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One of America's greatest Senators and one of the true liberals died this morning. An era has passed. He will be sorely missed. He said it best in his own words of 1980.
"For me, a few hours ago, this campaign came to an end. For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
But for the record, I don't believe we have had any "TRUE" liberals in our government since Paul Wellstone died or Cynthia McKinney went to the Green Party. I like Feingold's spirit, and I'm a Kucinich fan til the end. But these days, IMHO, if you ride the coat tails of the Democratic Party, you tend to be an apologist, not a liberal. Ted rode his own coat tails for quite some time....
I disagree with your opinion of Kennedy but agree that I can think of no true liberals left in Congress as of this morning. Though there may be one or two living in obscurity somewhere in the House.
Well, I suppose when one looks at all that he suffered in his life, what he was up against, and what HE DID accomplish nonetheless, it would be right to speak blessings about him, especially so close to his passing.
I have to be careful not to let passion for the ideal corrupt respect and propers for progress regardless of the rate. Especially when there are so many poised to spit poison about him.
Whitewashing the downside of the legacy a person leaves behind amounts to propaganda in my book. Some say respect the dead. I say respect the living by speaking the truth about those who came before us. The whole truth and not just half of it.
Anyone who knows Ted Kennedy's life knows exactly what I'm talking about. A lot of good, a lot of bad, and a whole lot the man inherited but never truly owned. I'll leave it at that.
Ahhh, the pitfalls and subsequent loopholes of being born into a fortune of money and power. Know so many from my old high school who just couldn't handle it and are dead. Know some as well, in jail for killing friends while trying to get everyone home safe. Don't know ANY of them who aren't completely remorseful and devastated who also wouldn't take a break if they could get it.
Pit the shortcomings of his life against what he endured(start with the political assassination of two brothers) and gave and he still deserves merit on his day/week/month of passing. No one is whitewashing that I've seen....
46 years of service to this country, like his politics or not.... and I'm pretty sure he was never indicted or convicted of war profiteering or promoting torture...
Last Edit: Aug 26, 2009 15:38:45 GMT -5 by red - Back to Top
Kennedy hand a hand in almost every liberal piece of legislation in the last 40 years (authoring/co-authoring over 2500 bills) To list only a few:
Civil Rights Act (1965, 1972, 1991) Votings Rights Act (1965, 1982) Hate Crimes Prevention Act (2007) Ryan White CARE ACT (funding for AID care and research) Americans w/ Disabilities Act National Military Child Care Act State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Protection and Advocacy for Mentally Ill Individuals Act of 1986, Family Opportunity Act ( Medicaid coverage to children with special needs) Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 NIH Revitalization Act (inclusion of women and minorities in federally funded clinical research) Law to Allow women in Combat Title IX ERA Right to Vote at 18 Minimum Pay Increases too many times to count
And some lesser known laws
Major Supporter for low-income energy assistance programs, Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990, Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act of 1994, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act of 1997, Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act of 2005, FDA Amendments Act of 2007,
And he
Voted NO on Iraq War Voted NO on Patriot Act Voted NO to funding the "Surge" Opposed the War in Vietnam Opposed Bush's Tax Cuts Opposed Reagan tax cuts
You can argue some of his stances but they were always consistently liberal. (and yes I know he was sometimes too pragmatic for many liberal in settling for what he thought was the best he could get.)
Yes, he had his flaws (as do we all) but he is probably the most productive and influential Senator in US history. And definitely a liberal.
You can call it whitewashing and dwell on the negative but I believe the good far outweighed the bad. Just MHO
