Ted Kennedy Passed Away

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Odd that the "several" people saying how horrible Kennedy was are all making the exact same grammatical error: when you are reaching for the plural, it's "Kennedys" not "Kennedy's."

LOL!

[Anonymous]

I always love the typo/spelling error as a defense!

[Anonymous]

I'll admit that I haven't read all the pages on this thread. What I found very striking was reading the list of issues that Kennedy championed like the voting rights act, minimum wage, children's health, school lunches, headstart, or Cobra and wondering how could anyone have been against these things. I just do not understand how conservatives rally around the heartless side of things and find pride in knocking down anything that helps others. How can you be proud about fighting for poor kids to go hungry at lunch?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I always love the typo/spelling error as a defense!

Not a defense. Just suggests that there really is only one poster. Maybe two. But how many different people could be making the same spelling mistake?

[Anonymous]

At the memorial service this evening, John McCain just said that Ted Kennedy was the most persistent and prepared person in the Senate and that he made McCain a better senator.

Here's a statement he released earlier as cited in the WaPo:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitol-briefing/2009/08/reaction_statements_on_the_dea.html

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who worked with Kennedy to push immigration reform in recent years:

My friend, Ted Kennedy, was famous before he was accomplished. But by the end of his life he had become irreplaceable in the institution he loved and in the affections of its members. He grew up in the long shadow of his brothers, but found a way to be useful to his country in ways that will outlast their accomplishments. 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. Many will recall his convivial nature, his humor, his thoughtfulness. We will praise as his greatest strength the integrity of his word. When he made a promise to you, he kept it, no matter what. What is harder for us to express is the emptiness we will feel in the Senate in his absence. Even when we are all crowded in the chamber for a vote, engaged in dozens of separate conversations, it will seem a quiet and less interesting place, in the knowledge that his booming voice, fueled by his passion for his convictions, will never encourage or assail or impress us again. I will miss him very much.

[Anonymous]

Orrin Hatch at the memorial service says (paraphrase) if you had told me that Ted Kennedy would become a close friend I would have said you needed therapy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And don't forget "No Child Left Behind" an excellent piece of legislation often overlooked.

Unfortunately, it sucks and he was disappointed with the little funding by the appropiations committee. The legislation had good intentions, but didn't deliver. NCLB, as it is, was not what Kennedy envisioned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Orrin Hatch at the memorial service says (paraphrase) if you had told me that Ted Kennedy would become a close friend I would have said you needed therapy.

That was a wonderful and heartfelt tribute that Hatch just gave. Loved it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Orrin Hatch at the memorial service says (paraphrase) if you had told me that Ted Kennedy would become a close friend I would have said you needed therapy.

That was a wonderful and heartfelt tribute that Hatch just gave. Loved it.

It was a heartfelt tribute to Orrin Hatch.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I loved the speeches last night but I noticed that in more than one (Joe Biden included) that the speaker was really spending more time talking about themselves. I enjoyed them nevertheless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'll admit that I haven't read all the pages on this thread. What I found very striking was reading the list of issues that Kennedy championed like the voting rights act, minimum wage, children's health, school lunches, headstart, or Cobra and wondering how could anyone have been against these things. I just do not understand how conservatives rally around the heartless side of things and find pride in knocking down anything that helps others. How can you be proud about fighting for poor kids to go hungry at lunch?

Where did anyone here post that they are against voting rights, etc? I do not see people saying that he did not put his name behind useful legislation. And he is admired for being able to work with people across the aisle. However, those deeds though do not erase that the man had a very flawed personal life for much of his life and deeply hurt many people. Perhaps it was his guilt over so many of these deeds that pushed him to work on this legislation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll admit that I haven't read all the pages on this thread. What I found very striking was reading the list of issues that Kennedy championed like the voting rights act, minimum wage, children's health, school lunches, headstart, or Cobra and wondering how could anyone have been against these things. I just do not understand how conservatives rally around the heartless side of things and find pride in knocking down anything that helps others. How can you be proud about fighting for poor kids to go hungry at lunch?

Where did anyone here post that they are against voting rights, etc? I do not see people saying that he did not put his name behind useful legislation. And he is admired for being able to work with people across the aisle. However, those deeds though do not erase that the man had a very flawed personal life for much of his life and deeply hurt many people. Perhaps it was his guilt over so many of these deeds that pushed him to work on this legislation.

As have many many politicians, in fact most of the good ones. Does that mean it is never sad when they die?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This presents an interesting question, in my opinion.

And that question is not whether his actions at Chappaquidick were excusable.


It is:

If a person does something very wrong-- say, driving drunk with a woman not his wife and then leaving the scene of a fatal accident-- is there ANYTHING that person can do to find redemption in the remaining decades of his life?

If the answer is yes (and that's the answer that Christian doctrine dictates, for what it's worth), redemption is possible, then the next question is whether Kennedy's accomplishments in civil rights, immigration, education, health, disability, voting, and gay rights, combined with his decades of very hard work and the decent and generous way that he treated the hundreds of people who consider him a friend, his close partnership with his dear wife Vickie, the strength he gave his beloved family in times of trouble, the way that he supplemented some of his staff's salaries with his own income, and his considerable donations to charity can redeem him for that terrible, terrible day when his judgment was so bad.

If not, there is little hope for any of us. Because although very few people go so wrong as he did that night, far fewer spend so many years doing so much good.

Excellent, Excellent post. Judge not, lest ye be judged. He who is without sin, let him throw the first stone.

Agreed. Thank you for this.

Ditto the ditto.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll admit that I haven't read all the pages on this thread. What I found very striking was reading the list of issues that Kennedy championed like the voting rights act, minimum wage, children's health, school lunches, headstart, or Cobra and wondering how could anyone have been against these things. I just do not understand how conservatives rally around the heartless side of things and find pride in knocking down anything that helps others. How can you be proud about fighting for poor kids to go hungry at lunch?

Where did anyone here post that they are against voting rights, etc? I do not see people saying that he did not put his name behind useful legislation. And he is admired for being able to work with people across the aisle. However, those deeds though do not erase that the man had a very flawed personal life for much of his life and deeply hurt many people. Perhaps it was his guilt over so many of these deeds that pushed him to work on this legislation.

As have many many politicians, in fact most of the good ones. Does that mean it is never sad when they die?

Except for the untactful joke, I have not seen people rejoicing. I believe people are saying that he should not be treated as some iconic hero. However, it is understandable that this is a sad event for his family, friends, and colleagues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This presents an interesting question, in my opinion.

And that question is not whether his actions at Chappaquidick were excusable.


It is:

If a person does something very wrong-- say, driving drunk with a woman not his wife and then leaving the scene of a fatal accident-- is there ANYTHING that person can do to find redemption in the remaining decades of his life?

If the answer is yes (and that's the answer that Christian doctrine dictates, for what it's worth), redemption is possible, then the next question is whether Kennedy's accomplishments in civil rights, immigration, education, health, disability, voting, and gay rights, combined with his decades of very hard work and the decent and generous way that he treated the hundreds of people who consider him a friend, his close partnership with his dear wife Vickie, the strength he gave his beloved family in times of trouble, the way that he supplemented some of his staff's salaries with his own income, and his considerable donations to charity can redeem him for that terrible, terrible day when his judgment was so bad.

If not, there is little hope for any of us. Because although very few people go so wrong as he did that night, far fewer spend so many years doing so much good.

Excellent, Excellent post. Judge not, lest ye be judged. He who is without sin, let him throw the first stone.

Agreed. Thank you for this.

Ditto the ditto.

For starters, he could have admitted his guilt instead of using his family wealth and connections to brush the event under the carpet. He could have resigned from office and worked on improving his marriage and family life. He could have given lectures on the evils of drunk driving. He could have given vast amounts of his wealth to charities that try to prevent drunk driving. When you put yourself in public office, you open yourself to being judged.