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On last night’s program, Kerry Kennedy said her cousin would be a strong pick for the U.S. Senate. Watch the video above.

Tonight’s guests include: Our NY1 Wiseguys; Gordon Campbell of the United Way.

Nick Confessore writes: “Caroline Kennedy, the deeply private daughter of America’s most storied political dynasty, will seek the United States Senate seat in New York being vacated by Hillary Rodham Clinton. Ms. Kennedy ended weeks of silence with a series of rapid-fire phone calls to the state’s leading political figures, including Gov. David A. Paterson, in which she emphatically and enthusiastically declared herself interested in the seat, according to several people who received the calls.”

David Halbfinger reports: “She has not held a full-time job in years, has not run for even the lowliest office, and has promoted such non-controversial causes as patriotism, poetry and public service. Yet Caroline Kennedy’s decision to ask Gov. David A. Paterson to appoint her to Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Senate seat suggests that she believes she is as well prepared as anyone to serve as the next senator from New York — and is ready to throw her famously publicity-averse self into the challenge of winning back-to-back elections in 2010 and 2012.”

NYC columnist Clyde Haberman says that when it comes to political corruption, Chicago has nothing on New York.

Marc Santora notes: “Gov. David A. Paterson plans to announce on Tuesday the creation of a low-cost student loan program to help 45,000 students in New York State secure credit and cope with tuition increases at both public and private colleges.”

Ray Rivera writes: “The New York City Housing Authority announced on Monday that its elevator employees would no longer be allowed to work for private elevator firms, after one of its former managers was fined for using city time and resources to do work for an outside company.”

New York Post

Daphne Retter reports: “Harlem Rep. Charles Rangel missed more votes than any other New York House member, according to a study released by Congressional Quarterly. Rangel, 78, missed 16 percent of House votes in 2008, partly due to a hospital stay last spring, while the state's full delegation missed an average of only 5 percent of House votes.”

The edit-heads want Caroline Kennedy to be in the U.S. Senate, while also hoping that Gov. Paterson collects cigarette taxes on Indian reservations.

And the editorial board is also disgusted by the brunch tribute to Rep. Vito Fossella.

New York Daily News

Meredith Kolodner reports: “Looming budget cuts could cause the city to scale back on its class size reduction goals next year - after failing to meet the ones set for this year. The city fell short of its class size reduction goals in almost every grade, preliminary numbers show. Setting the goals was a precondition of getting $387 million in state money, which could be spent in five areas, including reducing class size.”

Ken Lovett writes: “The state declared war on the Indians Monday - again. Gov. Paterson signed a law to curb the sale of untaxed cigarettes to Indian retailers, which he said violates state tax laws. Indian tribes are allowed to sell cigarettes untaxed to Native Americans, but are supposed to collect taxes on tobacco products sold to non-Indians. The state for decades has unsuccessfully tried to force the Indians to pay the taxes owed to the state.”

I’m out of time for the rest of the ItCH. Until tomorrow.

Bob Hardt

To drop us a line, write to political_itch@ny1.com.