Senator Ted “The Driver” Kennedy’s body had barely assumed room temperature before the Democrat feeding frenzy began – almost as if the proverbial circling vultures weren’t so proverbial but more literal. The Chappaquiddick bi-athlete had barely begun the long swim to the pearly gates for summary judgment when his fellow statists began calling for the passage of HR 3200 as a memorial to the crowned king of liberal Camelot. Being the scavenger birds of the political realm that they are, the vulture like liberal Democrats quickly began feasting on Kennedy’s corpse – politically, not literally.
Almost as soon as the EKG went flat line Pelosi was in front of the media calling for Health Reform as a way to memorialize the career senator from Massachusetts. Followed shortly by numerous other liberal democrats echoing Pelosi’s call.
Within hours the speculation began as to who would be replacing Kennedy in the senate. Or perhaps more importantly how soon could the all powerful 60th vote be retrieved. According to current Massachusetts state law – changed by Democrats in 2004 to prevent then Gov. Mitt Romney from appointing a Republican had John Kerry won the presidential election – there must be a special election held no sooner than 145 days from the date of vacancy. But 145 days is simply far too long for the statists to go without that filibuster proof Senate, especially with nationalized health care on the agenda. So the liberal statists are doing what they do best… rewriting the rules, yet again, to favor their own agenda.
Efforts to quickly fill Ted Kennedy’s senate seat rather than go through a lengthy special election process are picking up steam. On Wednesday, Gov. Deval Patrick endorsed Kennedy’s personal request that the Massachusetts legislature change state laws to allow the governor to temporarily appoint a senator. “I’d like the legislature to take up the bill quickly and get it to my desk and I will sign it,” Patrick told the Boston Globe. He added that Sen. Harry Reid called Patrick Wednesday to express concern over “the promptness with which we fill this vacancy,” given that health-care legislation and other bills might require every possible Democratic vote to overcome Republican filibusters. Republican state lawmakers are protesting the move to change the law, however, which was already changed in 2004 in an effort to prevent then-Governor Mitt Romney from appointing a Republican to succeed Senator John Kerry if he won the presidency.
There really shouldn’t be any surprise here. After all, Kennedy himself called for Gov. Patrick to change the election law mere days before his death. He knew full well that he could not escape the icy clutches of his scythe wielding escort… and with out his filibuster proof voting power quite possibly neither could HR 3200. Having not had an open Senate seat for 25 years, there are plenty of ambitious and anxious successors in waiting. It should come as no surprise that the mainstream media has already created its own sort of short list of possibilities… nor should it shock anyone at how quickly the Democrat vultures that have been circling Kennedy for years have descended to pluck at his legacy (and seat) like a rotting corpse.
Any race to succeed Kennedy would be crowded and fiercely fought.
Despite speculation that Kennedy’s wife, Vicki, could assume his Senate seat, family aides have said she is not interested in replacing her husband either temporarily or permanently. One of Kennedy’s nephews, former Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II, has also been described as interested.
Other potential Democratic candidates include state Attorney General Martha Coakley, U.S. Reps. Stephen Lynch, Michael Capuano, Edward Markey, James McGovern and William Delahunt, and former Rep. Martin Meehan, now chancellor of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.
They waste no time, those liberals. While I am certain that there are a significant number that are truly saddened by the death of Ted Kennedy, none seem to be holding back on the political opportunism. The statists currently in office beating his name to the health care war drums, the vultures in Massachusetts hungry for his long held Senate seat, the state governor taking the opportunity to reclaim appointment powers, and the throngs of media reporters starving for a new celebrity to sychophanitishly molest post-mortem… since the Michael Jackson fever has finally died down. They will continue to praise him, idolize and gold plate his deeds… all of his sins and follies washed clean. They will call for memorials and nationalized health care in his name. The liberals will use his name to fund pet projects in their districts.. “The Ted Kennedy Center for Wasted Pork Money Building.” No, they waste no time at all. Why should they? Teddy wasted no time breaking the water and land speed records that fateful night in the Chappaquiddick.