The Rude Pundit: A Message on Ted Kennedy to Conservatives Who Hated Him

(Mostly Profanity-Free for the Kiddies)

Let's just get this right:

Do you like your state and not the federal government controlling the curriculum of your kids' schools? Thank Ted Kennedy.

Do you like being able to vote starting at age 18? Thank Ted Kennedy.

Do you think low-income people should get help with heating their homes in the winter? Thank the man.

Do you think the federal government should fund cancer research? Yep.

Do you believe that Meals on Wheels is a good thing? Ditto.

Does your daughter (or you, if you're female) like playing soccer or basketball or softball at school? That'd be because of Ted Kennedy.

Do you think that disabled people should be able to go to school? Have access to buildings? Not be discriminated against for housing and loads of other things? Kennedy, big time.

You like your cheap airfares? You know the answer.

You think people on welfare oughta get jobs? So did Kennedy.

You think mental institutions should treat people humanely? Yeah, so did your new friend, Ted Kennedy.

You believe that the Defense Department should provide child care for the kids of soldiers? Kennedy did.

You think a woman shouldn't lose her job if she gets pregnant? You think 100,000 more cops on the street's a good idea? You think poor kids should have health care? You think soldiers in Iraq should have the proper armor? Just tick those things off the list. Some of them would have been accomplished without him; many would not have been.

You agreed with Ted Kennedy far, far more than you want to think you did, dear conservatives. Still, go ahead and dance your mad jigs on his still-warm corpse. Why not? We on the left certainly did when Jerry Falwell, Strom Thurmond, and Jesse Helms kicked. Hell, one asshole blogger even celebrated the death of Ann Coulter's father. But know that you dance in ignorance. Ask Orrin Hatch.

But, of course, you want to address the far more pressing issue of whether or not Ted Kennedy killed Mary Jo Kopechne back at Chappaquiddick all those decades ago, no matter what the investigations said. There's only a couple of things to say about that: The glib response is, "Yeah, and Thomas Jefferson nailed his slaves. What's your point?" More directly, Kennedy asked the people of Massachusetts if they wanted him to quit. They did not. The rest of the nation may have not wanted him as president, but for Massachusetts, Chappaquiddick quickly became a settled issue and distant history. That's all that mattered to keep him in the Senate, just like Louisiana will have to judge whether or not a prostitute-lovin' David Vitter should go back. That's democracy, gang, like it or not.

And Ted Kennedy did more for real, actual democracy than almost anyone else in our entire history as a nation.

More on that tomorrow in a real tribute.

(By the way, perhaps we now know why Barack Obama was trying to get health care reform done quickly.)

http://rudepundit.blogspot.com/

Would love to know who unrec'd this, and why.

One of the undiscovered trolls most likely.

I know you qualified it with "at least," but still...

are out in force today. Hopefully someone in Administrator/Moderator land is keeping a very good tally of who is un-recommending these Kennedy tribute threads.

Really, this is a great list. Thanks for posting it.

another thread said Rush was sending his minions over here today

And to quote that great conservative scholar, "keep your government out of my Medicare."

The Rudeboy is always spot on. To the point and quite right.
GAC

I'm putting this in my clipboard for when I start getting nasty emails from my RW relatives.

beat them to the punch!

:dem:

-Laelth

it's over the fence.

I love the rude one.

I'm sure Ted wouldn't mind him.

Look forward to tomorrow's tribute, though today's was mighty darned awesome. Sorry there are so many small-minded, mean-spirited, soulless RW idiots who will trash this great man's legacy. Curses on them all!

Do you like being able to vote starting at age 18?

Given how popular Obama and the Democrats are among 18-20 year olds, they may say no

Do you think low-income people should get help with heating their homes in the winter?

I suspect they would say no

Do you think the federal government should fund cancer research?

Ditto

Do you believe that Meals on Wheels is a good thing?

Ditto

Does your daughter (or you, if you're female) like playing soccer or basketball or softball at school? That'd be because of Ted Kennedy.

They don't think girls should play sports. They think girls should just play with dolls and be cheerleaders for the boys

Do you think that disabled people should be able to go to school? Have access to buildings? Not be discriminated against for housing and loads of other things?

I suspect they would say no

You like your cheap airfares? You know the answer.

They would love to go back to the days when air travel was only for the rich

You think mental institutions should treat people humanely?

Their hero, Ronnie Reagan threw all the mentally ill out on the street

You think a woman shouldn't lose her job if she gets pregnant?

They would prefer women be at home barefoot and pregnant

be swayed or impressed, anyway, but not the "freedom brigade".

Thanks for posting this. I'm spreading it around today

don't give two shits whether girls play sports (they should be home baking), if the poor have Meals on Wheels (why, that's just welfare - why aren't they in work houses or jails?!) or if a woman is fired because she's pregnant (she should be home baking).

They also don't want the federal government to spend any money except on the military (industrial complex) and they sure as hell don't care if poor peoples' homes are warm.

Think of the mindset you're dealing with: ignorant and uncaring "I got mine" types, all.

who said no one helped him when he was on food stamps and welfare.

:banghead:

The fact that so many voted for Obama seems to indicate that they're not all as extreme as the ones that make the most noise these days.

They got theirs and that's all that matters.

May I share?

nt.

Super post.

It's brutal and dead-on. RP is a rockstar....

Wow.

In all my years, I'd never heard anything about Ted Kennedy addressing his constituents, or trying to explain the circumstances. That link was truly enlightening.

I'd love to see even one Republican throw himself on the mercy of his constituents so willingly. Some might suggest that Governor Sanford has, sort of, but personally, I think the far more comparable incident would be a certain VP's hunting accident of a few years back.

Couldn't you just imagine Cheney in Ted's shoes that night? More like the next several days, more likely. Not only would he have waited that long to tell the police, he'd probably have the Kopechnes apologizing for the distress their daughter's drowning caused him!

Bleh!

That is the whole premise behind their hate.

I have a couple of RW friends who desperately need to read it. I hope they do.

Maybe not, but the govt. can legislate compassionate action.

I don't know what happened at Chappaquiddick, but I'm pretty sure Ted didn't murder anyone. At worst it was negligence. Anyway, a public office is not a reward for good behavior. When I lived back East, I voted for Kennedy because of what he was doing for me and the rest of the country. It had nothing to do with his personal life.

to help this stay up so more republican skulkers can read it.

Hell Yeah, totally!

I am not convinced republicans like any of those things.