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   Dan Savage, the brilliant and foul-mouthed sex columnist, has become one of the most important ethicists in America. Are we screwed?
 The federal government is supposed to issue new rules about debt levels for students in for-profit colleges. In the meantime, the states are working on their own regulations.
 Washingtons budget hawks want to decimate the federal workforce to shrink the deficit. It will have the opposite effect.
 There arent nearly enough counterterrorism experts to instruct all of Americas police. So we got these guys instead.
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August 29, 2009
SAYING GOODBYE TO TED KENNEDY.... As the AP reported, "President Barack Obama led the nation Saturday in mourning and remembering "the greatest legislator of our time," celebrating the indelible impact of Edward M. Kennedy as a senator for nearly a half-century and leader of America's most famous family during tragedy and triumph. Delivering an emotional, simple eulogy for Kennedy that capped a two-hour Roman Catholic funeral Mass, Obama employed humor, his own experiences and timeless anecdotes to memorialize the senator, who died Tuesday at 77 after battling brain cancer for more than a year." Here's the first part of the president's eulogy: And here's the second: The full text is below. Mrs. Kennedy, Kara, Edward, Patrick, Curran, Caroline, members of the Kennedy family, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens: Today we say goodbye to the youngest child of Rose and Joseph Kennedy. The world will long remember their son Edward as the heir to a weighty legacy; a champion for those who had none; the soul of the Democratic Party; and the lion of the U.S. Senate - a man whose name graces nearly one thousand laws, and who penned more than three hundred himself. But those of us who loved him, and ache with his passing, know Ted Kennedy by the other titles he held: Father. Brother. Husband. Uncle Teddy, or as he was often known to his younger nieces and nephews, "The Grand Fromage," or "The Big Cheese." I, like so many others in the city where he worked for nearly half a century, knew him as a colleague, a mentor, and above all, a friend. Ted Kennedy was the baby of the family who became its patriarch; the restless dreamer who became its rock. He was the sunny, joyful child, who bore the brunt of his brothers' teasing, but learned quickly how to brush it off. When they tossed him off a boat because he didn't know what a jib was, six-year-old Teddy got back in and learned to sail. When a photographer asked the newly-elected Bobby to step back at a press conference because he was casting a shadow on his younger brother, Teddy quipped, "It'll be the same in Washington." This spirit of resilience and good humor would see Ted Kennedy through more pain and tragedy than most of us will ever know. He lost two siblings by the age of sixteen. He saw two more taken violently from the country that loved them. He said goodbye to his beloved sister, Eunice, in the final days of his own life. He narrowly survived a plane crash, watched two children struggle with cancer, buried three nephews, and experienced personal failings and setbacks in the most public way possible. It is a string of events that would have broken a lesser man. And it would have been easy for Teddy to let himself become bitter and hardened; to surrender to self-pity and regret; to retreat from public life and live out his years in peaceful quiet. No one would have blamed him for that. But that was not Ted Kennedy. As he told us, "…[I]ndividual faults and frailties are no excuse to give in - and no exemption from the common obligation to give of ourselves." Indeed, Ted was the "Happy Warrior" that the poet William Wordsworth spoke of when he wrote: As tempted more; more able to endure, As more exposed to suffering and distress; Thence, also, more alive to tenderness. Through his own suffering, Ted Kennedy became more alive to the plight and suffering of others - the sick child who could not see a doctor; the young soldier sent to battle without armor; the citizen denied her rights because of what she looks like or who she loves or where she comes from. The landmark laws that he championed -- the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, immigration reform, children's health care, the Family and Medical Leave Act -all have a running thread. Ted Kennedy's life's work was not to champion those with wealth or power or special connections. It was to give a voice to those who were not heard; to add a rung to the ladder of opportunity; to make real the dream of our founding. He was given the gift of time that his brothers were not, and he used that gift to touch as many lives and right as many wrongs as the years would allow. We can still hear his voice bellowing through the Senate chamber, face reddened, fist pounding the podium, a veritable force of nature, in support of health care or workers' rights or civil rights. And yet, while his causes became deeply personal, his disagreements never did. While he was seen by his fiercest critics as a partisan lightning rod, that is not the prism through which Ted Kennedy saw the world, nor was it the prism through which his colleagues saw him. He was a product of an age when the joy and nobility of politics prevented differences of party and philosophy from becoming barriers to cooperation and mutual respect - a time when adversaries still saw each other as patriots. And that's how Ted Kennedy became the greatest legislator of our time. He did it by hewing to principle, but also by seeking compromise and common cause - not through deal-making and horse-trading alone, but through friendship, and kindness, and humor. There was the time he courted Orrin Hatch's support for the Children's Health Insurance Program by having his Chief of Staff serenade the Senator with a song Orrin had written himself; the time he delivered shamrock cookies on a china plate to sweeten up a crusty Republican colleague; and the famous story of how he won the support of a Texas Committee Chairman on an immigration bill. Teddy walked into a meeting with a plain manila envelope, and showed only the Chairman that it was filled with the Texan's favorite cigars. When the negotiations were going well, he would inch the envelope closer to the Chairman. When they weren't, he would pull it back. Before long, the deal was done. It was only a few years ago, on St. Patrick's Day, when Teddy buttonholed me on the floor of the Senate for my support on a certain piece of legislation that was coming up for vote. I gave him my pledge, but expressed my skepticism that it would pass. But when the roll call was over, the bill garnered the votes it needed, and then some. I looked at Teddy with astonishment and asked how he had pulled it off. He just patted me on the back, and said "Luck of the Irish!" Of course, luck had little to do with Ted Kennedy's legislative success, and he knew that. A few years ago, his father-in-law told him that he and Daniel Webster just might be the two greatest senators of all time. Without missing a beat, Teddy replied, "What did Webster do?" But though it is Ted Kennedy's historic body of achievements we will remember, it is his giving heart that we will miss. It was the friend and colleague who was always the first to pick up the phone and say, "I'm sorry for your loss," or "I hope you feel better," or "What can I do to help?" It was the boss who was so adored by his staff that over five hundred spanning five decades showed up for his 75th birthday party. It was the man who sent birthday wishes and thank you notes and even his own paintings to so many who never imagined that a U.S. Senator would take the time to think about someone like them. I have one of those paintings in my private study - a Cape Cod seascape that was a gift to a freshman legislator who happened to admire it when Ted Kennedy welcomed him into his office the first week he arrived in Washington; by the way, that's my second favorite gift from Teddy and Vicki after our dog Bo. And it seems like everyone has one of those stories - the ones that often start with "You wouldn't believe who called me today." Ted Kennedy was the father who looked after not only his own three children, but John's and Bobby's as well. He took them camping and taught them to sail. He laughed and danced with them at birthdays and weddings; cried and mourned with them through hardship and tragedy; and passed on that same sense of service and selflessness that his parents had instilled in him. Shortly after Ted walked Caroline down the aisle and gave her away at the altar, he received a note from Jackie that read, "On you the carefree youngest brother fell a burden a hero would have begged to be spared. We are all going to make it because you were always there with your love." Not only did the Kennedy family make it because of Ted's love - he made it because of theirs; and especially because of the love and the life he found in Vicki. After so much loss and so much sorrow, it could not have been easy for Ted Kennedy to risk his heart again. That he did is a testament to how deeply he loved this remarkable woman from Louisiana. And she didn't just love him back. As Ted would often acknowledge, Vicki saved him. She gave him strength and purpose; joy and friendship; and stood by him always, especially in those last, hardest days. We cannot know for certain how long we have here. We cannot foresee the trials or misfortunes that will test us along the way. We cannot know God's plan for us. What we can do is to live out our lives as best we can with purpose, and love, and joy. We can use each day to show those who are closest to us how much we care about them, and treat others with the kindness and respect that we wish for ourselves. We can learn from our mistakes and grow from our failures. And we can strive at all costs to make a better world, so that someday, if we are blessed with the chance to look back on our time here, we can know that we spent it well; that we made a difference; that our fleeting presence had a lasting impact on the lives of other human beings. This is how Ted Kennedy lived. This is his legacy. He once said of his brother Bobby that he need not be idealized or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life, and I imagine he would say the same about himself. The greatest expectations were placed upon Ted Kennedy's shoulders because of who he was, but he surpassed them all because of who he became. We do not weep for him today because of the prestige attached to his name or his office. We weep because we loved this kind and tender hero who persevered through pain and tragedy - not for the sake of ambition or vanity; not for wealth or power; but only for the people and the country he loved. In the days after September 11th, Teddy made it a point to personally call each one of the 177 families of this state who lost a loved one in the attack. But he didn't stop there. He kept calling and checking up on them. He fought through red tape to get them assistance and grief counseling. He invited them sailing, played with their children, and would write each family a letter whenever the anniversary of that terrible day came along. To one widow, he wrote the following: "As you know so well, the passage of time never really heals the tragic memory of such a great loss, but we carry on, because we have to, because our loved one would want us to, and because there is still light to guide us in the world from the love they gave us." We carry on. Ted Kennedy has gone home now, guided by his faith and by the light of those he has loved and lost. At last he is with them once more, leaving those of us who grieve his passing with the memories he gave, the good he did, the dream he kept alive, and a single, enduring image - the image of a man on a boat; white mane tousled; smiling broadly as he sails into the wind, ready for what storms may come, carrying on toward some new and wondrous place just beyond the horizon. May God Bless Ted Kennedy, and may he rest in eternal peace. —Steve Benen 1:15 PM Permalink | Trackbacks | Comments (64)
Comments
This is an aspect of Kennedy's career that's been little noted in the rememberances of him. When he entered the Senate, Jim Crow segregation still existed. In much of the country blacks couldn't vote or were taking their lives into their hands if they did. When his Senate career ended with his death, the U.S. had a black president who delivered the eulogy at the funeral. That's really incredible when you think about it. It's an eloquent testament to how far the country has come in a short time. Posted by: Lee on August 29, 2009 at 1:31 PM | PERMALINKTen bucks says his son's remark about being "lucky" to have asthma gets trotted out by our wingnut friends as evidence that we don't need healtcare reform. Posted by: Roddy McCorley on August 29, 2009 at 1:43 PM | PERMALINKLee, I've become so blas I hadn't thought of that. Thank you. Posted by: Linkmeister on August 29, 2009 at 1:46 PM | PERMALINKNone of these goofballs have ever noticed that every one of Jesus' miracles was about health care. Posted by: cld on August 29, 2009 at 1:59 PM | PERMALINKWrong thread, second time in two days. I am such a klutz. Posted by: cld on August 29, 2009 at 2:00 PM | PERMALINKTed Kennedy was someone that you simply knew that if you had to sit and talk with him all day you'd have a really great time. Imagine talking to John McCain or John Kerry all day. I think I'd rather spend the day with Ted Kennedy. Posted by: cld on August 29, 2009 at 2:11 PM | PERMALINKI thought his son Teddy's eulogy was just perfect. Really captured the man, the father and his ideals. Warm, authentic and eloquent service throughout. GHW Bush was not there. Any word on what was up? Posted by: Elizabelle on August 29, 2009 at 2:18 PM | PERMALINKGHW Bush was not there. Any word on what was up?Yes. Old Bush apparently decided that since Dumbya was going, "the Bush family would be amply represented" and he didn't need to go. One might observe that the Bush family was amply represented in the presidency by George H.W. and there was no need for the son. Also, Old Bush's spokesman claimed that the trip to Boston (from Maine) would have been too much to expect of an 85-year-old man. As it happens, Jimmy Carter is also 85 years old. Not all 85-year-olds are necessarily in equivalent health, but the spokesman did say that the fact of Old Bush's being 85, not some specific ailment, was the cause of his no-show. His failure to attend seems all the more unusual given all we've heard about how "decent" he is supposed to be. Posted by: navamske on August 29, 2009 at 2:29 PM | PERMALINKGHW Bush didn't attend because the contrast would have been too much. Two men, Teddy and GHW, both from New England aristocracy and wealth. One man fought for civil rights, social justice, and for seniors to be able to live in dignity in their golden years. The other jumps from planes and declares all Americans should do it instead of "drooling" in old age homes. Just think of that, and you know why the bastard didn't attend. Posted by: Ohioan on August 29, 2009 at 2:29 PM | PERMALINKWhat a contrast, to the trash talk against Kennedy by self-proclaimed "Drudge's bitch" Andrew Breitbart. Look it up, it's skanky filth. The media need to get off the Drudgegoround. That reminds me, is there a digest site etc. that shows me the same headlines and links w/o it counting credit to his advertisers? Of course there's the fabulous Drudgeretort. Posted by: N e i l B on August 29, 2009 at 2:32 PM | PERMALINKLee: the way things are going in the South, I wonder how long that advancement will last ... Posted by: NB on August 29, 2009 at 2:33 PM | PERMALINKGHW didn't attend because he isn't doing well. Since Barbara had health issues last year Bush has aged a decade. It really is tragic, no matter your political leanings. It's obvious that losing her is tearing him apart. Posted by: Common Sense on August 29, 2009 at 2:38 PM | PERMALINKYeah, definitely settle down with the GHWB attacks. His upbringing is such that he absolutely would have attended if it were possible. That he didn't is a very clear sign that there are serious problems. I hated #41 and never voted for him, but seriously, stop with the petty attacks, they only reflect on you. Posted by: Travis on August 29, 2009 at 2:45 PM | PERMALINKHis failure to attend seems all the more unusual given all we've heard about how "decent" he is supposed to be. If it were W, I'd be more suspicious of sulking. Since it's HW, who I've never heard was a particular enemy of Kennedy's, I'm suspecting he's in much worse health than is generally known. I wouldn't be surprised if he goes as well within the next 6 months. Not that I'm terribly fond of HW, but he does at least have a sense of what he needs to do in order to appear polite. Posted by: Mnemosyne on August 29, 2009 at 2:45 PM | PERMALINK(from jesus' general) The Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 They said yesterday that GHWB had called and talked to Vickie. If he were well enough to make the trip, he'd have been there because that's the way he was raised, and that's the way he conducted himself over the course of his life. Nor would he ever make a public thing of his illness, because that's the old New England Yankee way. He wouldn't make the mistake of thinking that it was in any way about whether he personally liked or agreed with Ted Kennedy or anyone else in the Kennedy clan--and that's the difference between GHWB and Barbara's Anointed Prince, in a nutshell. Posted by: Lis on August 29, 2009 at 3:35 PM | PERMALINKHe wouldn't make the mistake of thinking that it was in any way about whether he personally liked or agreed with Ted Kennedy or anyone else in the Kennedy clan--and that's the difference between GHWB and Barbara's Anointed Prince, in a nutshell. Exactly. Posted by: Mnemosyne on August 29, 2009 at 3:49 PM | PERMALINKI thought the Obama speech was muted and strange. For the first time, he seemed unsure of the moment. His anecdotes were fine, just disconnected. He botched the easy Teddy quote from the RFK eulogy. Maybe he was trying so hard to be non-political -- another argument for another day -- that he overcompensated. Posted by: charles pierce on August 29, 2009 at 4:25 PM | PERMALINKFunny how differently people can respond. I thought Obama's eulogy was pitch perfect and beautifully delivered. But I have read others say they thought he seemed uncomfortable, especially at first. So I don't know. Maybe I should listen to it again. I just know that I was caught up from start to finish and thought it flowed beautifully through Kennedy's life, his accomplishments, the funny and touching anecdotes -- and then ended on a note of understanding, grace and spirituality. Posted by: Lynn Dee on August 29, 2009 at 4:34 PM | PERMALINKHe botched the easy Teddy quote from the RFK eulogy. No, he didn't "botch the quote." He referred to it, using a bit of it to make a point about Teddy: that you don't have to idealize him or ignore his faults to recognize him as a good man. What Obama said: He didn't misquote, he didn't distort or misconstrue the meaning. If you think he had to quote the whole thing in order to not be "botching it" where's the line? How much does he have to quote? That whole section that we remember? Why not more? Why not the whole thing? He used enough to make his point, and that's what a good speaker does. Posted by: Lis on August 29, 2009 at 4:54 PM | PERMALINKThanks for info on GHWBush. W's sitting there made his father's absence all the more apparent. I always kind of liked 41. He is way better than the GOP leadership (such as it is) today. Which is not to say that I ever voted for him, but he had this loopy grace and decency. Maybe it's health issues. Maybe it's living with not being a KoolAid drinker, and knowing full well what a disaster your progeny unleashed. Ginormous fail. Posted by: Elizabelle on August 29, 2009 at 5:00 PM | PERMALINKAside from Reagan (and I always had the feeling some of that was orchestrated) can you imagine this kind of outpouring of respect and affection for a Republican? Any Republican? Posted by: dalloway on August 29, 2009 at 5:28 PM | PERMALINKActually, Lis, what he said was, Leave #41 alone! As soon as I heard he wasn't going, I knew it must have been a health issue. He looked very frail at the inauguration. Posted by: Hey! on August 29, 2009 at 6:09 PM | PERMALINKI didn't watch the video of the eulogy, but I read the full text straight through. It was exactly right, and brought tears to my eyes. Caroline the matriarch You have to wonder where the Kennedy family goes from here. I mean that just in terms of their tight twinning with American history. I was pissed the way liberals smote Caroline Kennedy's first baby steps towards office. Oh the rage! She got put down real ugly right here on Steve's threads. Way too ugly. And instead of Caroline, those that put her down got what they deserved I suppose: another triangulating blue dog running for senate in a liberal state. Jesus... Liberals. Gun. Foot. And perhaps that little drama presaged where we are today: a democratic party that is fractured and dysfunctional; and a country that is sclerotic and moribund. I said it back then when Caroline was testing the waters, and it is worth repeating again. I am Caroline Kennedy and I am running for the Senate. If you don't like that fact beat me at the polls. But you are going to have to beat me at the polls. I won't cower down or quit because my last name is Kennedy. No. In fact I stand tall before you as a Kennedy. It is who I am. And I am proud of my family...
Barak's eulogy was wonderful.
I didn't see any of it. I turned off my TeeVee in 2004 during the wall-to-wall coverage of Reagan's funeral. Have they stopped talking about the "shining city on a hill" yet? More seriously, I agree that if Bush 41 didn't attend, it's because he couldn't. I cannot imagine him being petty like that; it's such bad form. As for Dubya, I'm sure Laura told him he had to go. And his momma made him wear a suit, too. Posted by: Andy on August 29, 2009 at 7:12 PM | PERMALINKkoreyel: "...You have to wonder where the Kennedy family goes from here. I mean that just in terms of their tight twinning with American history..." Well, I heard Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speak for over an hour last summer and he is really something. He's the Kennedy to watch from now on. Posted by: Varecia on August 29, 2009 at 7:33 PM | PERMALINKAside from Teddie's legislative accomplishments (no more draft, S-chip, minimum wage, etc), I really admire the way he died. If I could go out with that grace, humor and joive de vivre, that is well played. Posted by: tsquared on August 29, 2009 at 7:35 PM | PERMALINKKoreyel, I think the real point is that Caroline is not that kind of tough, combative personality--and without a fairly thick skin, no Kennedy is going to do well in the public arena. They've got targets painted on them. Did you watch her last night? Really watch her? With a guaranteed friendly audience, she was not comfortable or happy speaking so publicly. She'll be fifty-two in a bit over a month, and this is not really what she has ever wanted to do with her life. Posted by: Lis on August 29, 2009 at 7:36 PM | PERMALINKJoe sounded like he might be getting back into politics, or at least thinking about it. And, not for almost twenty years or so, but if the Republicans didn't take note of Teddy III, they are not paying attention. Posted by: Lis on August 29, 2009 at 7:39 PM | PERMALINKObama's at his best in those situations. Wonderful evocative eulogy. Both of the sons were excellent as well. (I'm unable to get through any speech when my emotions have been unleashed, and funerals for loved ones are such overwhelming events.) Just wish Patrick had double-checked his Frost allusion to get the poem's title right. Posted by: jeer9 on August 29, 2009 at 7:59 PM | PERMALINKChris Mathews just blurted out on MSNBC: Obama should be here. Look at all Kennedy did for him..." And Olbermann did not skip a beat: "What do you mean?" Well, he's instead on vacation" (paraphrasing) Olbermann: Look, he just took time to deliver the Eulogy. This is essentially a ceremonial and family event now...it's not for him to be here.. Mathews then blathered on how Joe Biden is there.. Mathews then (amazingly) conceded: "Yeah. O.K. I retract that statement". Yeah, Mathews, good thing you did you conceded that stupid comment, given what Obama has in front of him...Who the hell are YOU to decide who should be there? Who asked? YOU Narcissistic ASSHOLE...OBAMA has been working so hard, has had to tear apart his vacation (minimal), is likely ripped apart internally at the chaos and ignorance and polarity and hate hurled at him --and now you, Chris Mathews decide to editorialize and criticize our President-- you want him there at the Arlington Cemetery? I hear hidden racism and resentment and unbelievable expectations coming from an idiot who earlier today said: "Wow, Carter sure is looking old". (To which Olbermann and Robinson tried to rectify: "And your point is?" Olberman asked... and Robinson added: And he's still feisty as ever!" Mathews has no censor. And no center. And just blurts out what he thinks..and gets paid millions for doing so. What a sad, sad thing. Posted by: Chris Mathews recinds his stupid comment on August 29, 2009 at 7:59 PM | PERMALINKChris - I watched that shit too - what a dingdong. Posted by: tsquared on August 29, 2009 at 8:53 PM | PERMALINKI'm just wondering how long it will be before the wingosphere + FauxNews & radio shouters start claiming Obama's eulogy was politicized and crass because he mentioned Kennedy's commitment to health care reform. Because you know it's coming; they'll soon tire of poking a cooling corpse with rememberances of Chappaquidick. Posted by: Jennifer on August 29, 2009 at 9:17 PM | PERMALINKWhen I was in the sixth grade, I wrote a letter to Ted Kennedy and begged him to run for president (I was not a Carter fan). I got a very nice letter in return - not bad for a black kid in Minnesota. RIP Teddy. Posted by: tsquared on August 29, 2009 at 9:31 PM | PERMALINKYeah, wow, what a guy Teddy was--I actually didn't realize he did that much personally and politically--those stories from his sons were very moving--what an amazing person to pick up the pieces after so many personal tragedies and become the rock of the family, the "Grand Fromage" (Obama reminded) he was affectionatley known as by the young Kennedy's.... Re: the Chris Mathews foot in mouth maneuver I mentioned above: I guess the good thing is Mathews retracted his statement right away. (I think Olbermann commented that was a first for Mathews to do so!) And good on Olbermann for catching it and calling him Mathews on it and sticking to the larger issue at hand: it wasn't about vacation, it was about the fact that the funeral was very private and largely a family affair. But the larger issue is unsettleing: this sort of liberty with commenting on this and that...especially with regard to Obama...although Mathews just blurts out anything like: "Oh, wow, Carter is really looking old". And I don't know why that it is. Because we have the 24 hour news cycle with everyone who can open their mouth giving their opinion? And Obama gets it even more because he's black. I really believe this--I don't think it's even a conscious thing on most people's part. BTW, very cool you were gunning for Kennedy when you were only 10-11 years old...I truly can't remember who I voted for in the primaries that year in 1980--I just remember the shock that Reagan won by landslide... I wonder what will come of Health Care Reform now? Really do hope Obama starts showing some bite behind all his barking, because he is starting to sound like a true blue Chicago Politician willing to cut way too many deals... Posted by: Insanity on August 29, 2009 at 11:01 PM | PERMALINKnot less spiteful, that is--less sophisticated, more spiteful.. Posted by: Insanity on August 29, 2009 at 11:08 PM | PERMALINKI especially liked the end of Obama's eulogy--the image of Teddy sailing out to see, smiling. I miss him already. He cannot be replaced. RFK jr. was a smack addict. Doesn't bother me in the slightest in fact it makes me like him more. He's unelectable. There are some sex skeletons as well, maybe he banged his baby sitter or something. Kind of creepy. Sincerely not trying to offend but some people seem to know nothing about the Kennedys. Posted by: grinning cat on August 29, 2009 at 11:19 PM | PERMALINKJohn John was it for torch bearer. He made women's panties wet, literally. Even his inability to pass the bar wouldn't have slowed him down. Probably a senator by now and maybe would have run in 2008. Posted by: grinning cat on August 29, 2009 at 11:26 PM | PERMALINKgrinning cat, you show no signs of having any real information about the Kennedys. You've included a "fact" in your recitation that makes it obvious you're listening to gossip and can't be bothered to remember who it actually applies to.(1) What RFK Jr. does have that's a serious liability is a speaking voice that's weak and reedy enough to fuel belief that he may simply be too unhealthy to be president. (1)There is a Kennedy of RFKJr's generation that had sex with the babysitter, but it's not him. It's one of the others, and not one who has been mentioned for public office recently. Because, you know, some people pay attention. Posted by: Lis on August 29, 2009 at 11:32 PM | PERMALINKBarack's eulogy made me like Ted Kennedy even more than before I heard it, and I've had the utmost respect for Ted. Thanks for humanizing him even more. I caught a sight of Orrin Hatch during one of the cutaways and noticed the pained look on his face. I couldn't help but wonder what some of Ted's far lesser colleagues in Congress might be thinking regarding what their own eulogies might sound like. They'd receive none of the earnest praise that Ted Kennedy earned. To look at the list of achievements the late Sen. Kennedy fought for, like the one Neill provided, I've got to believe a great many legislators must be personally feeling sick to their stomachs that they're nowhere near the person Ted was. But tomorrow, I'm sure that Republicans and Blue Dogs will continue to do the bidding of their masters. May they all rot in hell for it. What Ted Kennedy did shouldn't be so extraordinary: he simply did what was right and decent. The fact that he stands so far above the achievements of his colleagues proves that so many of them are just not fit for their positions of power. Posted by: petorado on August 30, 2009 at 12:08 AM | PERMALINKIf HW didn't show because he just didn't feel like it then yes that's kind of dickish... but at 85 he may very well be ailing, and not wanting to put that out in public, so I think it's fair to give him a pass. As far as W is concerned, I appreciate that he went, but I couldn't help wonder what he was thinking during all that talk of sacrifice, service, and love of country. Granted, he talked the talk about that stuff a lot, but I wonder if honoring someone who actually walked the walk may have humbled him at all. Probably not. Posted by: Lee2 on August 30, 2009 at 12:19 AM | PERMALINKI want to agree with the more charitable view about George H.W. Bush; if he could have been there I'm sure he would have. We should remember that he was the most decent and compromising of Republicans. He could make unpopular deals for the common good, like Teddy. And since the right hates compromise, that cost him his second term. He is a Republican who could qualify for "Profiles in Courage." grinning cat: "Sincerely not trying to offend ..." Like hell you aren't! grinning cat: "... but some people seem to know nothing about the Kennedys." Starting with you, apparently. The heroin possession charge against RFK, Jr. is over a quarter century old, and he' long since paid his debt to society for that. And there is no sex scandal associated with the man; you've obviously confused him with his late brother Michael. Now, you've got me thinking that perhaps you should be held still accountable for all the dumbass and "kind of creepy" things you did back in the early-mid '80s ... Posted by: Out & About in the Castro on August 30, 2009 at 12:49 AM | PERMALINKSincerely not trying to offend but some people seem to know nothing about the Kennedys. we know, we just don't go out of our way like a giant asshole to dredge up very old news and gossip and attack a family while they're grieving. Now, you've got me thinking that perhaps you should be held still accountable for all the dumbass and "kind of creepy" things you did back in the early-mid '80s ... you're implying that he's still not a creepy dumbass? I beg to differ. Posted by: whatever on August 30, 2009 at 2:34 AM | PERMALINKwhatever "you're implying that he's still not a creepy dumbass? I beg to differ." Well, I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, even if they don't reciprocate with others. But yeah, grinning cat's comment about RFK, Jr. was a pretty vile thing to say about someone he'd never even met. Then again, it's a free country where even a fool has the right to his own opinion, however foolish said opinion might be. Posted by: Out & About in the Castro on August 30, 2009 at 5:36 AM | PERMALINKI may be wrong-and often am-but I think it was ol' Sam Clemmons who said:"Always do right. You will please some, and astonish the rest." Good advice for anyone contemplating a life in politics. Or wants a good night's sleep. . . Posted by: DAY on August 30, 2009 at 7:13 AM | PERMALINKNone of these goofballs have ever noticed that every one of Jesus' miracles was about health care. Like water into wine? The multiplying of loaves? Read the Bible again, if you ever did in the first place. Then try to understand what those miracles meant. Here's a clue: it wasn't health care. Posted by: Pully Bulpit on August 30, 2009 at 11:26 AM | PERMALINKI was greatly disappointed by Obama's eulogy. It was a wonderful opportunity to honor Ted and the Kennedy family committment to civil rights, and thus bring that part of the story full circle. He didn't. He gave a pedestrian speech full of platitudes and stories already told more personally and thus poignently by by others. Charles Pierce is right. Posted by: Aunt Moe on August 30, 2009 at 12:33 PM | PERMALINKWhy Bush 41 did not go: My absolutely rude and intolerant comment is that Barbara Bush not only doesn't like the "colored," she doesn't like the catholics....and she simply refused to sit in a catholic church and listen to a colored man speak... For those of you who don't know the South or the aristocratic New England, there is an old, old, etiquette that "nice, decent, white women" just don't sit with the colored as equals...it just simply is not done. It is not polite or a sign of good breeding. As for the catholics...again, simply not appropriate to honor them with your presence. I could, of course, be very wrong. But, I don't think so. Posted by: joanneinDenver on August 30, 2009 at 12:54 PM | PERMALINKjoanneinDenver, I seriously doubt you have ever had any contact whatsoever with "aristocratic" New England families. The standard is that you behave appropriately towards everyone--regardless of whether you'd invite them to dinner. The elder Bushes, admittedly HW more so than Barbara, have lived that standard, however much they failed to pass it on to W. But Barbara, as much as she would like to be and however much she has tried to play up a rather distant connection to Franklin Pierce, is not really from the old New England aristocracy that Bush is from, and is not useful as an example of how they behave. Posted by: Lis on August 30, 2009 at 5:42 PM | PERMALINKTo Liz: You may be absolutely right. I just remember B.Bush's remark about the Katrina African-American refugees in a Houston stadium, something to the effect ..that they were probably living better there than they ever had before....and it brought to mind the kind of dismissive comments I had heard from others before... I am sure that if Mrs. HW Bush had gone to the funeral, she would have been gracious....the point I was trying to make is why she DIDN"t go to the funeral...hence no need to be gracious It is just my personal observation and one I probably should not have shared, let alone defended.......but it is late in Denver and the Bronocs are losing. I really apologize to anyone who is offended. Posted by: joanneinDenver on August 31, 2009 at 12:05 AM | PERMALINKI just reread Liz's comment. It was my insulting the New England "aristocracy" to which you took exception, not my insulting Barbara Bush. My mistake. Posted by: JoanneinDenver on August 31, 2009 at 12:08 AM | PERMALINKGood post!Listed in My Favourite Now! I just reread Liz's comment. It was my insulting the New England "aristocracy" to which you took exception, not my insulting Barbara Bush. My mistake. Yup. The New England aristocracy has its faults, but a failure to do the socially correct thing isn't among them--and the former President refusing to attend the funeral of as significant a figure as Senator Kennedy because a black man was speaking would be deeply incorrect. Had HW been able, he would have been there, and while Barbara on her own might well have refused to attend, she'd have gone with him, and they'd both have behaved correctly, rather than the eye-rolling and boredom we saw from W and Laura. But Barbara on her own? Yes, I remember the post-Katrina remarks, too, as well as numerous other, earlier remarks that for years had me frustrated with Barbara's "gracious, charming grandma" image that endured for so long. She's status-conscious in a way that must pain HW from time to time, because it is so Just Not Done. Race is part of that, but really, she was just as contemptuous of the poor white Katrina refugees. Posted by: Lis on August 31, 2009 at 7:47 AM | PERMALINKgrinning cat: "RFK jr. was a smack addict. Doesn't bother me in the slightest in fact it makes me like him more. He's unelectable. There are some sex skeletons as well, maybe he banged his baby sitter or something. Kind of creepy. Sincerely not trying to offend but some people seem to know nothing about the Kennedys." Varecia: I'm not suggesting he run for anything--I was impressed after hearing him speak, and I think he can do a lot for the country without necessarily being elected to any office. I merely said he's one to watch, in whatever capacity. but I think it was ol' Sam Clemmons who said:"Always do right. You will please some, and astonish the rest." Sam blogged that on The Hannibal Note. Posted by: Mork Twine on August 31, 2009 at 1:52 PM | PERMALINKGood evening. I don't like composers who think. It gets in the way of their plagiarism. Help me! Could you help me find sites on the: Cosmetic dentistry procedure. I found only this - cosmetic dentistry harley street. Cosmetic dentistry, this surgery has been associated by a radar of filled factor. But all implications find all subscribe spending manufacturers for your several assault system, cosmetic dentistry. With love :eek:, Israel from Venezuela. Posted by: Israel on March 15, 2010 at 5:23 PM | PERMALINKGive please. Enjoyed your site. Well Done. Help me! I can not find sites on the: Student loan centre. I found only this - student loan consolidation interest rates. Student loan, but these arts fail views a $13,486 to get from healthcare arrangement while then starting such interest fees. Student loan, the officer has financially more dependent disabilities for actions than the tuition was normal to love and generally the money took these conditions, again than get their solution solutions. Thanks for the help :rolleyes:, Sying from Paraguay. Posted by: Sying on March 30, 2010 at 9:08 AM | PERMALINKLord Child,effectively name gate store holiday activity myself stone choose corner video protection them worth recover act defendant north session equally suddenly vehicle motion review do neither fruit round something iron across rock alright standard road account including admit requirement propose rain conservative little expenditure properly studio design understanding undertake base theme emerge animal eventually argue scheme describe somebody the approach through doubt living hell various block north character proper head importance liberal bind hate increasingly mother focus its working empty finding safe selection military finding contract before improve work congress economic room mile Posted by: hotels book on August 20, 2010 at 6:08 PM | PERMALINK
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