RIP Edward Kennedy

[Neil]

The Chappaquiddick incident certainly wasn't his brightest moment, but don't you think it is a bit harsh to judge the man and his legacy based on an isolated act 40 years ago, especially if you take into account the amount of good he has done politically?

If it had been some gayboy, you'd be saying 'Ted Kennedy entered hell on 08/26/2009', so don't you ever try and act reasonable.

[Martinus]

The Chappaquiddick incident certainly wasn't his brightest moment, but don't you think it is a bit harsh to judge the man and his legacy based on an isolated act 40 years ago, especially if you take into account the amount of good he has done politically?

If it had been some gayboy, you'd be saying 'Ted Kennedy entered hell on 08/26/2009', so don't you ever try and act reasonable.

[Caliga]

Why? Grandstanding about the life of some worthless white chick is so much more fun.

Do you know anything at all about her life?  She wasn't some "worthless white chick".  She was a teacher, a civil rights activist, and a budding political consultant who had worked her ass off on RFK's presidential campaign.

[Caliga]

The Chappaquiddick incident certainly wasn't his brightest moment, but don't you think it is a bit harsh to judge the man and his legacy based on an isolated act 40 years ago, especially if you take into account the amount of good he has done politically?

The problem is that there's hardly universal agreement that legislation sponsored by Kennedy has done a great deal of good.

[Jaron]

Ahem.

Caliga.

You know theres only one type of legislation that brings Martinus to a politicians defense.

Only one.

[Caliga]

Oh, right.

[Ed Anger]

The Chappaquiddick incident certainly wasn't his brightest moment, but don't you think it is a bit harsh to judge the man and his legacy based on an isolated act 40 years ago, especially if you take into account the amount of good he has done politically?

If it had been some gayboy, you'd be saying 'Ted Kennedy entered hell on 08/26/2009', so don't you ever try and act reasonable.

Hilarious.

[KRonn]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/08/26/littlest.refusenik.kennedy/  He saved this chick apparently.

Kennedy did a lot of things like this, took an active and personal interest to help out someone or a family. There will be a lot of stories like this. I guess many Senators and Representatives will have similar stories, but I think Kennedy may be high on the list.

As for his legislation. He was involved in everything, a huge legacy of issues that he's been into. His impact will be more than his brothers, though JFK is certainly the popular one. I didn't agree much with his left wing politics and big government views, but he's also certainly passed legislation that I can agree with as well.

I'm not even a supporter of Kennedy, but give him credit for what he's done.

He's received huge condemnation for Chappaquiddick, and rightly so; and he never really has been able to get out from under that deed. That incident has followed him everywhere. The Kopechne family paid the biggest price though, and I'm sure they never got over it.

[Sheilbh]

While certainly true, that isn't saying a whole lot.

That's just not true.  From the Telegraph obit, he was one of the first to push for consumer protection legislation, he was also very important in the abolition of the poll tax, the lowering of the voting age to 18 and the deregulation of airlines.  He also apparently was one of the figures who were prominent in updating the Voting Rights Act in 1981.  Those are the things I agree with him on.  I believe he also wrote legislation limiting judges' discretion on sentencing, establishing mandatory sentences and restricting parole.

As issues he's pushed for healthcare, education and immigration reform and for more stem-cell research.  He may not have got any seismic changes with those issues but that's because he's in the Senate, they don't do seismic change.  And then there's his foreign policy views which have generally been about pressuring administrations.

I don't think you can call his career relatively inconsequential.  As I say there's barely an area of America's political life that he hasn't shaped or touched with the laws he's written, sponsored and aggressively supported.  What's more he was an excellent deal-maker so his often liberal bills would be negotiated on and often get some Republicans supporting them.

As I say a degree of that's to do with longevity.  He helped abolish the draft and to fund stem-cell research.  But I also think it's to do with the fact that he believed in what he was doing, took the work seriously and worked hard on it.

[Fate]

Why? Grandstanding about the life of some worthless white chick is so much more fun.

Do you know anything at all about her life?  She wasn't some "worthless white chick".  She was a teacher, a civil rights activist, and a budding political consultant who had worked her ass off on RFK's presidential campaign.

What kind of person gets in a car with a serial drunk and womanizer? Obviously she's little more than Pennsylvanian white trash.

[Caliga]

What kind of person gets in a car with a serial drunk and womanizer? Obviously she's little more than Pennsylvanian white trash.

Ass.

[Berkut]

He was a despicable human being and a coward, and I will remember him as such.

Damn, Berkut, I don't have anything good to say about the guy, except maybe that he showed a bit of dignity during his battle with cancer, but it just ain't right to shit on him in a memorial thread like that.

Berkut hates commie pinko libruls.

No, but I do hate human beings who show an utterly callous disregard for the lives of others who THEY have placed into mortal danger.

His actions during that accident and afterward can never be over looked. The man is a coward and grossly immoral. I would no more show him any respect than I would Charles Manson.

And to be clear, this is not because he was responsible for an accident that killed someone - that CAN be forgiven.

[Fate]

He was a despicable human being and a coward, and I will remember him as such.

Damn, Berkut, I don't have anything good to say about the guy, except maybe that he showed a bit of dignity during his battle with cancer, but it just ain't right to shit on him in a memorial thread like that.

Berkut hates commie pinko libruls.

No, but I do hate human beings who show an utterly callous disregard for the lives of others who THEY have placed into mortal danger.

His actions during that accident and afterward can never be over looked. The man is a coward and grossly immoral. I would no more show him any respect than I would Charles Manson.

And to be clear, this is not because he was responsible for an accident that killed someone - that CAN be forgiven.

And to think, you voted for a man that will give Charles Manson a eulogy? I wouldn't sit in the same room as you. You disgust me.

[Berkut]

While certainly true, that isn't saying a whole lot.

That's just not true.  From the Telegraph obit, he was one of the first to push for consumer protection legislation, he was also very important in the abolition of the poll tax, the lowering of the voting age to 18 and the deregulation of airlines.  He also apparently was one of the figures who were prominent in updating the Voting Rights Act in 1981.  Those are the things I agree with him on.  I believe he also wrote legislation limiting judges' discretion on sentencing, establishing mandatory sentences and restricting parole.

As issues he's pushed for healthcare, education and immigration reform and for more stem-cell research.  He may not have got any seismic changes with those issues but that's because he's in the Senate, they don't do seismic change.  And then there's his foreign policy views which have generally been about pressuring administrations.

I don't think you can call his career relatively inconsequential.  As I say there's barely an area of America's political life that he hasn't shaped or touched with the laws he's written, sponsored and aggressively supported.  What's more he was an excellent deal-maker so his often liberal bills would be negotiated on and often get some Republicans supporting them.

As I say a degree of that's to do with longevity.  He helped abolish the draft and to fund stem-cell research.  But I also think it's to do with the fact that he believed in what he was doing, took the work seriously and worked hard on it.

None of that means jack in light of the fact that his moral character was revealed early on to be grossly broken. He killed some girl because he cared more about himself and his political career than he did her life.

I don't care if he turned into fucking Mother Theresa afterward. He should ahve spent the next 20 years in prison.

[Fate]

Ah, Berkut's GOP stripes start to show. One dumb white bitch is of greater importance than the negro's right to vote. 

Hopefully Palin steps into the ring soon with another brilliant Twitter.