Well, Ted Kennedy recently lost his battle with brain cancer. I want to take a moment to discuss Ted Kennedy's legacy. To me, his legacy will be one of expanding the role of the federal government and in the process diminishing the freedom of all Americans. He did do some important and greatly beneficial things as Senator. He was instrumental in deregulating the airline and trucking industry. Born in the 1990's, it is hard for me to imagine what a nightmare dealing with an extremely over-regulated airline industry would have been. With this deregulation, Kennedy helped improve the lives of millions. But the Liberal Lion of the Senate will be remembered for his big government programs and his advocacy. These programs have been ineffective at best or destructive and costly at worst.
As far as his replacement goes, I find it blatant hypocrisy on the late Senator's part to request legislation that would allow the governor to pick a replacement senator considering that the law was changed from this arrangement due to Kennedy's desire when Kerry was running for President and Romney was governor. Hopefully the law is not changed, so America is not stuck with another liberal lion in the Senate.
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"Blatant hypocrisy" or "shrewd political maneuvering?" Since the law can only be changed by passage of a bill in the General Court and signing by the Governor, wouldn't such a change merely reflect the will of the people? Besides, the appointment would only last until the seating of the winner of the special election held no more than 160 days after the date the vacancy occurred.
ReplyDeleteWhether the law is changed or not, don't assume the outcome. I don't think the voters of Massachusetts wanted to stick it to America with the Liberal Lion all these years just because he was liberal. He brought home the bacon for his constituencies big-time, the way every other elected official (of either party) tries to do. As Ted Kennedy's and Ronald Reagan's close personal friend (seriously!) Tip O'Neill said: "All politics is local."
Is Mass not different from the other states, in the sense that there is the highest percentage of people with Ph.D's? Presumably, many of these people hold Kennedy's big-picture liberalism, and have a desire to have Universal Coverage for everybody in the country, and not just for them. I mean, they have their universal coverage already, so in O'Neill's eyes this would not be an important in Mass, although I think reality would prove otherwise. Interesting post, and you know the Mass law very well. Keep up the good work Izzy!
ReplyDeletePhD's = big picture liberalism??? What would Alan Greenspan and Condi RIce have to say about that?
ReplyDeleteNot unanimously, but overwhelmingly. Fair trade is an educated, upper class fad. Look at the Ivy League's student's opinions on cap and trade and health care reform. They look nothing like the rest of the country's. New York magazine tends to have polls like these.
ReplyDeleteAssuming, arguendo, that "many of these people hold Kennedy's big-picture liberalism," why would you PRESUME that they "have a desire to have Universal Coverage for everybody in the country...." Are you saying that liberals are hegemonists by definition?
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