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Sen. Ted Kennedy Dead

JoeTheJuggler said:
Does anyone know if MA got anything passed where they can appoint a temporary replacement, or do the Dems lose that seat until an election is held in some 3-4 months?
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First reports say it may be left vacant for months. That temporarily scuttles the "filibuster-buster" majority, not that the Dems can seem to agree on anything enough to vote as a block anyway.
 
MaGZ said:
Bringing in all the non-white immigrants will lead to the eventual race war in America. When it happens you can thank Senator Kennedy.
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Can I borrow your copy of The Turner Diaries?
 
I'd guess that the pending Moon landing on the 20th of July, 1969 figured in the collective decision to not nationally report the Chappaquiddick incident with immediacy by the news media at that time. Certainly would have stolen the thunder from Armstrong, Aldrin, Collins. Newspapers were still king for in-depth reporting, and I remember first reading about this incident in the Sunday morning edition of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 21st.

It was a major shock, as the story unfolded about the incident, the delay, the change in story - everything. Even as a 12-year-old at the time, I was clearly able to determine that there was one standard of law for the rich and influential, and another for us. Anyway, we still don't really know exactly what happened that night of July 18th, on that bridge, in those waters. And won't, ever.

I remember Kennedy running in 1980 for President, and even though he really had no chance, how close it was that he could have nudged Carter aside for the Democratic nomination. Lots of folks wanted Kennedy, not Carter, regardless. Another indicator of how easily people will adapt, will rationalize, when worship of a person, or the idea of a person, is in the forefront. A corrollary between that convention and the one we just had a year ago: It was taken to the convention, and no one seemed to have a problem with it. A year ago, Hillary Clinton, despite garnering more of the popular vote for the nomination than Obama, was hounded off the stage as soon as the primaries ended. How much we've changed - how much less patience we have today.

Kennedy found his center in the Senate; it's where, politically, he was best suited for performance. There's no denying his long and distinguished career.

I think someone mentioned that Robert F. Kennedy was a "clean" Kennedy. Hmm. There is no such thing as a clean career politician. A lot of the hatchet-job duties that "needed" to occur during JFK's tenure in the White House were orchestrated by Bobby. He was there in the shadows as Attorney General, and more. Perhaps have a read of the book One Minute To Midnight (about the Cuban Missile Crisis) and you'll get indicators as to just how political machines work, whether Republican, Democratic or otherwise.

Farewell, Ted Kennedy.
 
How many terms? Seven? Inertia, entitlement, incumbency, wealth and privilege personified in Senator Ted Kennedy.

On the other hand, with my oldest brother killed in the war, the next two politically assassinated, I think I'd have drunk as much, or more, than he did.

He he did a decent job on some things, to include helping pour federal money (11 billion and counting when I last checked in the early 2000's) into Boston's infamour Big Dig highway/transport system project. That's what he was supposed to do, in part: take care of his home team. He did that well enough. He was also a consistent voice of opposition when the GOP had the White House, which role he also played well.

Massachusetts, ya'll have a pretty big seat to fill there.
 
MaGZ said:
Bringing in all the non-white immigrants will lead to the eventual race war in America. When it happens you can thank Senator Kennedy.
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Really? I thought it was guys like me who married and had kids with White women. Not to mention her being related to Eichmann.

(Sweet baby spider monkey Jesus I loooooove doing that.):D
 
I sprayed my morning coffee all over the breakfast nook this morning, when the CBC Radio One 8:00 AM news, in all earnestness, described T.K. as "a bridge builder" for his ability to create consensus within the Senate. :eek:
 
FreshHat said:
I sprayed my morning coffee all over the breakfast nook this morning, when the CBC Radio One 8:00 AM news, in all earnestness, described T.K. as "a bridge builder" for his ability to create consensus within the Senate. :eek:
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Thanks. Just sprayed my keyboard with Dr Pepper.
 
Reposting my memories and assessment of Senator Kennedy:
Brown said:
I first saw Ted Kennedy in 1980. He was trying to challenge Jimmy Carter for the Democratic nomination [for President]. Other candidates that I saw or met that year included Jerry Brown, Howard Baker, George Bush, and John Anderson. Kennedy was the worst of the lot.

By far.

The man was nearly incoherent. Almost none of what he said made any sense at all. I was astonished at how disorganized he was and how much hot air he emitted. (Newsweek magazine even included a story about how miserable Kennedy's speech was... and included some "details" in the story that suggested that the reporter was not actually present at the speech!)

Again, this was in 1980. Kennedy has not improved. He's still as incoherent in 2004 as he was in 1980. If not for his name and his family, it would be difficult for me to see how he could attain the office of Senator. I cannot believe that he attained that office on merit.

There are other Kennedys in public service that could have attained their offices by merit. But Ted is not one of them.
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This is, I admit, a far from favorable portrait of the man. But it is honest and from the heart. That Kennedy speech I saw nearly thirty years ago was devastating. Kennedy actually lost any chance at my vote because of his awful speech. (I eventually voted for Republican John Anderson, who was running in the general election as an independent.)

Later speeches by Kennedy included some good moments, but it seemed fairly clear to me that Ted Kennedy would be lost without a script. His staff needed to watch out for him to be sure he had a carefully worded message and that he would not be winging it.

I bear no ill will to Ted Kennedy. I have no hatred for the man or even any noticeable dislike. But I nevertheless find it difficult to accept that the USA's third longest-serving senator achieved and maintained that position on his own personal merit.
 
FreshHat said:
I sprayed my morning coffee all over the breakfast nook this morning, when the CBC Radio One 8:00 AM news, in all earnestness, described T.K. as "a bridge builder" for his ability to create consensus within the Senate. :eek:
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That's actually pretty accurate. Although Kennedy was a liberal, he was also a pragmatist and often worked with conservatives to fashion compromises. McCain's statement today notes that:

Many of his fellow senators, Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, will note today that Ted was sincerely intent on finding enough common ground among us to make progress on the issues of our day, and toward that end he would work as hard and as modestly as any staffer.
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Darth Rotor said:
How many terms? Seven? Inertia, entitlement, incumbency, wealth and privilege personified in Senator Ted Kennedy.

On the other hand, with my oldest brother killed in the war, the next two politically assassinated, I think I'd have drunk as much, or more, than he did.

He he did a decent job on some things, to include helping pour federal money (11 billion and counting when I last checked in the early 2000's) into Boston's infamour Big Dig highway/transport system project. That's what he was supposed to do, in part: take care of his home team. He did that well enough. He was also a consistent voice of opposition when the GOP had the White House, which role he also played well.

Massachusetts, ya'll have a pretty big seat to fill there.
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Exactly. John Kerry has really been there just to fill our second seat. I think if we could have voted Teddy into both seats, we probably would have.

And the Dig, well, alas, wonderful idea, botched in its execution. There are some neat engineering feats that were done to do it, but the construction oversight...

JoeTheJuggler said:
For that matter, did Kennedy ever face a serious challenge for his Senate seat all these years?

But he certainly wasn't the only big politician to weather a scandal.
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Mitt Romney was the last serious one I remember in....1994?
 
He headed a lot of Civil Rights legislation in his career, and managed to both work with the other side while still being a librul demon.

But he also was an incumbent aristocrat.

I focus more on the former.
 
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