The resurrection of Camelot has been put on hold - as has the prospect of putting an unqualified, politically naive beginner in the United States Senate just because her daddy was president a long time ago.

Three cheers for our republic!

Caroline Kennedy last night withdrew from consideration to replace Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton - just two months after she rocked the New York political landscape by throwing her hat in the ring, The Post has learned.

"I informed Governor Paterson today that for personal reasons I am withdrawing my name from consideration for the United States Senate," Kennedy said in a statement released hours after the Post first broke the story.

Kennedy's move reshuffled the deck of contenders for Gov. Paterson, who will chose her replacement. The seat officially became vacant after Clinton was confirmed nearly unanimously by the Senate as secretary of state yesterday.

State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who has polled higher than Kennedy in public-opinion surveys, was seen as rising on the list of possible replacements.

I am happy to see that the Democrats will still be able to practice a little nepotism anyway if Andy Cuomo gets the nod. At least he is qualified for the office having served as Attorney General. But the prospect of inherited power among the political aristocracy has not diminished and the selection of Cuomo by Governor Paterson would be almost as bad as tapping Kennedy for the senate spot.

And so, the Tale of the Princess and the Pea(wit) ends unhappily. Fairy Tale Land is in mourning as the beautiful heir to the legacy of the most hyped average presidency in history may have finally been given the deep six.

That is, until the next Kennedy makes a bid for high office...