Conservatives warn against 'Wellstone effect' for Kennedy

'Wellstone effect' for Kennedy?

AFP – Ben Smith – Thu Aug 27, 5:32 pm ET


Key conservative voices have begun to charge in the day after Sen. Ted Kennedy’s death that Democrats are inappropriately politicizing the senator’s death, his memorial and his legacy.
Kennedy was that ultimate political creature, a “lion of the Senate,” and the last son of the archetypal American political family — his passing is inevitably political. In his final days, he focused on a narrow political goal, pleading with state leaders to change state law to posthumously fill his Senate seat with an interim appointee who would be a vote in favor of the health care legislation he championed.

So his allies on the left have made no secret of their hopes that his legacy will serve to bolster the uncertain health reform plan, with Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) even suggesting the bill be named for Kennedy.

And that has some influential conservative voices sounding the alarm and calling foul.
While most prominent Republicans stuck Wednesday and Thursday to sober condolences — and several Republican operatives said it was too early to accuse Democrats of politicizing a sad moment — the conservative media, as well as some operatives, has seized on the whiff of politicization of his passing, recalling the bitter charges and countercharges that followed Sen. Paul Wellstone’s (D-Minn.) memorial service in 2002.

That service, a sometimes boisterous rally that included calls to carry on Wellstone’s political legacy and some catcalls for Republican speakers, turned the memorial into a central campaign issue, and many observers think the still-disputed event helped elect a Republican to fill his seat.
"Placing name on a health-care bill, in memoriam, or using his name as a sympathy ploy to advance a health care bill that would deny Americans the choices Sen. Kennedy had is an insult and is supreme hypocrisy,” the talk show host Rush Limbaugh said Wednesday. 'The senator's passing is going to give them the opportunity to use the sympathy play to get as much done in his name as possible."
"No government was a partner with God in Ted Kennedy's death. To put his name on this current health-care bill would be to insult what he stood for,” Limbaugh said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/26514



REPUBLICANS POLLUTING THE WELL EARLY AND OFTEN ....

MEANWHILE, WHY SHOULDN'T KENNEDY'S DEATH BE A RALLYING CRY FOR MEDICARE FOR ALL - ?????

Than to have his death serve this worthy purpose! He spent his life helping people, there's no reason to think he would want anything less in death. In this case, I'm sure he is willing to NOT rest in peace.

in the political process it is called "citizenship". When we engage it is called "dirty".
They are the very definition of hypocrite. :shrug:

Well, then, I would think you would be ALL FOR IT, Rushie.

That's the gambit we need to use. "Yeah, so?"

I don't give a shit what Rush the Oxy Freak says or any other Republican. We'll honor Kennedy in our own way and if that means using his memory to pass the healthcare bill then so be it.

They should consider themselves lucky that they got to share the world with the likes of Paul Wellstone and Ted Kennedy for even one minute.

x(

and EMK died well over a year before midterms. Go all out Dems, I say.

:sarcasm:

Fucking bastards.

Saturday's theme should be 'Liberal and Proud' - Medicare for all.

When you boil it all down to simple terms - Ted Kennedy was a US Senator. And US Senators normally do not get this type of fanfare that is being done for Kennedy. I mean Craig Thomas passed away and it was hardly noticed and I can assure you that flags were not lowered to half-mast here in Delaware or the other 48 states that were not represented by Thomas. In fact I can't think of one Republican senator that would get kind of fanfare for their funeral

There are no GIANTS when it comes to modern Republican Politicians. And I think it is because what they believe, or claim to believe is so against what most sane persons believe, that the only mark they make will be a negative one. They don't seem to care about being remembered in death as much as they lust to be powerful and feared in life. They are really sick bastards with a sick ideaology and that is why none of them will be remembered in the way Ted Kennedy is being remembered by us.

...willing to piss on any ceremony, any memory, any ritual or tender emotion for crass, partisan political gain...

In fact, that is "the news". The fact that the Republicans are a nasty snot group of individuals that make threats, want to control even the funeral and to degrade Teddie before he is even buried. I have lost all what very little that remained of any possible respect for the Republicans. It is totally gone and will never ever come back ever. And I barely had any as was.

plus i'm surprised Faux hasn't had the Kopechne family on for an interview...sick bastards.

I don't think Ted Kennedy's memorial is going to be a cheerleading session for health care."

“It was the Republicans that tried to cheapen Paul Wellstone's life by dishonoring his death. It was the right-wing media, not the friends and family who spoke at the memorial or the people who came to it, that seized an opportunity to use a tragedy for political gain.”

This is all an effort to slow down and intimidate any attempt to create a movement around
Ted Kennedy's life/death for Medicare For All -- !!!

Hatch was Teddy's best friend in the Senate - Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Wingnuts are beyond delusional.

But in my mind it's far worse that assholes like "Ben Smith" write articles like this which implies that their infantile whining constitutes a legitimate position.

The overheated oinkings of rush limbaugh should not be presented as carrying equal weight with statements praising Kennedy's service and wanting to memorialize his favorite causes with a lasting minument.

Having said that, I would settle for renaming the "Reagan National Airport" the "Senator Edward M. Kennedy National Airport" in lieu of naming the health care bill after the senator.

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We're supposed to do as the Republicans do - DEIFY HIM.

I hope it is a damn rallying of the troops the likes of which this generation has never seen. I hope the Dems take this opportunity and this platform to praise the word Liberal and bring the country along. There will be only one chance to have a televised funeral for Ted Kennedy, I hope it is a barnburner!

Mother Jones, another great Irish Catholic peace-warrior for the people. I have no doubt that's what Ted would want. So that's exactly what we should do.