"I don't know what Caroline Kennedy's qualifications are. Except that she has name recognition, but so does J-Lo."

— Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-N.Y.

Right idea, wrong argument. The problem with Caroline Kennedy's presumption to Hillary Clinton's Senate seat is not lack of qualification or experience. The Senate houses lots of inexperienced rookies — wealthy businessmen, sports stars, even the occasional actor.

The problem is Kennedy's sense of entitlement. Given her modest achievements, she is trading entirely on pedigree.

I hate to be a good government scold, but wasn't the American experiment a rather firm renunciation of government by pedigree?

Yes, of course, we have our own history of dynamic succession: Adamses and Harrisons, and in the last century, Roosevelts, Kennedys and Bushes.

It's not the end of the world, but it is an accelerating trend that need not be encouraged. We have already created another distortion: a plethora of plutocrats in the U.S. Senate, courtesy of our crazed campaign finance laws. If you're very very rich, you can buy your Senate seat by spending as much of your money as you want.

Having given this additional leg up to the rich, we should resist packing our legislatures with yet more privileged parachutists, the well-born.

True, the Brits did it that way for centuries, but with characteristic honesty. They established a house of Parliament exclusively for highborn twits and ensconced them there for life. There they chatter away in supreme irrelevance deep into their dotage. Problem is that the U.S. Senate retains House of Commons powers even as it develops a House of Lords membership.

I have nothing against Caroline Kennedy. She seems a fine person. She has led the life of a worthy socialite, helping all the right causes. But when the mayor of New York endorses her candidacy by offering, among other reasons, that "her uncle has been one of the best senators that we have had in an awful long time," we're at the point of embarrassment.

Nor is Ms. Kennedy alone in her sense of entitlement. Vice President-elect Biden's Senate seat will be filled by Edward Kaufman, a family retainer no one heard of before this week. No one will hear from him after two years, when Kaufman will retire. He understands his responsibility: Keep the Senate seat warm for two years until Joe's son returns from Iraq to assume his father's mantle.

This, of course, is the Kennedy way. In 1960, John Kennedy's Senate seat was given to his Harvard roommate, one Ben Smith II (priceless name). He stayed on for two years — until Teddy reached the constitutional age of 30 required to succeed his brother.

In light of the pending dynastic disposition of the New York and Delaware Senate seats, the Illinois way is almost refreshing. At least Gov. Rod Blagojevich (allegedly) made Barack Obama's seat democratically open to all. Just register the highest bid, eBay style.

Sadly, however, even this auction was not free of aristo-creep. Deducing from the U.S. attorney's criminal complaint, we find that one-third of those under consideration are pedigreed: Candidate No. 2 turns out to be the daughter of the speaker of the Illinois House; Candidate No. 5, the first-born son of the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

Caroline Kennedy, Beau Biden and Jesse Jackson Jr. could become great senators. But in a country where advantages of education, upbringing and wealth make the playing field uneven, we should resist encouraging the one form of advantage the American Republic strove to abolish: title.

No lords or ladies here. If Princess Caroline wants a seat in the Senate, let her do it by election. To do it now by appointment on the basis of bloodline is an offense to the most minimal republicanism. Every state in the union is entitled to representation in the Senate. Camelot is not a state.

Charles Krauthammer is part of The Washington Post Writers Group. Reach him at letters@charleskrauthammer.com.