If New York Congressman Gary Ackerman (D-Queens) was harboring any secret ambitions to fill Hillary Clinton’s senate seat, he effectively scotched them this week.

Many local officials and residents expressed outrage Thursday with comments a downstate U.S. congressman made about Utica this week on a radio show.

U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-Queens, said on WOR radio Monday that he wouldn’t want to take U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Senate seat “because I don’t do Utica, and that’s a qualification for the job,” according to a story in the New York Post.

The Upstate crowd is already in an uproar, demanding the full mea culpa replete with sackcloth and ashes from Ackerman. The usual quotes are being floated about how New York City wouldn’t have any electricity or water without us rubes from the back country, but more importantly the comment highlights the tightrope that David Paterson must walk when considering the appointment and a big problem faced by Caroline Kennedy. The Five Boroughs comprise roughly 3/5 of the population of the Empire State, but you don’t win elections without the support of the more rural and conservative Upstate districts. Also, while outnumbered in raw population numbers, Upstaters actually show up at the polls and vote more reliably than their Big Apple counterparts in every single election.

Ackerman’s comments couldn’t have come at a better time for Congressman Mike Arcuri, considered by some to be a dark horse candidate for Clinton’s senate position.

U.S. Rep. Michael Arcuri, D-Utica, who works with Ackerman in the U.S. House of Representatives, said Ackerman’s comments motivate him to continue to voice his opinion that someone from upstate should be the person to replace Clinton in the Senate.

“I know Gary; I like Gary,” Arcuri said. “But I think those comments – more than anything else – are indicative of why we should have an upstater in the U.S. Senate.”

So you think we need an upstater, eh Mike? I don’t suppose you have anyone in mind….?

How does this affect Caroline Kennedy? There are plenty of pundits wondering whether she has taken a trip anywhere outside of New York City in the last two decades that didn’t involve a private jet. Her current Upstate tour, covering Syracuse, Buffalo and Rochester, is raising eyebrows all across the state. Her absolute refusal to take any questions and engage the press is doing her no favors, and she’s only meeting with Democratic Party leaders. This morning, Joe Scarborough was playing clips of Ms. Kennedy brushing off the media at every stop and described her as “acting like a queen.” That’s not going to play too well with Paterson’s upstate constituents who are already suspicious of her Manhattan pedigree.

Kennedy may yet land the role, but Paterson is clearly going to be facing a civil war in his own party if he picks her. When Sweet Caroline show up in my neck of the woods next week, I’ll see if I can’t wrangle some exclusive video for you of her ignoring my questions as well.