Kennedy Calls on Left to Keep Faith

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-kennedy13jan13.story
THE NATION
Kennedy Calls on Left to Keep Faith
By Maura Reynolds
Times Staff Writer

January 13, 2005

WASHINGTON — Liberal patriarch Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts added his voice Wednesday to the postmortem among Democrats about November's election, urging his party not to shrink from a debate with Republicans over values.

Kennedy also differed with those calling for Democrats to become more conservative. Instead, in a speech at a National Press Club luncheon, the senator insisted that "Democrats may be in the minority in Congress, but we speak for the majority of Americans."

"Despite resistance, setbacks and periods of backlash over the years, our values have moved us closer to the ideal with which America began — that all people are created equal," Kennedy said. "And when Democrats say 'all,' we mean 'all.' "

The party should not alter its basic positions because, he said, Democratic ideals "unite us as Americans instead of dividing us."

"We cannot Republican clones. If we do, we will lose again, and deserve to lose," Kennedy said. "As I have said on other occasions, the last thing our country needs is two Republican parties."<snip>

he's devoted his whole career to serving this country. Certainly the money is meaningless. He is the poster child of rightist ridicule.

Is there any suggestion that he's ever been bought off in any way? Shouldn't we really be praising people like Ted even if we disagree with his political persuasion?

Seems to me he represents yet another ugly symptom of the times.