Ted Kenedy Has Died

MagicNumbers · 08-26-2009, 11:52 AM

It's been a sad day for those who are progressive and have a strong sense of history to hear that Senator Kennedy has now died. A special election has been announced to fill his seat in the Senate but, whoever takes that seat will miss the Health care vote.

I've been reading a book by David Talbot called 'The Hidden History of the Kennedy Years: Brothers.' It's a fascinating expose of the tumultuous 60's with interviews from practically everyone still left from those days and I highly recommend it to anyone curious as to what shaped the world we live in today.

AsheMan · 08-26-2009, 11:56 AM

It's sad that he could not live to see a nationalized healthcare system. All of the Kennedy's of that generation are dead now, eh?

MagicNumbers · 08-26-2009, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AsheMan

It's sad that he could not live to see a nationalized healthcare system. All of the Kennedy's of that generation are dead now, eh?

Yeah. His sister died a couple of weeks ago, who many said, was the most influential of them all. I read that old Joe Kennedy said that if Eunice was a man she would have been president (yes I know that is sexist but it was a long time ago).

All the Kennedy's had their demons, much like everyone else, but they all decided to serve the public instead of being rich spoiled drunkards.

perfect · 08-26-2009, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MagicNumbers

...serve the public instead of being rich spoiled drunkards.

"It's not who I am underneath...but what I do that defines me."

Don't knock spoiled drunkards.

War Paint · 08-26-2009, 02:36 PM

Yep.

He is dead.

He inherited his senate seat from his brother, who appointed a 'family friend' as a place holder until Teddy was old enough to hold the position lawfully, at which point he won a 'special election' in 1962. That was after he got kicked out of Harvard for cheating. I'm sure he did the SAT's on his own though.

Just 7 years later he would be responsible for the death of Mary Jo Kopechne. He killed her by driving drunk into a pond, then fled the scene leaving her to drowned.

It's funny that you even try and use the phrase 'rich spoiled drunkard', because Ted Kennedy fits it to a T.

Yeah, whom ever wins the special election won't be there in time for a health care vote, but it doesn't matter, the Democrats have a super majority, they have the nuclear option. It's not Republicans that held up health care vote before the August break, it was blue dog Dems.

Kennedy did some decent work in his career. That is for sure, but don't get all orgasmic over him. He did some pretty ****ed up things, like most human animals.

MagicNumbers · 08-26-2009, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by War Paint

Yep.

He is dead.

He inherited his senate seat from his brother, who appointed a 'family friend' as a place holder until Teddy was old enough to hold the position lawfully, at which point he won a 'special election' in 1962. That was after he got kicked out of Harvard for cheating. I'm sure he did the SAT's on his own though.

Just 7 years later he would be responsible for the death of Mary Jo Kopechne. He killed her by driving drunk into a pond, then fled the scene leaving her to drowned.

It's funny that you even try and use the phrase 'rich spoiled drunkard', because Ted Kennedy fits it to a T.

Yeah, whom ever wins the special election won't be there in time for a health care vote, but it doesn't matter, the Democrats have a super majority, they have the nuclear option. It's not Republicans that held up health care vote before the August break, it was blue dog Dems.

Kennedy did some decent work in his career. That is for sure, but don't get all orgasmic over him. He did some pretty ****ed up things, like most human animals.

Meh. So he got drunk and careened off a bridge, left a woman either dead or dying and went back to his motel to sober up before he called the authorities. At least that's what is widely believed to have happened and its sad if true.

He's still the most successful senator in US history and it sucks for progressives that he hasn't been involved in the work to craft a bill he could have voted on. The democrats don't have a super majority with Kennedy dead but it won't matter because the Dems will go it alone no matter what comes out of the Senate Finance Committee and use reconciliation to pass a health bill with 51 votes. There is no nuclear option.

It's also true that the Blue dogs have been holding things up but that's how the system is supposed to work. Each rep or senator should be looking out for their own constituents first and foremost and then party considerations are next, followed by how much money you got from the health industry.

What I think is great about Obama in this whole process is that we're seeing his constitutional law side. He's determined to be conciliatory and work for an agreement with the most support possible.

Btw, your indignation over someone "holding" a seat for Ted in 1959 is funny because how do you think parties choose who they want to run in a particular area? Back then there were no primaries for people in a given party to fight for the nomination to run by the people of the party. Anyway, however you feel about that is only part of the how silly it is because he ran a real campaign to actually get elected in 1962.

War Paint · 08-26-2009, 03:19 PM

Oh, I'm not indignant at all. Your first two posts made it out as if TK was Jesus Christ himself. Clearly he is not; I'm glad you can acknowledge the fact.

MagicNumbers · 08-26-2009, 03:28 PM

Showed me where I sounded like I was gay for Ted?

War Paint · 08-26-2009, 03:31 PM

Just scrape aside the sperm, should be clear enough.

MagicNumbers · 08-26-2009, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by War Paint

Just scrape aside the sperm, should be clear enough.

Oh I get it. You're part of the hard core sports fan crowd. You make decisions based on what you want reality to be like, as opposed to what it really is.

War Paint · 08-26-2009, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MagicNumbers

Oh I get it. You're part of the hard core sports fan crowd. You make decisions based on what you want reality to be like, as opposed to what it really is.

Is that a line from the fascinating expose you read, or does shit like that actually make sense in Canada?

MagicNumbers · 08-26-2009, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by War Paint

Is that a line from the fascinating expose you read, or does shit like that actually make sense in Canada?

Not from the book, no.

Loampounder · 08-27-2009, 01:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MagicNumbers

All the Kennedy's had their demons, much like everyone else, but they all decided to serve the public instead of being rich spoiled drunkards.

Wait, taking their profits from bootleggling liquor to buy offices and the white house is considered serving the public?

MagicNumbers · 08-27-2009, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loampounder

Wait, taking their profits from bootleggling liquor to buy offices and the white house is considered serving the public?

Are you suggesting that While Joe Kennedy made his money in part from illegal dealings with bootleggers and the mafia that somehow the children of the Joe did the same thing?

How do you think the US was made so wealthy to begin with? It was the Robber Barons who made the massive expansion of America's money and power possible.

Loampounder · 08-29-2009, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MagicNumbers

Are you suggesting that While Joe Kennedy made his money in part from illegal dealings with bootleggers and the mafia that somehow the children of the Joe did the same thing?

I'm not saying that the kids did, but the family did through the use of the money. If they had actually earned their money and then turned around to do good social deeds, then there may be some standing for the original statement, but they only "served the public" because the money allowed them to be self-sufficient and play with society as a hobby. There is a level of moral corruption there that allowed them to dabble into society like a plaything.

Look at it - buying elections, appoint brothers to top level positions, fornication on a wide-spread level, Ted actually killed a girl and walked away. How many times do you think Ted arrived to the Senate drunk? Special Olympics? Total guilt trip for what the family did to the oldest daughter. Beyond just demons, they toyed with society like a puppet on a string.

MagicNumbers · 08-29-2009, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loampounder

I'm not saying that the kids did, but the family did through the use of the money. If they had actually earned their money and then turned around to do good social deeds, then there may be some standing for the original statement, but they only "served the public" because the money allowed them to be self-sufficient and play with society as a hobby. There is a level of moral corruption there that allowed them to dabble into society like a plaything.

Look at it - buying elections, appoint brothers to top level positions, fornication on a wide-spread level, Ted actually killed a girl and walked away. How many times do you think Ted arrived to the Senate drunk? Special Olympics? Total guilt trip for what the family did to the oldest daughter. Beyond just demons, they toyed with society like a puppet on a string.

Perhaps one of the most uniformed petty things I've read this week.

Loampounder · 08-29-2009, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MagicNumbers

Perhaps one of the most uniformed petty things I've read this week.

LOL, I'm sorry I did not grovel at the feet of the Kennedy family.

MagicNumbers · 08-29-2009, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loampounder

LOL, I'm sorry I did not grovel at the feet of the Kennedy family.

It has nothing to do with groveling and another prime example of your disingenuous position.

Loampounder · 08-29-2009, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MagicNumbers

It has nothing to do with groveling and another prime example of your disingenuous position.

So I get no explanation, only disdain? Ah, that explains a lot.

Arctic_Slicer · 09-01-2009, 06:17 AM

As a legislator he did have some decent accomplishments. As a human being he was among the worst society has to offer. He was a crook who best represents everything that is wrong with Washington.

Far as the so called "health insurance reform" goes; I'd rather not see it pass. With any hope for a public option being dead; the current bill is nothing more than a corporate welfare package designed to make the insurance companies richer through government mandates and subsidies with no chance of price controls.