Ted Kennedy

Recently, Ted Kennedy was diagnosed with cancer. He has a tumor in his brain. He has undergone surgery and will follow up with Chemotherapy, but will likely be facing death in less than a year. Tragedy has become commonplace for the Kennedy family. For all of their affluence and power, they have not been able to stem the tide of catastrophic events. I cannot imagine weathering all of the sudden and horrible circumstances that they have had to publicly face. Senator Kennedy has never been able to hide behind closed doors as he has had to deal with many hardships of a personal nature. His life and his personal demons have all played out in he public eye, up to and including his imminent death.

In light of this latest blow to Ted and his family, many public officials have extolled Senator Kennedy's virtues. This one by Robert Byrd has certainly been the most replayed. This is certainly a loving heartfelt tribute, but it comes from a racist and a former Klansman. Politics does make strange bedfellows.


While I am not trying to make light of this terrible news, I do have some things to say, both good and bad about Ted Kennedy. In many ways, Ted Kennedy has had an illustrious career. He is the second most senior member of the Senate, outranked only by Robert Byrd. He has continually held his Senate seat for the greater part of 46 years. He is revered in his home state of Massachusetts. He has become a liberal icon and has worked hard as a legislator, especially in the areas of education, healthcare, and raising the minimum wage.

His hard work and accomplishments aside, he also has a notorious past. His first stint in Harvard ended in expulsion after he was caught cheating on an exam. He was readmitted two years later and graduated in 1956. He originally secured his Senate seat (vacated by his brother John), after John called in favors to hold the seat open until Ted turned 30 and became eligible to run. His personal life and political career have been haunted by the Chappaquiddick incident, which occurred in 1969. This incident was where Kennedy drove a car off of a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, the accident resulted in the death of Mary Jo Kopechne, who was the only passenger in the car. Kennedy left the scene of the accident and did not report it for nine hours, he turned himself in the next morning, after the police had already found the body and connected him to the car. The following is a link to his explanation of the events and his behavior. (embedding is not available)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0hdhLG0g6A

It is the typical, "I cannot remember" defense, but he does have the audacity to wonder if "some kind of curse, hangs over all the Kennedys." While we have all wondered at times if such a curse exists, I find it reprehensible to shirk the blame for the consequences your own irresponsible actions by specualting on some kind of curse. Especially, by linking or comparing your own poor judgement to the untimely and tragic deaths of your three brothers. This was certainly a low point of Ted's life and it likely cost him any hope of ever being President. Worse, it cost a young woman her life.

In a more admirable vein, Ted took it upon himself to be there for his brothers' children, after they lost their fathers. He also experienced great trials and hardships from the loses in his life. All three of his brothers were killed in their prime. He also suffered the loss of his nephew John, whom he had been a surrogate father to. He has delivered the eulogies of his brother Robert, his mother and his sister-in-law Jackie.

Eulogy for Bobby


Eulogy for Rose

He faced public grief with dignity and honor. He took up the torch and continued fighting for the causes that his brothers held in importance. He remained a loving brother, son, and father.

Though I am not a particular fan of Ted Kennedy, he has had the courage to go on in the face of great tragedy, he has championed the causes that were important to him, and he has shown us a very human side of the very public figure that he is.