It's a Done Deal On Who Will Be Appointed to Kennedy's Seat

In case the people reading this haven't heard the talk going about around the blogosphere and a few news organizations, the ideal candidate to temporarily fill in Senator Kennedy's seat is an old, seasoned, former politician who will assuredly decline to run in the scheduled special election. Well, you guys may have differing opinions, but I believe I have found the absolute perfect candidate to fit that bill:

Michael Dukakis

I mean, come on, the man is obviously itching to return to politics and has been absolutely hungry for a national voice since he ran for the Presidency in 1988. He hasn't been involved in politics since 1991 and, since Ted's wife has pretty much declined to be appointed, this is the chance for Governor Deval Patrick to give Dukakis the national voice he never obtained. He's going to be 76 later this year and I and all the political pundits out there know he wants to have one final shot to prove to the American people what they were missing out on more than 20 years ago. I know Governor Patrick has a signed paper with Dukakis' name on it in his desk somewhere, and the second he signs the legislature's re-instatement of gubernatorial appointment, he is just itching to sign it.

I'm sure Senator Michael Dukakis will serve the state of Massachusetts very well, even though he will only be there for a few months. It's the gift to a great man who never got that kind of voice. Go get 'em, Mike!

Who should fill Teddy's shoes?

Well, as many of this blog's readers realize, politics never slows down, even for the death of a lion. So, nevertheless, the prognostications about who should face the daunting task of replacing Edward Kennedy in his Senate seat have already begun. Here are only a few of the, for me, most likely candidates to fill the position:

Joseph Patrick Kennedy II: One of the many children of Robert F. Kennedy. Was a Representative from Massachusetts' 8th Congressional District from 1987 to 1999. He has expressed considerable interest in filling his uncle's seat, and I think, will be the ultimate replacement and could possibly live up to his uncle's name.

Caroline Kennedy: Despite all of the analysis by pundits that she was soured on politics after failing in her bid to replace Hillary Clinton in her Senate seat in New York, I believe Caroline Kennedy will be a very strong contender for Ted's seat. I think she's hungry after not getting that seat and, since she owns a home in Massacusetts, she will name herself as seeking it. It would be very interesting to see her in battle with her cousin Joe for the seat.

Kathleen Kennedy Townsend(?): I think Kathleen could possibly be a dark-horse candidate for this seat. She was the Lieutenant Governor of Maryland from 1995 to 2003, and just barely lost the 2002 gubernatorial race to Bob Ehrlich (R). I don't know whether or not she holds a residence in Massachusetts, but if so, she could be a very strong contender for the seat and has more experience in statewide elected office than any of the major potential candidates on this list.

Mike Capuano: Has held Joe Kennedy's seat in the House of Representatives in Massachusetts since 1999. He is very involved in Massachusetts politics, but I don't believe anybody that is not part of the Kennedy Family will be named/elected to Ted's seat.

Barney Frank: Even though myself and millions of LGBT activists around the country would love the idea of the first openly gay Senator in American history, I don't think, as I mentioned with Mike Capuano, that anybody other than a Kennedy will be named for this seat. Even though I don't believe Frank will want to leave what is perhaps the safest Democratic seat in the entire Congress, he may just be gutsy enough to name himself as a possible contender.

Remembering Ted Kennedy (1932-2009)

What can be said about the great liberal lion of the United States Senate? How will people remember him? Some, such as I, will remember Ted Kennedy as a champion of the common man, a man who fought for the betterment of the United States and all humankind, a man who challenged the status quo so that people less fortunate than himself could rise up and achieve great things, a man who time and time again uncovered the elusive magnetic attraction between polar opposites, a man who did not waiver in his ideals, even when faced with seemingly unimaginable opposition, a man who, whenever the situation called for, took a stand and fought for what he believed was right for America, whether it be boldly opposing the nomination of Robert Bork to the United States Supreme Court in 1987, or taking a stand in 1978 in favor of quality universal health care for all Americans. Some will remember him as a man who never let his ideals get in the way of attempting to find common ground, as Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) will constantly tell you.

But what I think many more people will remember Edward Moore Kennedy for was his passion. The man had undeniable passion for everything he did and had in his life, whether it was his family, his stint in the Senate, sailing in Cape Cod, whatever it was, if he loved doing it, he had a passion for it, and that passion meant you could never take it away from him. He was never malicious, even though his angry, vibrant speeches on the Senate floor would suggest otherwise. He held no grudges, and, due in part to that, he was not your typical everyday politician.

Edward M. Kennedy was a man who genuinely cared about helping people. He wanted to make a positive difference in people's lives, not just get re-elected. He wanted peace in our time, which is why he played a major role in brokering peace in Northern Ireland and opposing the egregious War in Iraq.

But, nonetheless, there are always detractors. If you could manage to muster up the willpower to listen to Fox News today, you know what I mean. The detractors will complain about how partisan he was, and they refuse to acknowledge the innumerable compromises achieved in his name and the tousands upon thousands of pieces of major legislation that had his fingerprints spread throughout its pages.

I learned of Senator Kennedy's death at approximately 8:00 this morning. Even though I am only 17 years of age, I understood the significance of what my father told me when I woke up. I knew that the United States of America had lost one of its history's greatest citizens and public servants and I knew progressivism had lost the fiercest proponent it had ever known. And even though my short life only spanned a fraction of his entire Senate career, and that I never knew the man, which I regret, I knew that I, and millions of other Americans, had lost an advocate, and a friend.

Edward Moore Kennedy's life has touched millions throughout America and around the globe. The last of the Kennedy Brothers, he accomplished enough in his long, distinguished career in public service for all four of them combined. His flame is truly eternal. To quote the man, "The work begins anew, the hope rises again, and the dream lives on."

As a Progressive, I was proud to have this man as my patriarch, and I hope with all my heart that I will be able to fulfill The Dream.

Thank you, Senator Kennedy.