Right-wing radio hosts have tried to turn Sen. Ted Kennedy into a caricature. But columnist David Broder writes that Kennedy, who left the hospital today after being diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor, “has probably touched more people, in more cherished ways, than any other public figure. And his illness threatens to alter, for the worse, the prospects of every other politician — starting with Barack Obama and John McCain.”
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46 Comments
“has probably touched more people, in more cherished ways, than any other public figure.”
Uh-huh. Tell Mary Jo that, after he left her to die to save his own ass.
That said, I do not wish Sen. Kennedy any ill will, and wish him speedy recovery. What he did then was a long time ago, when he was young and stupid. We’ve all been young and stupid at one time or another; hell, I’m probably old and stupid on a regular basis.
And I do not doubt his influence and importance in the Senate, though whether it was for better or worse is debatable. So get well, Senator. Come back to the Senate so you can be wrong on nearly everything again.
The right wing will use the occasion to hammer Kennedy regarding Chappaquiddick, but Ted Kennedy is facing the fight of his life and it most likely is not going to turn out well. This is not the time to rehash nearly forty year old tragedies.
I pray for his recover, but also pray, if the end is near, that he be allowed to go in peace and dignity.
Edward M. Kennedy was a bit too liberal, even for me, I respected his work and the causes that he stood for. Should we lose him, we will also lose a link to history and a great champion of the people.
Some fail to realize (or choose to ignore) that even if Ted Kennedy had been stone cold sober with a cell phone in his hand, he could not have saved Mary Jo Kopeckne. (sic)
Massachusetts has Kennedy. One of the hardest working Senators in Washington.
Look what we have….. rubber stamps.
Jimmeh “the negotiator” Carter used Chappaquiddick against Teddy in their Presidential quest and was successful, obviously.
Ted has long since earned his redemption by being a champion of the underdog and common person.
Laura on the other hand, rehabilitated a drunk who went on to be the Worst President Ever!
On a few rare occasions, I’ve felt like punching Kennedy (No Child Left Behind, anyone?). But the rest of the time, he has been, in sometimes lonely isolation, one of the last remaining, consistent champion of the best values of the Democratic party.
And I agree with Phantom: Not reporting the accident was reprehensible, but how long can you hold your breath? Maybe he could have freed her in time, but I doubt it, and the endless speculation comes from people who weren’t there, and usually have a political ax to grind.
And he has quite a voice too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sdl86KNkt_M
I’m sure there are other politicians,l both Democrats and Republicans, with skeletons in their closet but yet these self-righteous Republicans will put out their old stand-by Mary Jo Keppeckne (sp?) every time to bash Ted Kennedy.
But I’m sure it was not easy for Ted to be the last survivor of the Kennedy brothers, after two of his brothers were so violently assassinated. How would any of us react to such an event?
The minute I heard the diagnosis of Kennedy’s problem, I could just imagine all the high-fives and jokes the right-wing radio hosts would have at Kennedy’s expense. How sad and pathetic our society has become.
lucee
“I could just imagine all the high-fives and jokes the right-wing radio hosts would have at Kennedy’s expense”
Can you point me to any examples of such?
I’ll wait.
Heckler,
Meeting the Wingnut challenge is like shooting fish in a barrell. Here’s radio Nazi Michael Savage,
“Summary: On the day it was announced that Sen. Ted Kennedy had been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, nationally syndicated radio host Michael Savage opened his show by interspersing audio of Kennedy singing “Ay Jalisco No Te Rajes” with clips of news reporters discussing Kennedy’s diagnosis and audio from Kindergarten Cop in which Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character says, “It’s not a tumor.” Later, Savage played the Dead Kennedys song “California Über Alles” after stating: “The poor guy’s been suffering for years, you know? Unfairly he’s been accused of alcoholism, but we see now that it was something much more deep-seated. And so, to cut this out in some respect for Ted Kennedy, here’s a tune coming at you from the Dead Kennedys. Go ahead and play it, please.”
http://mediamatters.org/items/200805210001
Real classy, Wingnuts. Did Michael Savage’s mother (THERE’S a scary thought) have any children who lived?
“…self-righteous Republicans will put out their old stand-by Mary Jo Keppeckne…”
Ah, yes. That old stand-by. She’s dead, right?
Must suck to be her, huh?
CF2K - I recall when the Democratic Senator from South Dakota looked like he might die there were those on the right chortling that the Republican governor would get to replace him with a Republic and tip the Senate back to them.
“…if Ted Kennedy had been stone cold sober with a cell phone in his hand, he could not have saved Mary Jo Kopeckne. (sic)”
But he wasn’t, was he? And he didn’t even try, did he?
You people do love to defend the indefensible.
Apparently, Savage also saw fit to ridicule Senator Robert Byrd’s tearful tribute to Senator Kennedy:
“Apparently, king of hate radio Michael Savage found the whole situation funny. On his radio show yesterday, after mocking Kennedy by playing a bizarre montage featuring Arnold Schwarzennegger from “Kindergarten Cop” and a song about liberal facism by the band the Dead Kennedys, Savage ripped into Byrd’s heartfelt tribute as well:
SAVAGE: And if you think that we have a bunch of senile old coots running Congress, what I’m about to play for you will confirm your worst fears. […]
I’m asking you, would a sane nation permit a senile senator to hold his seat? You gently send in orderlies in white coats, and they gently remove the old man, and they put him in a chair — strap him in — in the Senate retirement home, and wheel him over next to a curtain facing a nice outdoor window, and three times a day they feed it.”
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/05/21/savage-mocks-byrd/
Game, set, match: you need to set the bar higher when issuing such challenges, Heckler. Though for what it’s worth, Savage doesn’t have any company as yet among the usual Wingnut chorus.
fleettwood,
Every time you invoke Mary Jo Kopechne’s name as a political brickbat, you drown her all over again.
Did YOUR mother have any children who lived, fuckwood?
bth,
Indeed. Repukes do best at simulating real human responses when they keep their mouths firmly SHUT.
Thanks to Ted, she only drowned once.
I’m asking you, would a sane nation permit a senile senator to hold his seat? You gently send in orderlies in white coats, and they gently remove the old man, and they put him in a chair — strap him in — in the Senate retirement home, and wheel him over next to a curtain facing a nice outdoor window, and three times a day they feed it.”
I find that to be very high on the zing scale. I would rate it a perfect 10.
With his money I am sure he will hire the very best Proctologist in the world to take care of his brain tumor.
Rot in hell Kennedy!!
You can send well wishes to Ted Kennedy thru the Moveon site.
and to the rest of you, I hope you get a brain tumor.
You can send well wishes to Ted Kennedy thru the Moveon site.
We are just waiting for Ted to do just that.
Move on.
Oops! I forgot. Let’s keep him in our prayers.
Dear Scum-Sucking Repuke Hypocrites,
Given your tender concern for Mary Jo Kopechne, one would THINK you’d be similarly up in arms in demanding justice for Lori Klautsis. You know, the Congressional aide who was discovered dead, with a head injury, in the office of Rep. Joe Scarborough (R-FL), and whose cause of death the medical examiner kept changing?
“Lori Klausutis, an aide of Joe Scarborough, was found dead in Scarborough’s own office with a smashed skull (multiple fractures, front and back) at the very same time Levy went missing. Official reports of the death of Lori Klausutis, the 28-year-old aide to Joe Scarborough, have been contradictory and suspicious. Initial reports said there were no signs of trauma; the autopsy reported a “scratch and a bruise” where Lori’s head hit her desk, a fact which was initially concealed by the medical examiner because “The last thing we wanted was 40 questions about a head injury.” Then we learned the examiner, Michael Berkland, had his license revoked in Missouri in 1998, and suspended for six years in Florida in 1999. Now the Fort Walton Beach police are refusing to release reports about Lori’s death, citing an “open investigation.” Do the police believe Lori was murdered? The Northwest Florida Daily News wants to know, and so do we”
http://www.truthalliance.net/Archive/tabid/67/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/583/Default.aspx
That is, one would think so if you were actually, you known, human beings. But as your posts demonstrate, again and again, you aren’t.
Scum-sucking zombies–if the shoe fits, Wingnuts, wear it.
Dear fuckwood,
You’re really outdoing yourself in the “I’m a worthless piece of shit who has no class” department. As soulless Wingnut trolls go, you’re a virtuoso.
Thank you, cf2k. You are a class act.
Do you people go to all the Lib websites before you know what to think, or just some of them?
Wow, just wow.
fuckwood,
Forgive me–it’s just that the word “thinking” sounds so, well, ludicrous coming from you.
What’s interesting though, is to watch a knee-jerk reactionary like you–whose awareness of what to say goes no further than to reflexively gainsay whatever his opponents say–try to call out anyone else for not having their own thoughts. Given that you’re the ultimate parasite (if liberals like X, whatever ‘X’ is, you assert not-X), it’s just funny to see you pose as some maverick.
You really are the lowest of the low, fleetwood. And you have been ever since your “Hotlick” (ugh) days.
Did democratunderground tell you to say that?
I wonder if Drug-addled Rush has made his usual “assume room temperature” comments today.
Thanks for that on Scarborough CF. I didn’t know that.
Savage? Michael (his mother abused him) Savage?
You should have heard what he was saying about McCain BEFORE McCain got the nomination.
Ben did.
Michael Savage is a sick and dangerous man. IF his radio show has to be on at all, he should be doing it from an institution.
Ted Kennedy is more a man than ANY of the radio Marines. He has endured tragedy that would reduce all but the strongest of men to nothing.
Certain folks are revealing a great deal about their character or lack thereof in attacking him at this time.
Making fun of drug addicts (majority democrats) does not become you. Where is the compassion?
Too bad Ted didn’t attack that car door when he had the chance.
fleettwood,
Without somebody to ridicule, you’re nothing. Which is to say, you’re nothing.
How’s that feel, fleettwood?
“Where is the compassion?”
I’m being fully supportive of Rush (although I was unaware he was a Democrat). He says that drug addicts are dregs of humanity; I am simply attempting to follow his lead.
Another radio robogoon is Mark Levin.
I’ll have to give him a listen today and see what he says about Kennedy. He regularly call him the “Cape Cod Orca”. It’ll be interesting to see him plumb the depths of his ill mind.
HE’s a guy who was moved almost to suicide because his dog died.
BlueJay - you mean his “Juan McCain” comments in regards to immigration?
It hurts me deeply, cf2k.
Ted Kennedy the politician, has deserved most of the criticism and ridicule he has received over the years.
But this is kicking a man while he is down is uncalled for. Ted Kennedy, the man, is a human being facing death square in the eye. If there is a time for compassion, this would be it.
“(although I was unaware he was a Democrat).”
You and I both know that drug addicts are a majority democrat. Don’t eat your own.
I remember you commenting on the nut on the radio ben.
That was Savage you heard.
SOME of the con bloggers here surprise me.
No not in their lack of class. I expect that.
Taking advantage of human suffering and exploiting it is at the core of who they are.
What surprises me is the political ignorance.
Kennedy is known as a compromiser who could reach easily across the aisle.
Not always with good results but certainly with results the cons find better tasting.
This is I think why he endorsed Obama. Who also thinks cons can be worked with.
But Kennedy dealt with the cons when they were properly confined in a minority cage. That is the only time they can be worked with.
“Kennedy is known as a compromiser…”
Oh brother! You really believe that, I know it!
Regular
Posted May 21, 2008 at 1:05 pm | Permalink
Jimmeh “the negotiator” Carter used Chappaquiddick against Teddy in their Presidential quest and was successful, obviously.
============================================
In looking back, Ted would have made a better President. - Again the Democrats screwed up in the primary and nominated the wrong person. Ted would have taken care of Iran.
“You and I both know that drug addicts are a majority democrat. Don’t eat your own.”
NO. Care to prove that claim? I certainly don’t “know” that.
Well —- I’ve known a lot more lawyers, executives, business owners that loved their cocain with a scotch wash
I’d bet that most drug addixts don’t vote —- but a lot more alcoholics do & and to paraphrase you and I know most alcoholics are republicans as they are also likely to be child molesters, adulterers, frequent ladies of the evening …
Fleet you complete the deck of neocon losers on this blog —- you and JimmAC must be sooooooo close !!!!!!
“I’d bet that most drug addixts don’t vote —- but a lot more alcoholics do & and to paraphrase you and I know most alcoholics are republicans”
And, since alcohol is a drug it logically follows that most drug addicts are REPUBLICANS.
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[…] the prospects of every other politician ?? starting with Barack Obama and john McCain.??? By Philhttp://blogs.kansas.com/weblog/2008/05/no-other-senator-has-kennedys-influence/Sen. Kennedy exits hospital after cancer diagnosis Reuters via Yahoo! News Massachusetts Sen. Edward […]