Ted Kennedy Passed Away

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No she...said that he made "some bad decisions (especially in his youth)" I can read. I think your love for someone you have never met is making it hard for you to read.

I don't have hatred for him...just don't get this revisionist history when people like him and Michael Jackson die.

I am completely indifferent as far as feelings for Ted Kennedy. I am younger than most of you and did not grow up with knowledge of all the Kennedy's exploits, charitable givings etc. It's just very clear to me that coming on a thread where people are commenting that they are sad and trying your hardest to prove he was a piece of shit is wrong. Period.

Read again:
"And, for the love of sweet christ, if the best you can do to disparage this man is bring up a very tragic ACCIDENT that happened 40 years ago, then it is YOU who look silly."

Then:
"he made "some bad decisions (especially in his youth)"

Two separate comments. And I don't even want to get started on your Michael Jackson comment. You can choose to focus on misdeeds and mistakes of someone that has passes away. That is your right. But that does not change everything they accomplished in their lives. Repeat after me: Not mutually exclusive.

[Anonymous]

Yep. He made a some terrible mistakes. AND he helped millions with his years of public service. It's not all black and white, you know. Real life is often messy and contradictory.

I can celebrate his life and good works without for a moment forgetting his past.

[Anonymous]

Laura ran a stop sign. Also a crime, also a bad decision, also resulted in the death of a young person. And she doesn't have the laundry-list of redeeming work that TK does.

And George was convicted of a crime for which TK was never even charged.

Go away.

[Anonymous]

The person I feel sorry for is DCUM's lone Republican poster, who is apparently so insecure that she thinks she's got an actual talking point here and is flogging it to death.

I agree, a mature person can appreciate both the good and the bad in somebody. Nobody's going to canonize Kennedy. But I feel strongly that he led change for some remarkable progress that has helped millions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Think it is really lame to get into Bush bashing. It seems like everytime there is criticism of someone from the left they go right into Bush bashing instead of dealing with subject at hand. Ted Kennedy was a jerk and I don't care what bills he worked on, it doesn't pass muster that he let someone slowly die and then tried to pass it off as a a regretful mistake. He served no jail time and was able to continue on as a Sentator and continue leading a lame life cheating on his wife and then abandoning her when she had alcohol problems and the list goes on and on. By the way Laura Bush got into a sad accident that could happen to any one of us--She wasn't drunk and didn't leave someone to die alone gasping for air. I really think it's amazing that the same people who say what a great guy he was just kind of go oh well Mary Jo died 40 years ago..so sad but time passes. I am sure her parents never felt that way. Good riddence

Why is it assumed Mary Jo was gasping for air? If he could have saved her, just politically that would look better. I mean, if she had not died I doubt we would be talking about this. It would be - he got into an accident, not, someone died.

We don't know what happened - he made a bad decision and should have contacted the police right away, but we have no idea if he could have saved her or if he knew she was dead. They didn't have cell phones back then. It takes minutes, if not one minute, for a person to drown. If he couldn't pull her out, he couldn't pull her out. I have no doubt he was drunk but unless you were there, you have no idea if she could have been saved. And I just don't see how she could have been.

And what the hell was she doing getting in the car with a drunk married man???

It's horrible that she died, it was not her fault nor did she deserve it, but if you are the same person who blamed Ted for his wife's alcoholism, sometimes we need to take responsiblity for our actions. That includes Ted, but also includes Mary Jo and his wife.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Think it is really lame to get into Bush bashing. It seems like everytime there is criticism of someone from the left they go right into Bush bashing instead of dealing with subject at hand. Ted Kennedy was a jerk and I don't care what bills he worked on, it doesn't pass muster that he let someone slowly die and then tried to pass it off as a a regretful mistake. He served no jail time and was able to continue on as a Sentator and continue leading a lame life cheating on his wife and then abandoning her when she had alcohol problems and the list goes on and on. By the way Laura Bush got into a sad accident that could happen to any one of us--She wasn't drunk and didn't leave someone to die alone gasping for air. I really think it's amazing that the same people who say what a great guy he was just kind of go oh well Mary Jo died 40 years ago..so sad but time passes. I am sure her parents never felt that way. Good riddence

Why is it assumed Mary Jo was gasping for air? If he could have saved her, just politically that would look better. I mean, if she had not died I doubt we would be talking about this. It would be - he got into an accident, not, someone died.

We don't know what happened - he made a bad decision and should have contacted the police right away, but we have no idea if he could have saved her or if he knew she was dead. They didn't have cell phones back then. It takes minutes, if not one minute, for a person to drown. If he couldn't pull her out, he couldn't pull her out. I have no doubt he was drunk but unless you were there, you have no idea if she could have been saved. And I just don't see how she could have been.

And what the hell was she doing getting in the car with a drunk married man???

It's horrible that she died, it was not her fault nor did she deserve it, but if you are the same person who blamed Ted for his wife's alcoholism, sometimes we need to take responsiblity for our actions. That includes Ted, but also includes Mary Jo and his wife.

I just posted in defense of Ted- and to the PP above please do not make this a republican vs. democrat thing. I am not a democrat, not necessarily a republican, probably an independent.

I'm not a huge fan of Bush but I'm not a bush basher. Things aren't always black and white. I admire Ted Kennedy, and all who do their best in public service.

[Anonymous]

"And the Bush family has class.."

Now I have to chime in - THAT is FUNNY! Clearly class is defined VERY differently in TX than the rest of the world. The man can't even speak English properly. Someone here must have it with non-Texans, because the aforementioned statement is just silly.

Still laughing.....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The person I feel sorry for is DCUM's lone Republican poster, who is apparently so insecure that she thinks she's got an actual talking point here and is flogging it to death.

I agree, a mature person can appreciate both the good and the bad in somebody. Nobody's going to canonize Kennedy. But I feel strongly that he led change for some remarkable progress that has helped millions.

Actually...there is more than one of us on here

[Anonymous]

ah running a stop sign might get you a ticket but I wouldn't call it a crime. Driving a car drunk where someone dies is manslaughter and worse if you leave someone to die. The autopsy on Mary Jo showed how she died and it was a slow death. But again wonder why someone would compare a car accident that could happen to anyone to what Ted Kennedy did. He is shameless and did not spend a day in jail. I am not the lone republican or even a republican by the way. But interesting that people would assume that only a republican would care about Ted Kennedy killing someone.

The Bush family is classy. They just are. Ted Kennedy by the way could not speak impromptly--he only sounded great with prepared speeches and he was a scholastic failure so let's not evaluate brains from grades. Oh grades..good thought. Why wouldn't Obama release his???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Think it is really lame to get into Bush bashing. It seems like everytime there is criticism of someone from the left they go right into Bush bashing instead of dealing with subject at hand. Ted Kennedy was a jerk and I don't care what bills he worked on, it doesn't pass muster that he let someone slowly die and then tried to pass it off as a a regretful mistake. He served no jail time and was able to continue on as a Sentator and continue leading a lame life cheating on his wife and then abandoning her when she had alcohol problems and the list goes on and on. By the way Laura Bush got into a sad accident that could happen to any one of us--She wasn't drunk and didn't leave someone to die alone gasping for air. I really think it's amazing that the same people who say what a great guy he was just kind of go oh well Mary Jo died 40 years ago..so sad but time passes. I am sure her parents never felt that way. Good riddence

Why is it assumed Mary Jo was gasping for air? If he could have saved her, just politically that would look better. I mean, if she had not died I doubt we would be talking about this. It would be - he got into an accident, not, someone died.

We don't know what happened - he made a bad decision and should have contacted the police right away, but we have no idea if he could have saved her or if he knew she was dead. They didn't have cell phones back then. It takes minutes, if not one minute, for a person to drown. If he couldn't pull her out, he couldn't pull her out. I have no doubt he was drunk but unless you were there, you have no idea if she could have been saved. And I just don't see how she could have been.

And what the hell was she doing getting in the car with a drunk married man???

It's horrible that she died, it was not her fault nor did she deserve it, but if you are the same person who blamed Ted for his wife's alcoholism, sometimes we need to take responsiblity for our actions. That includes Ted, but also includes Mary Jo and his wife.

Ah blame the victim....nice. There was a house less than 100 feet from the accident scene with the lights on. He could have stopped there and called for help. He passed by the fire station with a pay phone and also the police station.

He was a married man out with a young woman, who he was probably either sleeping with or trying to sleep with, was most likely drunk and all he could think about was his own behind. He let that poor girl die. He got out of the car and he let her DIE a terrible death.

Do a little research on this incident and you will have a different view of this. This was not just a tragic accident...he didn't even try and save her all he cared about was saving himself.

Say a lot about a person...

[Anonymous]

You can give us the minute-by-minute of that night as though no one's ever heard it before. I'm not sure what it's supposed to change. It was a terrible, possibly criminal decision he made. AND he devoted decades of his life to public service and the public good. Without his work, we might not have COBRA, FMLA, the recent Lily Ledbetter bills, and many, many more bills that have helped countless Americans.

[Anonymous]

Agree with PP, wholeheartedly. No one is celebrating what happened with Mary Jo Kophechne. We are saying that, despite that, he also did some great things. He was an advocate for many people.

And in terms of the "bushes have class" poster goes . . . we'll just agree to disagree. Though there are plenty of opportunities to refute that sentiment.

"What I'm hearing which is sort of scary is that they all want to stay in Texas. Everybody is so overwhelmed by the hospitality. And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway so this (chuckle) – this is working very well for them." –Former First Lady Barbara Bush, on the hurricane evacuees at the Astrodome in Houston, Sept. 5, 2005

Yes, very classy. Barf.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Think it is really lame to get into Bush bashing. It seems like everytime there is criticism of someone from the left they go right into Bush bashing instead of dealing with subject at hand. Ted Kennedy was a jerk and I don't care what bills he worked on, it doesn't pass muster that he let someone slowly die and then tried to pass it off as a a regretful mistake. He served no jail time and was able to continue on as a Sentator and continue leading a lame life cheating on his wife and then abandoning her when she had alcohol problems and the list goes on and on. By the way Laura Bush got into a sad accident that could happen to any one of us--She wasn't drunk and didn't leave someone to die alone gasping for air. I really think it's amazing that the same people who say what a great guy he was just kind of go oh well Mary Jo died 40 years ago..so sad but time passes. I am sure her parents never felt that way. Good riddence

She was DUI. She was drunk and the person did die

[Anonymous]

Re Laura Bush. Was she really drunk? I thought she went through a stop sign at a 4 way stop in an area with little traffic on a bright clear day. And that she wasn't speeding either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Think it is really lame to get into Bush bashing. It seems like everytime there is criticism of someone from the left they go right into Bush bashing instead of dealing with subject at hand. Ted Kennedy was a jerk and I don't care what bills he worked on, it doesn't pass muster that he let someone slowly die and then tried to pass it off as a a regretful mistake. He served no jail time and was able to continue on as a Sentator and continue leading a lame life cheating on his wife and then abandoning her when she had alcohol problems and the list goes on and on. By the way Laura Bush got into a sad accident that could happen to any one of us--She wasn't drunk and didn't leave someone to die alone gasping for air. I really think it's amazing that the same people who say what a great guy he was just kind of go oh well Mary Jo died 40 years ago..so sad but time passes. I am sure her parents never felt that way. Good riddence

She was DUI. She was drunk and the person did die

Really, because that fact wasn't in the official accident report and charges were never filed against her. My understanding is that she was 17 years old and ran a stop sign at around 8pm.