ALBANY - Caroline Kennedy's lack of elected office experience "does not help her" in her quest to represent New York in the U.S. Senate, Gov. David Paterson told The Buffalo News this morning.

"The notion that I have to take Caroline is not coming from me," Paterson said in an interview in his Capitol office with The Buffalo News. He said "gossip" has become a "greater force right now than my decision."

"What I would say is that, to the media, it's Caroline and the others. To me, it's there are 10 to 15 good candidates," said the governor, who will appoint the successor to U.S. Sen.Hillary Rodham Clinton after she is likely confirmed later this month as U.S. secretary of state.

One of the "10 to 15 good candidates" would appear to be Rep. Brian Higgins. Higgins is among those people the governor asked in the past week to fill out a background check questionnaire for the job.

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, however, was not asked to fill out the packet.

Paterson today said Kennedy has been assisted in her efforts by media outlets that have become consumed with the notion that the daughter of the slain President John F. Kennedy will become New York's junior senator.

"One thing that helps her is the tremendous attention that you all give her works to her advantage. Maybe if you didn't give her so much attention she wouldn't have it," Paterson

said.

He said certain people, such as Clinton, have an advantage "just because of who they are."

"So I would ask the question back, why do you all pay so much attention to her? She's just another person. So what? Her name is Kennedy? Why do you pay so much attention to her? I'm not reacting to what I think, I'm reacting to what I see," he said.

"But, on the other hand, her lack of elected experience does not help her, but the point is it's the combination of experiences I'll look at in terms of all the candidates, and also how balanced the ticket would look," Paterson added.

Sources close to Higgins this morning confirmed the congressman received his 28-page questionnaire last week from Paterson. The sources would not say whether Higgins will be filling out the questionnaire.

The package, sent to several downstate members of Congress, Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi and Kennedy, seeks information about finances, criminal history, credit reports, job history and other background details.

Mayor Brown said Wednesday he'd received no such packet from Paterson, with whom he once served in the state Senate. Paterson did say today that he would "talk" with Brown.

Last month, on the same day Kennedy arrived in Buffalo on a tour of upstate City Halls, Higgins reiterated that he has "never expressed an interest publicly or privately" in the Senate job being vacated by Clinton.

Higgins said he believed his name was floated because of his years in the state Legislature and Congress and because of some pressure Paterson is getting to appoint an upstater to the job. All the major government power players in New York -- including the governor and heads of the state Legislature -- are from New York City.

"The whole state Democratic ticket is going to be up in 2010, and there is a void, and that is representation from the upstate region," Higgins said at the time. "If Western New York is not in the mix, I think it poses a challenge for state leaders coming here in 2010 looking for support. Historically, Western New York has proven to be very pivotal" in statewide contests.