The Liberal Lion Is Gone , The Aftermath Begins ....
I was in meetings in Columbia today, so I am way behind some of the news today. So, rather than report stories that are already 18 hours old and boring you, I'll try to focus more on what the ramifications of Sen. Ted Kennedy's passing are today. But, I'll be nice here for a second.....
No, there was very little that I agreed on with Ted Kennedy. But, as I wrote on my buddy Dave's facebook comment page today, Right or Wrong, the guy fought for what he believed was right. It is far easier to work on legislation if you can anticipate what a Senator is thinking , than one who is unreadable and vacillating. Try writing a decent bill with those two nitwits in Maine around the house... The man had his share of tragedy, and if my two brothers had been killed, I would have been as stressed as he was. Rest in Peace, Uncle Ted.
With his passing, like any big loss, there are winners and losers. The easy loser is the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. They'll be lucky to even be represented for the immediate future, and a fulltime, permanent Senator will be years off. Kennedy wielded a huge amount of power, and Massachusetts is filling in his spot with John Kerry - a vanilla, baggaged, past his prime representative. Whoever takes Kennedy's place will be sitting at the furthest ench in the rear, where he/she can talk with Roland Burris about what they would do - if anyone there would listen....My pick for his spot? This time, Caroline Kennedy WILL get it.....Maybe not.
What about the Republicans? Have they won anything at all? Well, very little. They haven't exactly gained as much as the Democrats have lost. Your issue loses a certain amount of cache' when a Kennedy is no longer there to speak on your behalf. Health Care did lose it's best speaker, but with his passing, the battle for it just took a big shift...
Where Health Care was a fight between two sides debating an issue before, for one, it just became much more emotional... And when one side loses it's leader - and Kennedy, not Barack Obama was the leader - the battle becomes almost a Holy War. In 1864, at the Siege of Atlanta, General James McPherson, a favorite of Gen. William T. Sherman, got too close to soem Confederate pickets, and he was shot and killed. Sherman got pretty pissed at the loss of his friend, and used the rallying cry 'McPherson and Revenge' to push his troops. Atlanta soon fell ... Nationalized Health Care, more than anything, was Kennedy's dream. I can see millions yelling "Do It for Teddy" all across America. Ted Kennedy could almost be viewed as Health Care's martyr...
Like any great (in size) event, there will be a lot of shifting, but it will also take a little time for the dust to settle. Larger than life guys like Ted Kennedy do that.....Time for some advice from Gust Avrkatos ....... We'll See.
.
.
4 comments:
It's hard not wonder if Teddy's passing will be a catalyst for reform passing like LBJ used JFKs.
I had to oppurtunity to meet Sen.Kennedy many years ago. I expected a red suit,pitchfork and the numbers 666 to be tatooed to his forehead.Instead I met a kind gentle man who took the time to talk about me,my family,South Carolina and college. I may not agree with a lot of what Senator Kennedy believed in but I think we should all remember that a wife has lost a husband,children have lost a father,a family has lost a patriarch and a generation has lost its liberal voice. May the good Lord hold him in the palm of his hand and welcome him home to the rest of family...teg
Hmmm... it didn't work well for Humphrey's passing
I was not a Kennedy supporter very many times but I certainly hate to see his passing.
Post a Comment