Ted Kennedy, "The Lion Of The Senate", passes away at 77

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Quote :

Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy, the patriarch of the first family of Democratic politics, died Wednesday at his home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, after a lengthy battle with brain cancer. He was 77.

We knew it was coming (brain cancer is not something you can beat easily), but everyone was hoping he'd hold on long enough to put his stamp on health care reform. After all, it's been his signature issue for almost the entire time he's served in the Senate.

Sort of had mixed feelings about him really.

He had a hard row to hoe, being forever in the shadows of JFK and Bobby, but he acquited himself well. I feel sorry for his family-they've had more than their fair share of tragedy over the years.

RIP, Senator.

And knowing you all as I do: countdown to hideously tasteless Mary Jo Kopechne joke in 5 ... 4 ... 3 ...

I bet she would have liked to die from brain cancer in her late 70s.

You're welcome.

Mikey-Living proof that there's no such thing as one's expectations being too low.

He was probably my least favorite Kennedy. Except for the rapist and murderer. bobby was always my favorite. He actually did a lot for civil rights.

Spotts1701 wrote:

We knew it was coming (brain cancer is not something you can beat easily), but everyone was hoping he'd hold on long enough to put his stamp on health care reform.

I certainly was.

Little-known fact: he and I had the same initials.

I hope to God he gets at least half the coverage Michael Jackson did. Here's someone who deserves it.

He won't. Especially since they're never going to shut up about that child-rapist and go on to more important things. It's disgusting.

I think I'm still in shock right now about this.

R.I.P. Ted Kennedy.

Cactus Wren wrote:

And knowing you all as I do: countdown to hideously tasteless Mary Jo Kopechne joke in 5 ... 4 ... 3 ...

They're already going on about how they hope she has a ringside seat to his eternal damnation in other forums.

Penguin wrote:

They're already going on about how they hope she has a ringside seat to his eternal damnation in other forums.

I swear, some people are so small-minded about these things. Drown one woman, participate in a blatant cover-up, and use your family's money and connections to avoid the consequences, and they NEVER let you forget. You'd have thought he did something bad, like disagree with the One.

Burn in hell, you nepotistic, obese, drunken piece of shit.

Rabid Badger wrote:

Mikey-Living proof that there's no such thing as one's expectations being too low.

Oh, come on, a bit over the top, no? Ted Kennedy was a piece of a scum concerning Kopechene.

Ted Kennedy: excellent politician, despicable human being.

"[D]ecent quality health care... a matter of right and not of privilege." Ted Kennedy, 1978

gaijinguy wrote:

Burn in hell, you nepotistic, obese, drunken piece of shit.

This just in, Kennedy asked for the repeal of a 2004 law in his home state that disallows the govenor to select a replacement candidate, instead requiring a special election 5 months later.
How it proves he's a hypocrite: He sponsored the law in the first place, in order to avoid having Mitt Romney (a Republican) replace John Kerry (a Democrat) (Presumably with a Republican), should Kerry have won his Presidential bid that year. Now that a Democrat is in the gubenatorial spot, it's perfectly all right for him to just choose a candidate, rather than the people.

Also, how much of his cognitive abilities did he retain, and (if his judgement was impaired), why was he still allowed in office?

theweirdkind wrote:

"[D]ecent quality health care... a matter of right and not of privilege." Ted Kennedy, 1978

He would say that, because he wouldn't have to pay for said system, OR use it.
Talk is cheap, and politicians speaking is even cheaper.

gaijinguy wrote:

Drown one woman

Yeah, if he wants to satisfy the Republican voter base, he'd better kill a lot more people than that.

unskilled78 wrote:

This just in, Kennedy asked for the repeal of a 2004 law in his home state that disallows the govenor to select a replacement candidate, instead requiring a special election 5 months later.
How it proves he's a hypocrite: He sponsored the law in the first place, in order to avoid having Mitt Romney (a Republican) replace John Kerry (a Democrat) (Presumably with a Republican), should Kerry have won his Presidential bid that year. Now that a Democrat is in the gubenatorial spot, it's perfectly all right for him to just choose a candidate, rather than the people.

Also, how much of his cognitive abilities did he retain, and (if his judgement was impaired), why was he still allowed in office?

Er, I haven't fact-checked you on this, but assuming you are correct, with manipulations like that, he was quite clearly in perfect control of his faculties.

unskilled78 wrote:

theweirdkind wrote:

"[D]ecent quality health care... a matter of right and not of privilege." Ted Kennedy, 1978

He would say that, because he wouldn't have to pay for said system, OR use it.
Talk is cheap, and politicians speaking is even cheaper.

Oh that's right, I forgot that since it wouldn't benefit him, he really shouldn't care. How stupid of me to think that.

I'm not going to celebrate a man's death, but I must say I sincerely hope his successor is a far better person than Mr. Kennedy was.

Cactus Wren wrote:

And knowing you all as I do: countdown to hideously tasteless Mary Jo Kopechne joke in 5 ... 4 ... 3 ...

A few days before he died, I was flipping around on the TV when I saw some show on PBS (Don't remember the title) where Ted Kennedy was being interviewed by a ten year old. I yelled "Don't get in a car with him, kid!" Now, I feel just a little bad about it. Just a little.
I'm also remembering a photomanip Lord Evil did about Ted Kennedy contacting the Super Friends that I posted on the last board's YLYL. I'd repost it, but it seems a bit tasteless now.

gaijinguy wrote:

Penguin wrote:

They're already going on about how they hope she has a ringside seat to his eternal damnation in other forums.

I swear, some people are so small-minded about these things. Drown one woman, participate in a blatant cover-up, and use your family's money and connections to avoid the consequences, and they NEVER let you forget. You'd have thought he did something bad, like disagree with the One.

Burn in hell, you nepotistic, obese, drunken piece of shit.

O LOOKIT ME MY PENIS IS SO BIG FAP FAP FAP :viley:

As the Bard once wrote: "He was a man, take him for all in all, I shall not look upon his like again."

Yes, Kennedy the human being was horrifically flawed. He was a drunk, a rake, and a loudmouth. He was terribly negligent, and had he been anyone else would have done 20 years for manslaughter. He smeared the name of a woman who accused his nephew William Kennedy Smith of sexual assault when Smith was a medical student.

Balance that against his record fighting for the rights of others. Some say that all that he did for the disadvantaged and poor was atonement for his bad behavior.

He fought to enact COBRA - the law that allows people who lose their jobs to hold on to their health insurance. He was instrumental in passing CHIP, which provides health insurance to children of low-income families.

He introduced the Americans with Disabilities Act, which protected the disabled from discrimination in the workplace. He fought for what became the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which gives disabled children the same educational opportunities as everyone else.

He fought for the minimum wage. He fought for the Civil Rights Act and against the poll tax. He sponsored legislation to lower the voting age to 18, and championed the Voter Rights Act.

He was the consummate dealmaker - working with Democrats who loved him and Republicans who despised him. Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, whose first senatorial campaign was built around attacking everything Kennedy was, later worked with Kennedy on his first piece of legislation.

If you bring up the bad deeds, you must also bring up the good works.