Kennedy's succession wish: Appointment

Of course, he wants to replace faster. Anything to screw the people.

THinking of other people? Kennedy is not thinking of other people, except Democrats! He wants to make sure there's a Democrat in the Senate, to help buddy Barack, since it seems Kennedy himself will not be there to pull the lever on various votes. (I'm betting his wife will be appointed in his stead.)

I wonder if, should the state change the law, Kennedy will resign quickly, so a Dem can be in place quickly.

I want Barney Frank.

He, Bernie Sanders and Al Franken would be a refreshing contrast to those hypocrite cadavers like O'Hatch, Kyl, Ensie--those spineless Replicans who look like they have brroomsticks holding them erect.....

Bernie, Barney & Al: the ratings on CSpan II would go WAY up.

It would be a dark day, in our Congress, if Senator Kennedy is replaced. The champion of the underprivileged, the underpaid, the underrepresented and the downtrodden and marginalized, he would be greatly missed. I don't mean to suggest that there aren't other Senators, or Representatives, that fight the same battles for these good American citizens, but none fought for so long, or so passionately. Born of privilege, but champion of the underprivileged, he exemplified what it means to be a ardent civil servant. Lest we deny the vilifier and the accuser, he is a human being, inheritor of many, many flaws, as we all are, and he has made some mistakes. He has paid a heavy penalty, the daily reminder of a lost life. He has bore well, the weights that have been thrust upon him. The Kennedy family will be remembered as an American family, that gave back to America, as much as America gave them. I still have hopes of Senator Kennedy returning to the Senate. Those are my thoughts, along with my prayers. God bless you and heal you, Senator Kennedy !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.

So change it to that the governor appoints someone who will serve until the election can be held. That way Mass. has it's 2 Senators AND Democracy is served. Seems pretty simple to me.

As usual it is all about the kennedy's wishes and not the voters.

Unbelievable arrogance

Why not simply follow the law? The Kennedy's think they are America I think they are disgusting, wanting special treatment from becoming the New York Senator to becoming the Vatican Ambassador and now a rush to replace Ted, the Chappaquiddick Kid.
There is plenty of time to follow the law and rush into sending a replacement probably hand-picked by Ted, another show of nepotism by another sleazy Senator.
Rushing into TARP, the stimulus, GM and Chrysler bailouts I am thinking of a saying from work: WE never have time to do it right we always have time to do it over. This is exactly what Obama is doing rush, rush, rush and get everything wrong. INCOMPETENTCY PERSONIFIED!

Yes, let's change the rules just for him. God help us if someone replaces him that's a Republican. How about he puts it in his will that he is giving his seat to so-and-so. Probably not legal but then again when did he ever worry about things that he does being legal.

Ah yes, the Chicago way, appoint your successor to avoid the slim chance that a Republican might get elected.

This should surprise no one. Democrats disregard laws (even ones they impose) if it suites their political purpose. Just look at how the dems of New Jersey violated the law, in collusion with the Jersey Supreme Court, to get Lautenburg on the ballot for Senate. And lets not forget how the dems tried to steal the 2000 presidential election by violating the law in Florida with illegal recounts.

A better title for this article should be "Liberals Want it Both Ways" . UNBELIEVABLE!!

"Patrick said in a statement: "It's typical of Ted Kennedy to be thinking ahead and about the people of Massachusetts, when the rest of us are thinking about him." "

So after 47 years he's finally "thinking of the people in MA"??? How touching, he's never thought of them before and neither he or Kerry have brought much back to their great Commonwealth. He's more afraid of democrats losing that seat due to the health care reform debacle he helped create.

Yes, I'm speaking from experience, I lived in MA for 24 years.

Massachusetts can't afford to go 5 months without a Senator? Please, how much time was Mass without a Senator during Kennedy's illness? If he is so worried about this, why doesn't he announce that he will step down in 6 months, giving the legislature time to schedule a special election? His only concern is that there could be 5 month window where the Democrats fail to have the 60 votes needed to override Filibusters. And the fact that the law was past in order to ensure that a Republican Gov couldn't appoint a Senator if Kerry had won the 2004 election makes this even more obvious about politics. If the five month delay is such a bad thing, did Kennedy oppose the law before it was passed?

Kennedy: “Change the law? Well, we have to drive off that bridge when we come to it."

Mary Jo Kopechne was unavailable for comment.

"Deval Patrick, the state's Democratic governor, says it's just like Kennedy to be thinking of other people at a time like this."

Yes, so like Kennedy to think of others - Democratic others and not the people of the state who should vote for their representative - typical democrat - make the law fit for them and not the people - if the law was good enough when Romney was Govenor then it should be good enough for Patrick being Govenor.

I don't like the man, or his politcal beliefs. Kennedy is very ill, and I do not wish that on anybody.

Wow, what a wonderful bunch of American christians !! You sure now how to stink up the room !! Have a great day, you Republican/Libertarian creeps !!
Don't forget to lie about healthcare, given your brand of christianity !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.

Ok, first of all, Kennedy has cancer and for that it is a shame for him and his family.
Having said that, it kills me that the Democrats in Massachusetts passed a law several years ago when the state had a Republican governor so that any replacement must be voted on by the people and not appointed. And, frankly, regardless of why it was done, the people should elect their leaders. But now that there is a Democratic governor, Kennedy wants the state to ignore the law and have his replacement appointed rather than letting the people decide. How typical is that of the Democrats and particularly of Kennedy? Once again, the Democrats don't give a hoot about the people, they just give a hoot about themselves. Crooks, that is what the Democrats are. Nasty, law-breaking crooks.

I say, build a few very tall and wide wind mills off his back yard to remind him of his glorious years in the Senate. A sort of monument to his many accomplishments, including the murder of that poor girl, Mary Jo.

The man is a scoundrel, a liar and should be in jail.

Bring them home SAFE NOW - huh Don? What's the murder - death - kill count today in the Obama wars Don?

How about a quick drive off a bridge? Then, don't tell anyone about it for 24 hours?

This isn't right. If the law is that there needs to be a special election, then that law shouldn't be bypassed. I'll give Kennedy the benefit of the doubt that he is hoping for the good of the people of Massachusetts rather than just wanting to assure a DEMOCRAT replacement (although I do so with a grain of salt), but if the will of the Massachusetts voters is that he be replaced with a Republican, it's wrong to bypass that will. ELECT, not appoint, I say!

And I do wish Senator Kennedy the best in this painful time.

No More Health Catrina !

Let's set up the Equation !

1. All across the spectrum share the urgent need for the reform as the course today is financially unsustainable. By the way, how do we pay for it ?
Let's make it affordable while improving quality.

2. Of all choices on the table, saving via efficiency is the best, and Removing Wastes alone is Enough to Meet the Goal.

As one instance, please visit http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111967435, you will be stunned !

No one knows just how much medical fraud there is, and estimates range from $600 to $6000 billion over the next decade lost to it.
And, in May 2009, the Obama administration announced a new task force made up of officials from the Department of Justice and the Department of Health
and Human Services to work on health care fraud.

3. Enough Room For Savings !

Many reformers recognized roughly 30 percent of all health-care spending in the U.S. -some $700 billion a year- might be wasted on medical abuse, unnecessary procedures, unnecessary visits to the doctor, overpriced pharmaceuticals, bloated insurance companies, and the most inefficient paper billing systems imaginable, and payment reform could solve this problem.

Provided the American people pay around twice the amount of the efficient systems, the result is still well below them, the ratio of waste might be estimated to reach far more than 50% in the U.S.

Let's be conservative regarding the ratio. Even If as little as 10% of savings apply to the combined Medicare and Medicaid cost of $923.5bn per year, as of July, the savings of $923.5bn over the next decade are possible.

And when these savings add to the already allocated $583 billion, the savings of wastes involving so called "doughnut hole" , the unnecessary subsidies for insurers, medical abuse, exorbitant costs by the tragic ER visits etc, the concern over revenue might be a thing of the past.

As a matter of fact, with the promising redesign in the pipeline, some patient-focused clinics in 10 regions have already achieved 16% of savings in Medicare while their quality scores are well above average.

Please be 'sure' to visit http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/13/opinion/13gawande.html?hp for credible evidences !

Thankfully, the provisions in the reform include more expansive, systematic policies such as 'a patient's outcome-based payment system' than they have. I for one firmly believe this American innovation, 'a patient's outcome-based payment system' , is capable of turning profit-oriented practices into patient-focused system / value.
Dr. Armadio at Mayo clinic says, "If we got rid of that stuff (waste), we save a third of all that we spend and that is 2.5 trillion dollars on health care. A third of that and that is 700 billion dollars a year. That covers a lot of uninsured people."
Please visit http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=820455&catid=391 for detailed infos

-- Americans' Best Friends Are The Envy Of The Planet ! --
-- Except For The Underinsured, The Uninsured Alone Outnumber The Entire Population In Canada --


4. Some say, if the reform package is affordable and improve quality, then the inflation/bankruptcy-oriented market can not last, thereby competition should begin with our unfair, unsustainable market value, or let's make another insurer-friendly scheme, even though the inflation/bankruptcy-oriented market share the need for change.


5. CONCLUSION = THE WILL OF REFORM, NOT COST.

The runaway premium similar to the peak fuel price last year and left so many folks in despair insists on staying the course with the attitude 'unchanged', clearly this trend could bankrupt individual, business, and government. Now the government subsequently is tasked with these two main assignments, first, to address premium inflation, second, to expand coverage to all in urgent need.

In order to cover all and not to add to the deficit, the public option can not set the same rates of private market, rather, it needs to have BALANCING function to keep it in check in terms of INFLATION, too. Unfortunately, this 'unavoidable' direction is being aggressively accused by the runaway premium, citing government 'take-over' .

Under the circumstances the energy bill to determine human future and the other major issues are presently piled up, who wants to waste time making enemies ?, which also does not benefit the forthcoming election.

with the heartbreaking tears in mind (Nearly 11 Million Cancer Patients Without Health Insurance), private market also needs changes and should join together to complete this reform , as promised, otherwise, the runaway premium only has itself to blame while new firms are filling the void with competitive deals.
And It can be said that fair competition starts with a fair, sustainable market value.

However, the plan in the House is designed to keep people in an employer-based health insurance system, and the public option would be offered to those for whom employer-provided insurance is not available. And job-based coverage (indirect payment) mandate code, and ample capital, reduced ER costs, IT base to streamline the administrative processes and trim the costs might be favorable to the private market. Over time, supposedly, the public plan will concentrate more on basic, primary cares, and the private insurers will provide their clients with differentiated services.

Let me repeat; No More Health Catrina, No More Bankruptcy Of Middle Class !

-- Americans' Best Friends Are The Envy Of The Planet ! --
-- Except For The Underinsured, The Uninsured Alone Outnumber The Entire Population In Canada --

Thank You !

Funeral by funeral, democracy marches on.

Good riddance.

I don't wish any illness on Senator Kennedy, and I'm sorry for his affliction, but Massachusetts and the US Senate would have been a far better place if Kennedy had left years ago.

Despite some of the comments here, Kennedy was more of a politician than a statesman. Unlike another famous Kennedy, Ted asked, "What can you do for me?" more than anything else.

We still don't know the whole truth about the Mary Jo Kopechne death, and it looks like Kennedy will take that truth the grave with him.

Ornery says republicans look like they have broomsticks holding them erect. What is holding Barney Frank erect? Or is that who is holding Barney Frank erect?

Justice will be finally served when drunken Teddy shows up at he Pearly Gates asking St. Peter to get in. Good ol' St. Pete looks at Mary Jo and MJ shakes her hea no.

Ted Kennedy is a skirt chasing drunken slime ball who only got to where he was at because of his last name. He has never cared about anyone except for himself.

When he does, I am throwing a "Glad You're Gone, Teddy!" party.

Violate the state's constitution by pre-appointing a successor? Is MA trying to pull a fast one over IL? Let the bidding begin!

Dear Republican Obama and Kennedy haters,
This is a States Rights Issue. If you are not a resident of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts your opinion is meaningless. Why do you Fascists want to DICTATE what other states do??

Another shovel ready project? It will be an interesting election. Who was the mutton head that said to send that cretinous little troll Barney Franks to the Senate.

"The letter acknowledges the state changed its succession law in 2004 to require a special election within five months to fill any vacancy. At the time, legislative Democrats were concerned then-Republican Gov. Mitt Romney would be able to fill any vacancy created as Democratic Sen. John Kerry ran for president."

What a P O S.

Taking the choice of representative out of the hands of the voters is what the Political Class is all about. Providing for an election for the replacement was the correct decision, but now it is politically inconvenient. Let the voters decide.

I would hope that the people of Massachusetts will oppose this attempt to circumvent the very rule that was put in place to prevent another party from having the selection choice.

The only thing positive I can take from this statement is that justice for Mary Jo Kopechne is closer to being finally achieved.

Dear Republican Obama and Kennedy haters,
This is a States Rights Issue. If you are not a resident of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts your opinion is meaningless. Why do you Fascists want to DICTATE what other states do??

Posted by: sensible | August 20, 2009 11:50 AM

I am neither Republican (ewww!)nor an Obama or Kennedy hater, but, sensible, Massachusetts has ALREADY EXERCISED its right as a state by passing legislation that Senators should be elected rather than appointed. The nature of law is that it gets applied the same, whatever the situation. Otherwise there's no point in laws to begin with. You would NOT want everything being decided ad hoc, BELIEVE me!

It's for that reason I disagree with you that people who are against this move are being fascists just because they are of the opinion that law should be upheld uniformly. In the sense that I'm NOT a voter in Massachusetts, I'll give you that my opinion means no more and no less than any other post here. And it MAY BE that those who don't want to have Kennedy's replacement appointed are fascists SEPARATE from this issue, but that's entirely another matter.

Hey sensible, you are correct that it is a States Rights issue, however, a vote by a Massachusetts Senator in the US congress affects everyone in the US not just the people of Massachusetts. This is why people who are not a resident of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts should be allowed to have a meaningful opinion. Why do you Liberals want to DICTATE and SUPPRESS public opinion? You appear to be the Fascists.

The only thing positive I can take from this statement is that justice for Mary Jo Kopechne is closer to being finally achieved.

Posted by: Jeff | August 20, 2009 12:06 PM
;
I concur. Can't wait for justice to be achieved when Old Man McCain pays for his sin of bombing villagers and peasants from thousands of miles in the sky in a sophisticated jet while they fought with blowguns and hammers. What a coward. A terrorist to boot!

With Burris and Obama, Illinois has been without 2 senators for years now, what's the rush? oh wait - it's another
CRISIS, isn't it.
Everything with barry and his band of tax cheats is a crisis.
But then - when you are an incompetent, inexperienced fool, I guess tying your shoes is a crisis.

One by one, these communist democrats are finally dying off or being driven out of office.

Reid and Dodd are next...

Paulo

One by one, these communist democrats are finally dying off or being driven out of office.

Reid and Dodd are next...

Paulo

Posted by: Paulo | August 20, 2009 1:00 PM

You're being so patient. I would have thought a good patriot like you would have been one of those who would have taken their AK to the town hall and start eliminating them yourselves.

Make no mistake. If a Republican was still governor of Massachusetts, Teddy would never have made the request to override the law and have a new senator appointed upon his demise. Plus ca change...

I concur. Can't wait for justice to be achieved when Old Man McCain pays for his sin of bombing villagers and peasants from thousands of miles in the sky in a sophisticated jet while they fought with blowguns and hammers. What a coward. A terrorist to boot!

Posted by: devin | August 20, 2009 12:45 PM

From thousands of miles in the sky?

It's not often we get to meet someone who is delusional and ignorant at the same time.

As usual, the right wingnuts here either don't get or don't want to get it. Let me put it in simple terms you can understand. The governor is Democratic. That will not change in the next six months. Therefore the next Senator will be Democratic, whether now or in six months. Oh, I forgot- you wingnuts are all mind readers and know what Kennedy is thinking.. He's a liberal an automatically evil. Is there a brain in the wingnut nation?

Same thing happened in Illinois when Blago was arrested. Democrats didn't want a special election to replace Obama because there was a good chance they could loose the seat to a Republican. Although Blago was technically still allowed to appoint someone, considering he was charged with selling the Senate seat, there was more than a good reason to have a special election. It was the only time I ever heard democrats arguing that we shouldn't do something because it costs too much.

No one questions that, Laurence, what they're questioning is this: In 2004 the Illinois legislature passed a law to change the succession plan for its two US senate sets. The reason was if John Kerry won the presidency, then Governor Mitt Romney would have appointed his successor under the old rules. A republican. The law passed in 2004 required a special election within five months to fill any vacancy. You see, smartie, a republican can RUN in that election. THAT's how a republican could win the seat. The odds are stacked against any republican winning in Mass. but Kennedy's letter urges state leaders to change the law to allow a quick succession. Now that Deval Patrick, he of the single-digit approval rating, is governor the dems DON'T want the special election they were so for in 2004. My how these little worms turn! Glad to help you with the remedial reading you so obviously need.

I love the guy who just compared bombing military targets during a time of war to driving your own car off a bridge, leaving the girl that was in it with you behind and waiting 8 hours (probably to sober up) to report the accident to authorities. That Teddy, what a hero.

hey Devin...were you even alive during the Viet Nam War? I'll bet not. there weren't too many blow guns in the jungle....and thousands of miles in the sky? get off the crack pipe

It's not often we get to meet someone who is delusional and ignorant at the same time.

Posted by: Don | August 20, 2009 1:35 PM

Don, apparently you have never met a Loony Lefty. Delusional and ignorance are hallmarks of what they are. Just look at the one below yours from Laurence.

Laurence, if the people of Massachusetts elect a Democrat when the special election is held, that is their right. The point is that Kennedy wants the Democratic governor to APPOINT his successor rather than have THE PEOPLE choose his successor.
Anyway, the approval numbers of Gov. Patrick are rather low in Massachusetts, so I think because there is a slight chance THE PEOPLE of Massachusetts may elect a Republican senator, Kennedy would prefer the Democratic governor make it so there is no chance of a Republican filling his seat by selecting his successor. But Laurence the real issue is that the law in MA states there should be an election, not an appointment and Kennedy wants to skirt the law, which is par for the course.

Devin, in regard to the comment about "hammers and blowguns" if that are the only weapons you think the North Vietnamese had, you are clueless. They had some of the most sophisticated surface to air missles the Soviets made, along with radar tracking sites and MIG's. About the only place that they resorted to "hammers and blowguns" were in the POW camps when they were torturing US POW's (in violation of the Geneva convention).

The only thing positive I can take from this statement is that justice for Mary Jo Kopechne is closer to being finally achieved.

Posted by: Jeff | August 20, 2009 12:06 PM
;
I concur. Can't wait for justice to be achieved when Old Man McCain pays for his sin of bombing villagers and peasants from thousands of miles in the sky in a sophisticated jet while they fought with blowguns and hammers. What a coward. A terrorist to boot!

Posted by: devin | August 20, 2009 12:45 PM

I think they are trying to find a spot for Roland Burris.

My money is on his wife. She will be filling his seat.

Glad to know what side you were on, Devin. You're a very, very sick person. You'll see Ted where you're going.

I so tired of these Kennedy's aleady. Who do they think they are? This guy is only for himself and his family, don't kid yourself. They act so lilly white, did we forget he got away with murder? The Kennedy's only made it into politics because his father was in with the mob. Of course Obama will give him what he wants because Ted Kennedy is the true Puppet Master of All.

How does Don Fitzgerald know that the posters he was referring to are Christians? I re-read their posts and none stated their religious affiliation. He finds their posts intolerant and resonds with one of his own

Does Devon want all Vietnam Vets to die or just McCain? Please let us know.

So the Democrats change the law so Romney can't appoint a senator but then want it changed back when they want to appoint a senator.
Sounds like the 'same old same old' heads I win, tails you lose.

Kennedy is trying to change back in 2009 - to benefit the Democrats- a law he had changed in 2004 - to benefit the Deomcrats- unmiutigated gall!!! The voters be damned , let the Kennedy's rule!

Who was responsible for thre death of more innocents: Teddy Kennedy or George W. Bush? I think the answer to that is clear. Bush deserves to suffer for years and years in the name of every Iraqi child that died for his lies. He deserves to suffer every torment that those innocent Iraqi civilians who died in his "Shock and Awe" act of international terrorism suffered.

Yet I do not wish that on him. I am a civilised man and I wish suffering on no one, unlike the cruel hate filled barbarians who enjoy the suffering of Ted Kennedy. If there is a just God, they will find their judgement returned upon them tenfold.

Now that they have a democratic governor, they should just temporarity rescind the law. But they should keep it on a nearby shelf in case a Republican ever gets back into the state ouse. Unbelievable! Oh and by the way...WE NEED TERM LIMITS!!!!!!

When he is no longer to do his job he should step aside and abide by the rules in place.

is he still using up precious health care dollars that should only be available to those between the ages of 15 and 40. ms. kopechne did us a service by keeping this piece of work from ever becoming president.

This a-hole knew he was a dead man back in May of 2008. Why didn't he start this then? Typical Kennedy- the world is all about him.

I think Senator Kennedy asking to change the law shows the hypocritical nature that we have with politicians. They changed the law so a republican could not be appointed if Kerry won. Now that it is all Democrat, they want to change the rules.

While I understand that Sen. Kennesy is in grave condition, I think the voters should be allowed to decide the replacement. Here in IL we have seen backdoor deals to replace people all the time, with the latest being Burris. For those in power to continue to bypass the voters is against everything the Consitution stands for.

Typical Dimocrat corruption......the RULES don't apply to them!!!!
Obama lied
Grandma died

Interesting that they enacted this law when a republican was in office but want to change it for a democrat governor, sounds unbiased to me. Senator should have set aside his vanity and retired when he found out he could no longer truly serve his state, and this wouldn't be an issue now. He only has himself to blame.

Do you mean Senator Kennedy isn't in Canada getting the "best health care available"?

The rules never have applied to the Kennedy faamily, starting with Mary Jo Kopechne, the hypocracy of not wanting windmills off the beaches by Hyannsport, and now this.

Teddy the Swimmer is just another liberal whose life revolves around controlling gov't power. He probably just needs someone at his law firm, Winer, Diner, Dicker, and Dunker, to draft the legislation.

Years ago they used to talk about the Ev and Charley show.

If Barney got in the Senate, we could have the comedy team of Bernie, Barney & Al.

Lighten things up a bit after the sex/diaper/pedophile Republican scandals--Foleygate, Craiggate, Vittergate, Ensigngate.

A little wit.

A few zingers.

A one-liner now and again.

Bernie, Barney & Al.

They'll perform at the correspondents' dinners for free!

The sooner the "Swimmer" is gone the better off the country will be, The Kennedys chickens have come home to roost, all the bad things the Kennedy family has ever done is getting settled,bootlegers, murdereres , stock market fixers, Good ridence!!!!!!!

I know he is doing this just so the Dems have someone voting for healthcare reform, but it just looks bad. When they have a republican with appointive power, they don't want him to have it, but when a democrat is in there, they want him to be able to appoint someone right away.

Jeff, let me help you with a little remedial reading and remedial politics. First you noticed I bashed wingnuts like you that automatically accused Kennedy of selfish impulses. I notice you did not address that. In a special election, Massachusetts will still elect a Democrat, because they will listen to a senator they have elected umpteen times. A little remedial schooling would not hurt you a bit, boy.

The Democrats passed a law that they thought would benefit. Now that the circumstances have changed, they want to change the law. This doesn't sound like a good idea. Look who we got in Illinois.

Namecaller, you ignore the fact that Kennedy wants Mass. leaders to change the rules to eliminate even that small possibility. What's he afraid of? That the people of Mass. will reject his wife or other self-appointed successor?
You've not been able to refute one iota of the substance of what I posted. Namecalling is not adult debate.

Greggie, at least the Kennedys didn't do business with the Nazis like the Bush Dynasty did.

Anyway, Teddy is just another example of someone who doesn't know how to retire gracefully.

Yes, he was effective as a Senator for a long time.
But he's not the monarch and not the pope. It's not a lifetime job and he's doing a disservice to his own contiuents by not resigning.

If he had retired gracefully, a successor would be in place now.

That's right change the rules in the middle of the game, anything to please
the Kennedys, give me a break. I have to agree with Gregg, its payback for all the dirty dealings they've had in their perfect little world.

Actually, ornery, have you ever heard of Joseph P. Kennedys dealings with Germany prior to the war? As a member of the mafia, Kennedy HATED Meyer Lansky and all other members of the Jewish mafia. By the time the war broke out and his sons fought in it he was as staunchly anti-Nazi as any American, but that wasn't the case before it was obvious that America would enter it.
Namecaller, if it's such a foregone conclusion why doesn't Teddy and the democratic state leaders he was writing to just let the special election as mandated by the law?

Actually, ornery, have you ever heard of Joseph P. Kennedys dealings with Germany prior to the war? As a member of the mafia, Kennedy HATED Meyer Lansky and all other members of the Jewish mafia. By the time the war broke out and his sons fought in it he was as staunchly anti-Nazi as any American, but that wasn't the case before it was obvious that America would enter it.
Namecaller, if it's such a foregone conclusion why doesn't Teddy and the democratic state leaders he was writing to just let the special election as mandated by the law?

Massachusetts state house leaders to Ted Kennedy: drop dead. http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/08/21/leaders_cool_to_kennedys_request_to_appoint_interim_senate_successor/

Bush lied.
Americans died.

Ornery, allow me to give the same level of intelligence to retort your last post: waah. Obama's fighting Bush's wars that he was so against on the campaign trail. Must stick in your craw. How's shutting Gitmo down going? Looks pretty open to me.

I've lived through a lot of politicians' terms.

I'm not grading Obama until the end of the term.

But the campaign last year was kinda good, no?

Replicans didn't even get a chance to try to throw the election into the Supreme Court, did they?

From obscure Hyde Park state senator to President in 4 years.

When are you putting your exploratory committee together for your run for the Presidency, Jeff?

Do you think you can make it in 4 year?

Kennedy wants to be the hand the reaches from the grave. Total political manipulation to, and beyond, the end. Forgive me for saying so, but he'll need a long and asbestos gloved hand to reach from where he is going.

"it's just like Kennedy to be thinking of other people at a time like this."

translation:

"It's just like Kennedy to try to change the rules back to the way they were before he helped revamp them in order to beat the system."

Times change, but schemers and connivers will always find a way.

And as for you Laurence:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAOxY_nHdew&feature=related

Senator Kennedy's passing is a tragedy not only for his family but for our Nation. He dedicated his life to bettering our lives. God rest Ted Kennedy's soul and provide comfort to his grieving family.

To those who consider his controversial stance against Cape Wind as a stance against "progress", please refer to Senator Kennedy's eloquently expressed concerns:

http://www.tedkennedy.com/content/860/concerns-with-the-cape-wind-proposal