RIP Ted Kennedy

[rahdam]

Rest in peace, Ted Kennedy.

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[Cincinnatus]

Although I was a critic of his political life, it's unfortunate that he has passed.

[reb]

a waste of air, water and good booze. screw you, Ted, and all the remaining elitist kennedys. too bad you dint drown in Chappaquidick and Mary Joe swam out instead. ihope the thinking people of Massachusetts have the good sense to elect someone with a brain that's not pickled next go round.

[annaelizabeth]

Ted Kennedy has done a lot for Massachusetts, and the underpriviledged. Even the right wing radio talk show hosts here are praising his accomplishments, even though they disagree with 99% of what he did. You can't deny the man made a difference in the political world.

[curiousgeorge01]

I don't know, it could just be political commentary. You don't just kick the guy once he's kicked the bucket.

[jfc]

maybe most of the public is different but I can never hear the name Ted Kennedy without instantly thinking of Chappaquidik. To me he was just another rich famous a-hole who got off scot free with murder.

[curiousgeorge01]

Funny you say that, most people I talk to who were adults in the 70s say the exact same thing.

[reb]

Ted Kennedy has done a lot for Massachusetts, and the underpriviledged. Even the right wing radio talk show hosts here are praising his accomplishments, even though they disagree with 99% of what he did. You can't deny the man made a difference in the political world.


'they' are praising his accomplishments because they are not as mean spirited as i am; i am amoral, and will speak ill of the dead if i believe they deserve it. an enemy is an enemy. people like 'Teddy' are my enemy. i never forget it. i can deny that he believed in the Constitution of the United States of America, and hereby so speak. in addition, from what i have read about the drowning, a coward...read the history of how old Joe was recalled from Britain before wwII by roosevelt. the two kennedy's who were worth a shit were assassinated, for whatever reason you may choose to believe. the rest have appeared to me to be dreck.

i will also mention that i had to put up with a congressman who 'did a lot for pennsylvania' when i was negotiating large government contracts. the statement 'he did a lot for this state' simply translates to 'he/she snatched money from the national budget for his constituents to get re-elected', aka, buy votes. the reps and sinators are supposed to protect their constituents, but not at the expense of the nation as a whole. but, i forget, we have no nation anymore...

i would not have pissed on teddy were he on fire to save him.

[annaelizabeth]

reb, are you ok? I mean seriously, please tell me you aren't walking around with all that anger. It's not healthy and will destroy you from the inside out. I'm not being sarcastic. I'm serious.
I certainly respect your opinion, but we're on opposite ends here. I believe in standing up for the common guy, which Ted had done many, many, times. I also believe in looking out for those less fortunate than ourselves. I know that you don't, which is fine. I know people who have benefited from social programs, I know people who live on disability, social security, elderly, disabled, you name it. All for valid reasons, so don't go there with the fend for yourself line. If we, as a society, care nothing for those who need help, then we are nothing.

[darynthe]

I don't know, it could just be political commentary. You don't just kick the guy once he's kicked the bucket.

Why not? I am genuinely curious. Just because everybody say you shouldn't?

However, what this man did is one of the most repugnant acts I have read about. This is something I don't understand about americans. How can they honor someone like this? Why they fire all the politicians who have an affair but practically have as a saint a coward like this?

Don't get it.

[reb]

reb, are you ok? I mean seriously, please tell me you aren't walking around with all that anger. It's not healthy and will destroy you from the inside out. I'm not being sarcastic. I'm serious.
I certainly respect your opinion, but we're on opposite ends here. I believe in standing up for the common guy, which Ted had done many, many, times. I also believe in looking out for those less fortunate than ourselves. I know that you don't, which is fine. I know people who have benefited from social programs, I know people who live on disability, social security, elderly, disabled, you name it. All for valid reasons, so don't go there with the fend for yourself line. If we, as a society, care nothing for those who need help, then we are nothing.

annaelizabeth, i'm as good as an old man with banged up bones is going to get. yes, i'm angry. i'm angry at watching the Constitution i swore to defend from all enemies foreign and domestic be trashed by the likes of socialists who have 'world government' agendas.

no, we're not on opposite ends of the spectrum as to 'personal perspective' about looking out for the less fortunate. i donate about 20% of my gross income every year to a charity i picked; no one picked it for me-i did not need any government help. in fact, the American Indian College Fund is pretty much 'not picked' by the federal government, except to have 501(c)(3) status. i don't believe in government charity, because, having almost 30 years of service inside the government, they are so inefficent and corrupt as to be unbelievable to the person on the street. they are incapable of administering a worm farm, and many people think the federal government is the solution to all our ills. i simply do not, and base it on what i saw with my own two eyes, not what i read or hear from someone else.

where we may differ in philosophy is...i will not help someone who will not try to help themself. if they want to lay down and starve, then they have that right of choice. the way the government 'applies help', is to set a monetary limit, or an age limit. this is inspecific to the point of insanity, and is gamed by more people (who i know personally) than i care to always think about.

if you think you are 'feeling' anger in what i said about ted kennedy, you shoulda been there when i was 'ordered' to give $30 million to a contractor to prevent layoffs of 500 people. the fund did not have the money; the product was not needed by the military. i don't have specifics for ted and his largasse, but i do know about what he has done for illegal immigration-he was the sponsor of an early 'illegal immigrant' friendly bill, which has led to his party having a larger base of votes. politics at its worst-'help me, the hell with the long term good of our current citizens'. yep, this makes me coldly, long term angry. and it is not stopping, but getting worse. ted was not out for the common guy, he was like many of those in washington now...wanting to continue to have his well paying job and perks. the only way they got rid of the thief i had to put up with was his divorce...he pissed his wife off, and she turned in some incriminating evidence to the feebs, i think. he was found to have taken payoffs. 20 years ago, this was the kiss of death; now, it is business as usual. petty and large thievery simply make me spit nails. i believe in honesty, and working for those who are able, not making excuses 'why i need help'. which is why i donate to the AICF.

i don't have any regard for the enron executives, the aig execs or a host of other 'big time' thieves, either. why do you think we have so many downtrodden? because the thieves give on one hand, and then take more on the other (note BlackOps 'chicago parking' thread).

i appreciate your concern. what you and i may do or say is not going to make a difference in this situation. it is larger than both of us. i wish you well, truly, but i cheered when i heard ted had died. i'm not especially crazy about my two senators, although Cornyn 'talks good' sometimes. i don't give a shit what he has done for texas-i give a shit if he is supporting the original Constitution and its principles. Carter is a pretty good joe, from what i read, but i can't get a clear view anymore of how he or anyone else is voting...the dirtbags voted to allow changes to the congressional record, so they 'can delete their faux pas' for the public. scared hell out of the dogs when i went to cheering. when we begin to vote incumbents out every election, and destroy their 'setups', we will begin to get decent government. maybe. in the meantime, a thief is a thief to me; when i add 'protection of the Constitution' to the equation, that equals 'dreck' to me. you'da had to be there with me for 30 years to get where i'm coming from, i think. ireally think it would be beneficial for any young person to spend 5 years in federal government. once you understand how it really works, you understand there are no principles except 'personal power' involved. anyway, thanks for giving a shit. i'm just expressing my heartfelt opinion. not enough people give a shit, but i'll say what i think anyway.

ps: when ken lay croaked, i cheered at that, too. everyman's death does not diminish me, any more than mine will dimish these thieving liars. the social construct of 'don't speak ill of the dead'? hogwash...a dead jerk is a plus for anyone trying to live an honest upright life.

[curiousgeorge01]

Yea it's basically a game. Ted Kennedy gives the commoners a loaf of bread and they give him the license to steal. And it goes on when another snake comes into office...

[Hound Dog]

Although I was a critic of his political life, it's unfortunate that he has passed.

Interesting point: Has the US ever buried anyone who wasn't a saint? Even that middle-aged white woman called Michael Jackson seems to be in contention for a Nobel Peace Prize...

[Alex]

I never cared for his politics, and I certainly never cared for him as a person. Murder someone and only "confess" to it once the evidence has been discovered by someone else? Sure, have a seat right here, Mr. Kennedy.

No big loss, really.

[Hamburglar]

Murder implies intent. Unless you have evidence to suggest intent to kill, than I expect you should redact your statement. You could legitimately claim "he got away with homicide" which is a rather frequent occurrence in the US, especially if you have the monetary resources to defend yourself against the charges. But if I crashed my car and killed my wife in the process...I too could get away with homicide. However, I suppose you will believe what you will, but the accurate use of words is important. Your insensitivity to the loss of human life is the most tragic statement of your post. It does add clarity to your world view: that no life has value which isn't associated with your personal success. This is a sad view, which is shared by many Americans, and very much shames me to be a part of this culture.

T.Kennedy spent his life fighting for his ideal of America...the same cannot be said for many politicians who fight for their slice of the pie.

[AaronSheffield]

I believe in standing up for the common guy, which Ted had done many, many, times.

Given that Teddy used his family's wealth and political connections to get away with negligent homicide and obstruction of justice, I am continually amazed at how many people are able to claim that an obvious elitist like Teddy ever did anything for "the common guy". Everything Teddy did, he did to further his own political career. He was not motivated by altruism, he was motivated by the desire to maintain enough votes to stay in his cushy job.

T.Kennedy spent his life fighting for his ideal of America...

Teddy spent his life pandering to anyone who would promise to vote for him.

[Alex]

Unless you have evidence to suggest intent to kill, than I expect you should redact your statement. You could legitimately claim "he got away with homicide" which is a rather frequent occurrence in the US, especially if you have the monetary resources to defend yourself against the charges. But if I crashed my car and killed my wife in the process...I too could get away with homicide. However, I suppose you will believe what you will, but the accurate use of words is important. Your insensitivity to the loss of human life is the most tragic statement of your post.

Hahaha, you shrug off the fact that he crashed into a lake, possibly drunk (he denied it, but what do you expect him to do?), managed to get to safety while the woman in the car was left to die, walked away from the entire thing without even notifying authorities, and only said a thing about it after the wreckage was discovered by a third party - and then have the gumption to say MY regard for the loss of life isn't up to par? This is so amusing.

Sorry, I just don't have a soft spot in my heart for a boozing, negligently homicidal (the ONLY part of that post I actually will redact) politician who basically walked away from the incident scot-free. Not only did he do NO jailtime, but the public just let him prance into the Senate as if nothing had ever happened, and I'm afraid I'm not willing to give him the same leniency in judgment of character as so many others.

ANYONE - and I don't care if you're a Kennedy or otherwise - who leaves the scene of an accident they caused without even bothering to notify authorities is scum.

[annaelizabeth]

Given that Teddy used his family's wealth and political connections to get away with negligent homicide and obstruction of justice, I am continually amazed at how many people are able to claim that an obvious elitist like Teddy ever did anything for "the common guy". Everything Teddy did, he did to further his own political career. He was not motivated by altruism, he was motivated by the desire to maintain enough votes to stay in his cushy job.



Teddy spent his life pandering to anyone who would promise to vote for him.

why all the hatred? Seriously. Not one person is doubting he made a huge error, and I mean huge. That error does not erase all the good he has done for the people of Mass. You have no idea how many people he directly affected. It's all I hear about on the radio - from right wing radical talk show hosts as well. Get it through your head that the man did some good things. Whatever his motives were, the end result was the same.

[curiousgeorge01]

why all the hatred? Seriously. Not one person is doubting he made a huge error, and I mean huge. That error does not erase all the good he has done for the people of Mass. You have no idea how many people he directly affected. It's all I hear about on the radio - from right wing radical talk show hosts as well. Get it through your head that the man did some good things. Whatever his motives were, the end result was the same.

Err...aren't motives what makes peopel criminals even if no harm is done? Like 'attempted murder'? I actually think motive makes the whole difference.

[annaelizabeth]

Err...aren't motives what makes peopel criminals even if no harm is done? Like 'attempted murder'? I actually think motive makes the whole difference.

I was referring to the implied political motives for helping the common guy. Whatever his reasons were, he still helped. Whether they were politically motivated or personally motivated.

[reb]

what good specifically are you pointing out? some public building? who did teddy get educated, on their own feet, and turn them into a productive member of society...or did he just give them food stamps and a roof. that's not 'help' in my outlook...get them so they can take care of themselves. three generations on the government dole is turning people into dependents of those who work for a living. it provides a steady stream of voters for the 'magnanimous gifter', but the jerk has been gifting with my $.

[Mader]

Old Ted. Yes, I do hope he RIPS.

Having said that, after he crashed his car in the water, after he made sure he was safe, he made no attempt to save her himself, he walked back to the house where the party was PASSING AT LEAST TWO OTHER HOUSES WHERE HE COULD HAVE CALLED FOR HELP FOR THE POOR WOMAN, and told a couple guys what happened. The guys told Teddy that he had to call for help and to report the accident immediately. Teddy went to bed instead. The next morning the care was pulled out of the water and Teddy felt really bad about it. Evidence proves that Mary Jo did not die instantly in the accident - she had scratched at the roof of the car.

Ted cheated at Harvard, twice. Once he tried to pay someone to take a test for him. Ted was kicked out of Harvard.

Remember all those nasty accusations about Bush dodging military service during the View Nam War? Where was Teddy??????? He signed up,(yes, after being kicked out of Harvard) but he didn't want to serve that long so his daddy pulled some strings.

A well known alcoholic - traveled and drank all over the country, as much as he could, drank with his kids, his nephews (remember that charge of rape against his nephew? Ted had been partying with his nephew that night)

Like every other Kennedy man, he was unable to keep his pants zipped. Hell, there is a tape of Nixon and Halderman talking about Ted self-imploding again. Ted was fodder for the late night comics for years.

And my personal favorite:

He called himself a devoted Catholic.
-devoted Catholics are not pro-abortion.
-devoted Catholics are not pro-gay-marriage.
-devoted Catholics would have publicly rebuked Kathleen Kennedy's statement that Americans are more Catholic than the Pope.
-devoted Catholics want to always tell the truth
-devoted Catholics turn away from the lies of others.
-devoted Catholics understand that saying bad things about others is wrong - misleading others, damaging someone else's reputation is a sin.
-devoted Catholics understand the sin of scandal. This defination means that when we do something bad ( like screw around on your spouse) you damage others and their own ability to make good choice - you are a bad example and that encourages others to be bad.
-devoted Catholics do not commit adultary, over and over again.
Devotion means being faithful, faithful to the faith, all of it and accepting the authority of the Holy See (that is not worshiping the Pope, the Holy See is not just the Pope standing in a window spitting out rules).

Yes, he devoted himself to 40 years in one of the best jobs in the world and in his own way, he fought for the rights of the poor. He truly cared about the poor but his solutions were short term and short sighted. Towards the end of his life he sobered up (thanks to a good wife), became a good family man and was loved by those close to him. I am sorry they lost someone so special to them. I am glad he chose to work his entire life rather than sit back and spend his money.

But his life was based on , filled with, lies. The TV coverage is a business decision that ties directly with the stimulus and the health care reform bill - just a political and business decision. BTW, it is frowned up for someone besides a priest or deacon giving the eulogy during the Funeral Mass (tommorow the President is giving the eulogy) Why? first and most importantly, any teaching from the pulpit is to be given by a priest or deacon to ensure that the teaching conforms to the faith and second, a Funeral Mass is a serious, religious sacrament, not show business, not politics

[Hamburglar]

And my personal favorite:

He called himself a devoted Catholic.
-devoted Catholics are not pro-abortion.
-devoted Catholics are not pro-gay-marriage.
-devoted Catholics would have publicly rebuked Kathleen Kennedy's statement that Americans are more Catholic than the Pope.
-devoted Catholics want to always tell the truth
-devoted Catholics turn away from the lies of others.
-devoted Catholics understand that saying bad things about others is wrong - misleading others, damaging someone else's reputation is a sin.
-devoted Catholics understand the sin of scandal. This defination means that when we do something bad ( like screw around on your spouse) you damage others and their own ability to make good choice - you are a bad example and that encourages others to be bad.
-devoted Catholics do not commit adultary, over and over again.
Devotion means being faithful, faithful to the faith, all of it and accepting the authority of the Holy See (that is not worshiping the Pope, the Holy See is not just the Pope standing in a window spitting out rules).


Who are you to say that the catholic church speaks the truth? You can believe in your truth, but you cannot claim that it was his or gods, or should be imposed on others. When he voted pro-abortion it was not his vote, but America's vote. You could learn a lot if you only stopped to listen.

The more our feelings diverge, the more deeply felt they are, the greater is our obligation to grant the sincerity and essential decency of our fellow citizens on the other side. . . .

In short, I hope for an America where neither “fundamentalist” nor “humanist” will be a dirty word, but a fair description of the different ways in which people of good will look at life and into their own souls.

I hope for an America where no president, no public official, no individual will ever be deemed a greater or lesser American because of religious doubt — or religious belief.

I hope for an America where the power of faith will always burn brightly, but where no modern inquisition of any kind will ever light the fires of fear, coercion, or angry division.

I hope for an America where we can all contend freely and vigorously, but where we will treasure and guard those standards of civility which alone make this nation safe for both democracy and diversity.-TK

[Mader]

Hamburgler.

You may not agree with the teachings of the Church, no problem.

But you cannot claim to be a devote Catholic yet take so many stands against the teachings.

I suspect it would be unacceptable to call yourself an observant, Orthodox Jew but not keep Kosher.

Physicians take an oath to heal others. The guy who doped up Micheal Jackson to the point he died may have the title of doctor, but he did not practice true medical care.

Being a news reporter is supposed to mean reporting the news, the facts, no interpretation. Today many "news" reporters and entities are not reporting news, they are interpreting news, influencing the story. They can call themselves news reporters but they are really commentators.

[ElstonGunn]

I don't understand the anger directed a him. He's dead. He can't ruin 'Merca for you with his big scary socialism anymore. Direct your bile at someone who's capable of defending himself. Or is cowardice supposed to be the new, edgy thing that we're all supposed to "ooh" and "ahh" over?

[Hamburglar]

Hamburgler.

You may not agree with the teachings of the Church, no problem.

But you cannot claim to be a devote Catholic yet take so many stands against the teachings.

I suspect it would be unacceptable to call yourself an observant, Orthodox Jew but not keep Kosher.

Physicians take an oath to heal others. The guy who doped up Micheal Jackson to the point he died may have the title of doctor, but he did not practice true medical care.

Being a news reporter is supposed to mean reporting the news, the facts, no interpretation. Today many "news" reporters and entities are not reporting news, they are interpreting news, influencing the story. They can call themselves news reporters but they are really commentators.

Thank you for giving me a gold mine quote here...

I suspect it would be unacceptable to call yourself an observant, Orthodox Jew but not keep Kosher.

As in Ted Kennedy's case, it would be unacceptable (in America) for an Orthodox Jew to make a law that forced all Americans to keep Kosher!!!! He can keep Kosher, but not force the rest of society to maintain his religious teachings/lifestyle. I think it shows more integrity for a person to defend a belief they do not agree with, even though it is against their own core beliefs.... Do you understand?

[Nemesis]

Teddy spent his life pandering to anyone who would promise to vote for him.

I'm not sure that's really unique to him. :p