Posted: 8/26/2009 2:45:21 AM EDT
Ted Kennedy Sen. Edward Kennedy, the longtime Massachusetts lawmaker whose personal tragedies along with his professional triumphs and losses unfolded in the public eye, has died at his home in Hyannis Port after battling a brain tumor. He was 77. His family announced his death in a brief statement released early Wednesday. "We've lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism, and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever," the statement said. "We thank everyone who gave him care and support over this last year, and everyone who stood with him for so many years in his tireless march for progress toward justice, fairness and opportunity for all." |
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di du guys hear that he urged the state legislature to change the law that there must be a special election for his replacement and not a governor appointment. The law which was just put in place in 04 to block mitt romney from putting a republican senator in power when edwards resigned to run for president.
its freakin amazing how scared they are of republicans in mass. |
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di du guys hear that he urged the state legislature to change the law that there must be a special election for his replacement and not a governor appointment. The law which was just put in place in 04 to block mitt romney from putting a republican senator in power when edwards resigned to run for president. its freakin amazing how scared they are of republicans in mass. And now, Gov. Patrick is trying to get the legislature to change the law so he can appoint a Democrap instead of having a special election in 145-160 days like the law requires. I can't wait to move out of MA. |
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But can we save this bullshit for the GD and keep it out of our HTF? No. In my humble opinion, it should be louder in here, because this is the HTF. Kennedy wasn't just a person that we disagree with personally or politically, he was complicit with Soviet Communists for his own political gain and a killer. In other words, he was a piece of human garbage. Fuck Ted. |
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But can we save this bullshit for the GD and keep it out of our HTF? No. In my humble opinion, it should be louder in here, because this is the HTF. Kennedy wasn't just a person that we disagree with personally or politically, he was complicit with Soviet Communists for his own political gain and a killer. In other words, he was a piece of human garbage. Fuck Ted. I had just noticed that all of the out of staters (not you, obviously) were posting here probably getting it confused with all the Ted Kennedy GD threads. It is pertinent to us here in New England so I see your point. I just hate to see it turn into the type of threads found elsewhere on the site. |
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Let's keep it respectful. Despite Senator Kennedy's politics, and yes we opposed many of his policies and in particular, his stance on gun control - let's not forget that forums like these are in the public eye. What is posted here is read by everyone including media and legislators. We hurt the image of gun owners and sportsmen even more by posting rude, crass remarks about the senator's passing.
Every time a rude remark is made, especially with the timing of his passing, the image of gun owners is hurt even more. The negative stereotypes become reinforced and you give the other side "ammunition" to use against us. Some of us work very hard with "on the fence" legislators to vote against anti gun bills every year, when it is in fact, much easier for them to vote WITH them and the last thing they want to be associated with is "helping those gun nuts". And posting rude, crass, comments after the passing away of a political leader hurt our perception among them and makes our fight even harder. It's a tragic event for the Kennedy family, as it would be in any family including our own families. And bear in mind, he may very well be replaced with someone, much WORSE than he was and without the ability to negotiate and broker in Washington among those Senators who DO support our views. Remember, a lot of what we hear and see being proposed in Washington and in State legislatures across the country is done to see how much will "stick" when thrown against the wall and to what level X will be negotiated for Y. That's the game, like it or not. A new, radical newbie lacking the experience could prove far worse! Senator Kennedy tried for decades to ban guns and FAILED. That should tell us something about the process and the importance to be involved the right way! He was a formidable force and his family has suffered another loss. And yes, I remember what the liberals said about Reagan's passing a few years ago. Remember - we are BETTER than that! |
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Let's keep it respectful. Despite Senator Kennedy's politics, and yes we opposed many of his policies and in particular, his stance on gun control - let's not forget that forums like these are in the public eye. What is posted here is read by everyone including media and legislators. We hurt the image of gun owners and sportsmen even more by posting rude, crass remarks about the senator's passing. Every time a rude remark is made, especially with the timing of his passing, the image of gun owners is hurt even more. The negative stereotypes become reinforced and you give the other side "ammunition" to use against us. Some of us work very hard with "on the fence" legislators to vote against anti gun bills every year, when it is in fact, much easier for them to vote WITH them and the last thing they want to be associated with is "helping those gun nuts". And posting rude, crass, comments after the passing away of a political leader hurt our perception among them and makes our fight even harder. It's a tragic event for the Kennedy family, as it would be in any family including our own families. And bear in mind, he may very well be replaced with someone, much WORSE than he was and without the ability to negotiate and broker in Washington among those Senators who DO support our views. Remember, a lot of what we hear and see being proposed in Washington and in State legislatures across the country is done to see how much will "stick" when thrown against the wall and to what level X will be negotiated for Y. That's the game, like it or not. A new, radical newbie lacking the experience could prove far worse! Senator Kennedy tried for decades to ban guns and FAILED. That should tell us something about the process and the importance to be involved the right way! He was a formidable force and his family has suffered another loss. And yes, I remember what the liberals said about Reagan's passing a few years ago. Remember - we are BETTER than that! This is pretty much what I was getting at. Well said. |
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Sorry I can not see a correlation between gun owner and being happy about the death of a murderer. Sure, I know he tried to ban guns but that isnt the reason or even any of the reasons I am glad he is gone. Lets take a look at his ... "legacy" ...
The Last of The Kennedy Dynasty. The senior elected official from Massachusetts, the leader of the circus clowns. As soon as cancer was found, there came immediate attempts at canonization of old Teddy by the main stream media. They are saying what a “great American” he is. Let’s get a few things clear and not twist the facts to change the real history. 1. He was caught cheating at Harvard when he attended it. He was expelled twice, once for cheating on a test, and once for paying a classmate to cheat for him. 2. While expelled, Kennedy enlisted in the Army, but mistakenly signed up for four years instead of two. Oops, His father, Joseph P. Kennedy, former U.S. Ambassador to England (a step up from bootlegging liquor into the U.S. from Canada during prohibition), pulled the necessary strings to have his enlistment shortened to two years, and to ensure that he served in Europe, not Korea, where a war was raging. No preferential treatment for him like “he” charged President Bush received. 3. Kennedy was assigned to Paris , never advanced beyond the rank of Private, and returned to Harvard upon being discharged. Imagine a person of his “education” NEVER advancing past the rank of Private. 4. While attending law school at the University of Virginia , he was cited for reckless driving four times, including once when he was clocked driving 90 miles per hour in a residential neighborhood with his headlights off after dark. Yet his Virginia driver’s license was never revoked. Coincidentally, he passed the bar exam in 1959, amazing!!! 5. In 1964, he was seriously injured in a plane crash, and hospitalized for several months. Test results done by the hospital at the time he was admitted had shown he was legally intoxicated. The results of those tests remained a “state secret” until in the 1980’s when the report was unsealed. Didn’t hear about that from the unbiased media, did we? 6. On July 19, 1969, Kennedy attended a party on Chappaquiddick Island in Massachusetts . At about 11:00 PM, he borrowed his chauffeur’s keys to his Oldsmobile limousine, and offered to give a ride home to Mary Jo Kopechne, a campaign worker. Leaving the island via an unlighted bridge with no guard rail, Kennedy steered the car off the bridge, flipped, and into Poucha Pond. 7. He swam to shore and walked back to the party, after passing several houses and a fire station. Then two friends returned with him to the scene of the accident. According to their later testimony, they told him what he already knew, that he was required by law to immediately report the accident to the authorities. Instead Kennedy made his way to his hotel, called his lawyer, and went to sleep. Kennedy called the police the next morning and by then the wreck had already been discovered. Before dying, Kopechne had scratched at the upholstered floor above her head in the upside-down car. The Kennedy family began “calling in favors”, ensuring that any inquiry would be contained. Her corpse was whisked out-of-state to her family, before an autopsy could be conducted. Further details are uncertain, but after the accident Kennedy says he repeatedly dove under the water trying to rescue Kopechne, and he didn’t call police because he "was in a state of shock." It is widely assumed Kennedy was drunk, and he held off calling police in hopes that his family could fix the problem overnight. Since the accident, Kennedy’s “political enemies” have referred to him as the distinguished Senator from Chappaquiddick. He pled guilty to leaving the scene of an accident, and was given a SUSPENDED SENTENCE OF TWO MONTHS. Kopechne’s family received a $200,000 payout from the Kennedy insurance policy, and never sued. There was later an effort to have her body exhumed and autopsied, but her family successfully fought against this in court, and Kennedy’s family paid their attorney’s bills… a “token of friendship...” 8. Kennedy has held his Senate seat for more than forty years, but considering his longevity, his accomplishments seem scant. He authored or argued for legislation that ensured a variety of civil rights, increased the minimum wage in 1981, made access to health care easier for the indigent, and funded Meals on Wheels for fixed-income seniors and is widely held as the “standard-bearer for liberalism.” In his very first Senate role, he was the floor manager for the bill that turned U.S. immigration policy upside down and opened the floodgate for immigrants from third world countries. 9. Since that time, he has been the prime instigator and author of every expansion of and increase in immigration, up to and including the latest attempt to grant amnesty to illegal aliens. Not to mention the pious grilling he gave the last two Supreme Court Nominees, as if he were the standard bearer for the nation in matters of morals and what is right. What a pompous ass. 10. He is known around Washington as a public drunk, loud, boisterous and very disrespectful to ladies. JERK is a better description than “great American.” Let’s not allow the spin doctors make this jerk a hero — how quickly the American public forgets what his real legacy is… Obama has now awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom to a known murderer. Teddy boy surely fits the profile of people Obama would consider to be a hero in this country. “A wise man asks questions, a fool is afraid of knowledge.” |
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Sorry I can not see a correlation between gun owner and being happy about the death of a murderer. Sure, I know he tried to ban guns but that isnt the reason or even any of the reasons I am glad he is gone. Lets take a look at his ... "legacy" ... The Last of The Kennedy Dynasty. The senior elected official from Massachusetts, the leader of the circus clowns. As soon as cancer was found, there came immediate attempts at canonization of old Teddy by the main stream media. They are saying what a “great American” he is. Let’s get a few things clear and not twist the facts to change the real history. 1. He was caught cheating at Harvard when he attended it. He was expelled twice, once for cheating on a test, and once for paying a classmate to cheat for him. 2. While expelled, Kennedy enlisted in the Army, but mistakenly signed up for four years instead of two. Oops, His father, Joseph P. Kennedy, former U.S. Ambassador to England (a step up from bootlegging liquor into the U.S. from Canada during prohibition), pulled the necessary strings to have his enlistment shortened to two years, and to ensure that he served in Europe, not Korea, where a war was raging. No preferential treatment for him like “he” charged President Bush received. 3. Kennedy was assigned to Paris , never advanced beyond the rank of Private, and returned to Harvard upon being discharged. Imagine a person of his “education” NEVER advancing past the rank of Private. 4. While attending law school at the University of Virginia , he was cited for reckless driving four times, including once when he was clocked driving 90 miles per hour in a residential neighborhood with his headlights off after dark. Yet his Virginia driver’s license was never revoked. Coincidentally, he passed the bar exam in 1959, amazing!!! 5. In 1964, he was seriously injured in a plane crash, and hospitalized for several months. Test results done by the hospital at the time he was admitted had shown he was legally intoxicated. The results of those tests remained a “state secret” until in the 1980’s when the report was unsealed. Didn’t hear about that from the unbiased media, did we? 6. On July 19, 1969, Kennedy attended a party on Chappaquiddick Island in Massachusetts . At about 11:00 PM, he borrowed his chauffeur’s keys to his Oldsmobile limousine, and offered to give a ride home to Mary Jo Kopechne, a campaign worker. Leaving the island via an unlighted bridge with no guard rail, Kennedy steered the car off the bridge, flipped, and into Poucha Pond. 7. He swam to shore and walked back to the party, after passing several houses and a fire station. Then two friends returned with him to the scene of the accident. According to their later testimony, they told him what he already knew, that he was required by law to immediately report the accident to the authorities. Instead Kennedy made his way to his hotel, called his lawyer, and went to sleep. Kennedy called the police the next morning and by then the wreck had already been discovered. Before dying, Kopechne had scratched at the upholstered floor above her head in the upside-down car. The Kennedy family began “calling in favors”, ensuring that any inquiry would be contained. Her corpse was whisked out-of-state to her family, before an autopsy could be conducted. Further details are uncertain, but after the accident Kennedy says he repeatedly dove under the water trying to rescue Kopechne, and he didn’t call police because he "was in a state of shock." It is widely assumed Kennedy was drunk, and he held off calling police in hopes that his family could fix the problem overnight. Since the accident, Kennedy’s “political enemies” have referred to him as the distinguished Senator from Chappaquiddick. He pled guilty to leaving the scene of an accident, and was given a SUSPENDED SENTENCE OF TWO MONTHS. Kopechne’s family received a $200,000 payout from the Kennedy insurance policy, and never sued. There was later an effort to have her body exhumed and autopsied, but her family successfully fought against this in court, and Kennedy’s family paid their attorney’s bills… a “token of friendship...” 8. Kennedy has held his Senate seat for more than forty years, but considering his longevity, his accomplishments seem scant. He authored or argued for legislation that ensured a variety of civil rights, increased the minimum wage in 1981, made access to health care easier for the indigent, and funded Meals on Wheels for fixed-income seniors and is widely held as the “standard-bearer for liberalism.” In his very first Senate role, he was the floor manager for the bill that turned U.S. immigration policy upside down and opened the floodgate for immigrants from third world countries. 9. Since that time, he has been the prime instigator and author of every expansion of and increase in immigration, up to and including the latest attempt to grant amnesty to illegal aliens. Not to mention the pious grilling he gave the last two Supreme Court Nominees, as if he were the standard bearer for the nation in matters of morals and what is right. What a pompous ass. 10. He is known around Washington as a public drunk, loud, boisterous and very disrespectful to ladies. JERK is a better description than “great American.” Let’s not allow the spin doctors make this jerk a hero — how quickly the American public forgets what his real legacy is… Obama has now awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom to a known murderer. Teddy boy surely fits the profile of people Obama would consider to be a hero in this country. “A wise man asks questions, a fool is afraid of knowledge.” I'd like to know the source of this information. I've got a libtard friend that I'd like to give this to, but they will insist on a source. |
| In 1960, the Kennedys wanted to keep the Senate seat soon to be vacated by JFK. They had Governor Fucolo appoint family friend Ben Smith to hold it until Ted turned 30 years old and thus eligible, and a special election was held and he won. Ted was re-elected everytime, despite causing the death of his brother's campaign worker Mary Jo Kopechne in 1969. Now the question remains; do we actually choose our candidates in a free and open way, or are they chosen for us long before we go to the polls? |
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http://newhavenregister.com/articles/2009/09/01/news/a7-joekennedy.txt
Associated Press WASHINGTON — Another Kennedy just might occupy the Kennedy seat in the Senate. Amid the emotional public outpouring over the death of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, talk of a successor has focused on his widow, Victoria Reggie Kennedy, and his nephew, Joseph Kennedy II, the 56-year-old former congressman who could return to politics after a decade’s absence. “Even though he’s emotionally drained right now, he can’t help but be moved by the enormous flood of affection and respect from all over the country,” said veteran Democratic strategist Dan Payne. “He wouldn’t be human and he wouldn’t be a Kennedy if he didn’t give serious consideration to running for what is known as the ‘Kennedy seat’ in Massachusetts.” Kennedy would be an early favorite if he decides to run, likely discouraging other Democrats who might be reluctant to oppose a Kennedy so close to the senator’s death. Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick on Monday set Jan. 19 for a special election to fill Kennedy’s seat. The primary will be Dec. 8. There have been few clues about Kennedy’s plans, and he has declined comment through his spokesman, Brian O’Connor. Kennedy family sources have indicated that Victoria Kennedy is not interested in running. Patrick said Monday that she told him she does not want to be appointed as an interim replacement either. Before he died last week, Edward Kennedy had asked Massachusetts lawmakers to change state law to let the governor name an interim appointee to serve until voters can choose a permanent replacement. State lawmakers considering the change plan a hearing on it next week. Within days of Edward Kennedy’s death, jockeying for the first open Senate seat in Massachusetts in 25 years intensified. Democrats who might run are Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, and Reps. Stephen Lynch, Michael Capuano and Edward Markey. Former Rep. Martin Meehan, now chancellor of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, has $4.8 million in his federal campaign account, the largest sum of any potential candidates. Among the possible Republican candidates are Cape Cod businessman Jeff Beatty, former White House chief of staff Andrew Card, former Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan and Chris Egan, former U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Grooming family members for plum political posts is something of a Kennedy family tradition. In 1962, Edward Kennedy won the Senate seat that his brother, John, held before winning the presidency in 1960. The Kennedys helped arrange the appointment of John’s old roommate, Benjamin A. Smith, to hold the seat until Edward Kennedy turned 30 and was legally old enough to run for the Senate. Joe Kennedy is the eldest son of the late Sen. Robert Kennedy. He was elected to the House in 1986 and served six terms before retiring. He works to provide low-cost heating oil to the poor through Boston-based Citizens Energy Corp., a charity he founded years ago. He is a visible figure across the state, appearing in TV ads touting his oil program for the poor. Kennedy’s public image was tarnished in 1997 after his former wife, Sheila Rauch Kennedy, published a book titled “Shattered Faith.” In the book, she accused him of trying to bully her into agreeing to an annulment of their marriage. Friends say Kennedy, who enjoys fishing in his boat off Cape Cod, has been content with his life away from politics. He has balked at opportunities to run for governor since leaving Congress. The vaunted Kennedy name, he also knows, is no longer a sure thing in politics. Caroline Kennedy bungled her bid for a New York Senate seat earlier this year. Joe Kennedy’s sister, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, served two terms as lieutenant governor of Maryland but lost her bid for governor in 2002. But the prospect of an open Senate seat and the chance to extend the family political dynasty could be powerful motivation. “Even more so now that Ted is gone, Joe would be seen as the last figure in the dynasty,” Payne said. “There would be people not just in Massachusetts, but all over the country who will urge him on.” Kennedy has a reputation as an exuberant campaigner. Polls show he is among the state’s most popular figures, and he is able to raise a lot of money in a short time, owing to his family’s vast political network. “The mouthful of those gleaming white teeth, that booming, boisterous voice and then you have all those little old ladies who just want to touch him, shake his hand,” said Payne. “When he turns to shake somebody’s hand, it’s like someone turned on a beacon.” Or this........ http://newhavenregister.com/articles/2009/09/01/news/shoreline/a1_––kennedyjr.txt While coping with the death of the man he eulogized as “my father and my best friend,” Edward “Ted” Kennedy Jr. has been continually surprised and heartened by the personal outpouring of thanks from the public. “I was overwhelmed by the intensity and the volume of gratitude that people expressed for my father’s (public) service,” Kennedy said Monday in his first interview since the Massachusetts senator’s death. Kennedy, who lives in Branford, said he spent most of his time over the past weeks at the family homestead on Cape Cod as his 77-year-old father continued to fight the brain cancer that finally took his life Tuesday. “I was able to be with him when he died,” Kennedy said. “It was very peaceful.” “He knew what he was preparing for, but there was no melancholy,” Kennedy added. “He was amazing, upbeat, a champion until his final days.” “Obviously, we were all heartbroken,” Kennedy said. “But he wanted us to know he’d had a great life. “It was a huge loss for me personally,” Kennedy acknowledged. “But I have so many fantastic memories.” He learned over the last week’s events, culminating in the funeral service Saturday, that many other people also have fond, emotional memories of his father. “What’s unbelievable,” he said, “is the personal loss that people have felt — even those who never knew the guy.” He said when he was back in Boston Sunday, “People were stopping me on the street, telling me stories of how my father had impacted their lives or their parents’ lives.” Kennedy also recalled shaking hands with mourners who had waited for three or four hours outside the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum in Boston last week, where the senator’s casket was placed so the public could pay its respects. “What was surprising to me was when I thanked these people for being there, they said, ‘No, thank you; your father worked for us for 47 years.’ I hadn’t fully comprehended how thankful people were for my father’s service,” Kennedy said. “That’s what I’ll take away from this,” he added. Kennedy, 47, who lost a leg to bone cancer when he was 12 and has worked as a legal advocate for the disabled, will likely now face more questions about his political future, especially after his powerful eulogy. In its conclusion, he said, “I will try to live up to the high standard that my father set for all of us.” When asked Monday whether he has any political plans, Kennedy replied, “Politics is something every Kennedy has thought about.” He chuckled and said, “It’s unavoidable.” But he added, “My first obligation is to my kids. My daughter just turned 15 and my son is 11. Being a good parent requires a tremendous amount of time. There’s no substitute for that.” Nevertheless, he said, “I’ve always envisioned going into public service when the time is right: probably four or five years from now.” Kennedy noted public service can take forms other than being a government representative. He cited the example of his aunt, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who died Aug. 11. “She transformed lives through the Special Olympics,” he said. Kennedy concluded the subject by saying, “I don’t know what my path will be. It’s something I’ll consider down the road.” But Kennedy is troubled by the partisan tone of politics today. He said that during his father’s earlier Senate years, “It was a different era, when people could debate one another” and still be friends. “Donald Rumsfeld (a Republican congressman from 1963-69) was a dinner guest at my father’s house, if you can believe that,” Kennedy said. “They’d debate each other all day, then go home to have dinner together. That’s what I remember growing up.” Kennedy said senators from each party “all considered each other patriots. That’s what we’ve lost. That’s why so many of his Republican colleagues were there at the funeral. He didn’t get into personal attacks. He had their respect and he was proud of that.” Kennedy also recalled his father getting up every day at 6 a.m. to go to work. “He was the workhorse of the Senate, not the show horse.” What drove him, Kennedy said, was “He cared about people. He built his legacy one person at a time. It was his calling. It was in his heart.” |
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I'll just leave this here:
http://conservative.fm/2009/08/28/senator-kennedys-final-drive/ |