This morning I awoke to the news that Patrick Kennedy will not be running for re-election in Rhode Island.Just weeks after he called Scott Brown's campaign a joke, the recently passed Ted Kennedy's son calls it quits. All I can say is that it's stunning. I mean the Kennedy' have been a family of politicians for 60 years!
I was alive when John F. Kennedy was assassinated. I remember watching the whole thing on TV - well, there were no cartoons for a week! The babysitter sat crying, and Americans basically were in shock. It still has a haunting air about it - the conspiracy theories - and the fact that no one is particularly certain about what happened that day in Dealey Plaza.
In 4th grade both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bobby Kennedy were gunned down in cold blood in the Spring of 1968. For some silly reason we stood at the flag pole in front of school and said the Pledge of Allegiance in both English and Spanish.
At the time the Kennedy' were heroes in America. Who knows the entire truth behind either Kennedy killing - or Ted's car accident in Chappaquiddick in 1969 in which Mary Jo Kopechne drowned.
For me, my conservative heroes also fell. Richard Nixon left office in disgrace because of Watergate. Even my favorite president Ronald Reagan suffered the Iran Contra Scandal. How much better it might have been if his last days in office were marked only by the end of the Iron Curtain and the fall of the Berlin Wall.
In these past years something has changed about politics. They have become polarized in such a way that losses on one side are applauded by the other side. I just remember the comments n the Huffington Post when Bush II's press Secretary Tony Snow passed away from Colon Cancer. The more disgusting ones seem to have been removed.
Both sides have their character defects from Bill Clinton and John Edwards to Mark Sanford, Larry Craig, and Mark Foley.
A newscaster put all the current Democratic resignations on Obama - especially since VA and NJ went Republican along with Scott Brown's win in MA. If the jobs were here, it would be different I am sure. However; Chris Dodd (D-CT), Bill Ritter (Gov - CO) and Diane Watson, and Mary Anne Berry (D-AK) to name a few, are retiring Democrats.
Although I am no fan of Pro-Choice Catholics like Martha Coakley and John Kerry, nor the arrogant Patrick Kennedy. I would, however; very much like to see some quality folks take over and run. As an independent, I am looking for strong character, fiscally responsible, socially conservative and thoughtful candidates. I care about solutions that benefit the citizens, not the Beltway Power Brokers and their lobbyists.
And today I am sad that the family that once represented "America" ended in partisan defeat. It is far better to lose a race well run, then to not race at all.
1 Corinthians 9:24-25 In a race all the runners take part in it, but only one of them wins the prize. Run, then, in such a way as to win the prize.
9 comments:
I would venture to say we lost a great man when Kennedy was killed. I remember it so well even today as I heard the news that fateful day.
However I don't know if am a conservative or a liberal but over the years I have come to view both parties as out of touch and ancient with their business as usual ideaologies.
We are prime candidates to forge a new political party based on the values and grounds that our founding fore fathers designed during the birth of our nation.
Might I be so bold as to suggest the Silver Back Party that began as a parody two years ago.
No family in American history - not the Roosevelt, not the Adams, and certainly not the Bush families - have paid a higher price in the service of the people than the Kennedys. And to be perfectly honest with you, I'm sick and tired of listening to them get kicked around by the clueless right wing.
It was announced yesterday that Ben Quayle, son of the former vice-president, will be running for congress. We here, at this glorious moment in the history of our great nation, are proud and privileged to bear witness to the birth of the Quayle family political dynasty.
I need a drink.
http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com
Tom Degan
Goshen, NY
Thanks for commenting Tom.
"Clueless right-wing" - I am sorry, but I thought I laid out a well balanced assessment of the two parties here in the US and their basic failings. Not that I am a right-winger - hell I am more left on energy than any seated Democrat!
The partisan change from racing and fighting for what's right, to political elitism and entitlement is scary. The now retiring Democrats who's personal agenda has now been slowed by the voice of the people - it's refreshing.
Without the people the government will fail.
Politically, the Kennedys may have been giants, but when it came to character, it went from bad to worse.
As noted in my blog, there is poor character on both sides. The current climate in Washington was drunk with power and now they are paying the price. Checks and balances are good.
What I am looking for is solid character - Quayle? I'll do some digging.
I appreciate your rant, but when you want to get down to issues, let me know.
God bless you.
Quayle? Just what we need. Another politician with socialist views.
Interesting comments.
I was just gonna say how much I appreciate what you say about the Kennedy family, the respectful tone.
I am not familiar with Patrick's work, but his wikipedia entry does not say nice things about him.
Ted Kennedy was quite good at working with Republicans in getting good legislation passed. For example, he worked with Bob Dole on expanding legal protections for the disabled. In his post-mortum autobiography, Kennedy said he once got a fund raising letter from Reverend Fallwell's Liberty Church, with presented themselves as the bulkwark against the evils of Ted himself. Kennedy asked Liberty Church to speak to the students there, and gave a very nice speech asking everyone to get along. The Reverend Fallwell became a lot less hostile to Kennedy after that.
- a not a moose
I take great heart in President Obama's recent attendance at the Republican House conference. It was a great forum for a spirited and open debate on the issues of the day. OTOH, Obama needs to either engage with Republicans productively, or clearly paint them as non-productive; yet, the very act of this open debate is vastly more beneficial to the American people then the truly horrible "You're with us or against us" approach of the previous President, "He Who Must Not Be Named" (on this blog).
President Obama telephoned Senator Brown on the day of his win, and wished him well. There's some hope yet.
- a not a mousse
For the record, I didn't like Bush all that well. I just liked him better than Kerry or Gore.
You are right, Scott Brown changed the dynamic on Capital Hill. That is a good thing. I like checks and balances.
Patrick Kennedy didn't do a great deal. He came off as a sniveling little brat with an alcohol problem. A lot of folks think that he is going to run against Scott Brown in the next Senate election herein MA. I hope that he realizes that he is not his father!
We'll see what the tenor is with the Republicans and the Obama administration. Hopefully they will hit the critical health care issues and work harder on getting the economy started without spending a bajillion dollars.
Ted Kennedy's autobio also gave a lot of praise to Mit Romney. Kennedy said Romney was his toughest re-election opponent, and thanked Romney for inspiring Kennedy to do a very serious job of campaigning. There's a guy we'll hear from again.
- a not a meuse
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