's supporters would see naming Kennedy -- a crucial Obama backer -- as a slight.

All three “were told that their comments weren't appreciated, and that if they have a candidate they prefer that is motivating their comments and actions, they need to make that crystal clear so that nobody thinks we're behind it,” said a person close to the replacement talks.

Clinton is focused on her transition to the State Department, people close to her say, and being seen as meddling in the Senate choice would likely make her more enemies than friends.

“Sen. Clinton completely respects the privacy of his process so will not be commenting on it or any individual candidate, nor does any third party speak on her behalf,” said her spokesman, Philippe Reines.

From the 1 p.m. ET hour of MSNBC Live on December 16:

MITCHELL: So, Caroline Kennedy wants to join the family business and become the next generation of Kennedys in the U.S. Senate. Caroline is working the phones for all -- for days now to push to fill Hillary Clinton's Senate seat, but she's also fielding heavy criticism from inside her own party.

New York Democrat Representative Gary Ackerman summed up many Democratic concerns when he said, quote, “I don't know what Caroline Kennedy's qualifications are except that she has name recognition,” adding, “but, you know, so does J.Lo.” Ouch. Referring to, of course, the singer and actress Jennifer Lopez.

So here with us now, Republican strategist John Feehery. Nasty business. It looks like a family feud inside New York state politics. Some of the Clinton people still holding on. I'm told that Hillary Clinton really doesn't have a dog in the fight herself, that she's -- her candidate was Nita Lowey --

FEEHERY: Right.

MITCHELL: -- initially.

FEEHERY: Sure.

MITCHELL: And once Nita Lowey, who really had been up for the seat when Hillary Clinton claimed it back in 2000 -- once Nita Lowey said she didn't want it, that Clinton has sort of backed off. At least that's what she claims, but others around her are making a lot of noise.

FEEHERY: But, of course, this is payback for the Kennedy endorsement of Barack Obama. That's how it's perceived by a lot of people. And, you know, I think Ackerman has a great point. She has never run for dogcatcher. And she has no -- it's one thing to run for a Senate seat --

MITCHELL: But how many people, John, go for a Senate seat or another elective office having not run for something before? They have a real --

FEEHERY: But they're elected. They're elected by the people. This is appointed. Not very many people just get appointed from -- straight from Nowhereseville, really, other than having the name ID. I think that's what upsets a lot of people in New York.

MITCHELL: I take your point.

FEEHERY: And, you know, just kind of walking in and having worked on the school-reform thing and working on the ballet and all that other stuff, that's all very well and good, but New York politics, like Chicago politics, it's tough politics. And I think for a lot of Democrats, they're wondering, “Can she survive in two short years?” She probably could, because she's got the Kennedy name. But is she -- she's the shy and retiring type. You know, the Senate's not really known for its shy and retiring types. Is she going to be effective asking people, you know, for the kind of funding that the people of New York really want? I mean, these are all the big questions that are being raised by tough Democratic pols, not by Republicans.

You know, for me, I'm not reflexively anti-Kennedy, even though I'm a conservative. I have a soft spot in my heart for the Kennedys -- Irish Catholic, that whole kind of thing. But, you know, you just don't give a seat to someone who hasn't done anything to deserve it, other than the family name. That smacks of aristocracy; that smacks of Europe. That doesn't smack of America. America is different.

MITCHELL: Well, a counterargument that a lot of Democrats are making is that once she gets to the Senate, if she's appointed, her name, her celebrity, her knowing how things work in New York -- she can get things done. She can walk into a room and take the room and get -- shine a light on issues that other freshmen, especially appointed freshmen, would not be able to. Plus, she brings money to the table, and she brings money and celebrity to the table to help re-elect the governor, who's on the ticket in 2010, and also finance, you know, two campaigns in four years.

FEEHERY: Well, there's a lot of people that can raise a lot of money in New York. I mean, this -- it's the seat of all money -- used to be, at least.

MITCHELL: Used to be.

FEEHERY: Not any --

MITCHELL: Not any more.

FEEHERY: But the fact of the matter is --

MITCHELL: Bernie Madoff has all the New York money.

FEEHERY: We don't know if she's going to be able to take over a room. She's got the name, yes, but she -- as -- like I said, she's pretty shy. She's not someone who has that effervescent personality that's gonna -- “Hey, I need this, I need that.” And that's what politics is all about. It's kind of getting to the order and going to the thing and being extraordinarily aggressive.

Now, can she do that? We don't know, and I think that's the controversy. For someone like Gary Ackerman to raise those questions is very interesting. And you have the kind of internal thing. The other candidate is Andrew Cuomo, and, of course, there is a divorce between Cuomo and the Kennedys, and that's all kind of playing into this whole thing. And, you know, it's a very small club up in New York politics, and I guess that this is being played out at many different levels.

MITCHELL: What are the countervailing pressures, then, on the governor? He has sole authority to make this appointment. Not going to do it until after Hillary Clinton gets confirmed for the Senate, but, you know, can he ignore Caroline Kennedy now?

FEEHERY: Of course he can't. And that's the big problem. Of course, he also -- if he doesn't -- if he takes Caroline Kennedy, then he's got someone like Andrew Cuomo nipping at his heels in a possible primary fight. So, for Paterson, it's easiest for him to get Cuomo out of here. Send him to the Senate so he doesn't have to worry about a primary fight. Caroline Kennedy will not run a primary against David Paterson. But Paterson's also got Barack Obama, who's saying, “Listen, I want you to reward the Kennedys. They helped me out” --

MITCHELL: Well, he says he's neutral, but clearly, he's --

FEEHERY: Of course he's not. I mean, they say a lot of things.

MITCHELL: And just one last thing. [Former New York Mayor] Rudy Giuliani [R]. Which way does he jump? Because he's certainly hinting that he's open to another race.

FEEHERY: Well, and that's a great question. I think that there is some talk that [Rep.] Peter King [R-NY] would be running in the Senate seat, and then Rudy Giuliani would be running for governor against Paterson. And that's a -- you know, I think that if it's Caroline Kennedy, Rudy Giuliani would run against Paterson. And I think that -- you know, why take that on? Let someone else run against her, because I think you're right. She has that name ID and the money, and it's going to be awfully hard, I think, for a Republican to take her out -- a little bit easier to take an Andrew Cuomo out. And if the choice between Caroline Kennedy and David Paterson, who would you go after? I mean, Paterson.

MITCHELL: I would have thought that New York politics is as good as it gets, but then there's Illinois politics.