Ted Kennedy on Larry King - CNN

[LSK]

Next.

[madame defarge]

1. He's also on Daily Show tonight later... n/t

[Alamom]

2. Thanks..on now. n/t

[OldLeftieLawyer]

3. He looks good, doesn't he?

Better than he's looked in a long, long time.

Please god, Teddy - we need you now.

He's smooth.

[Lancer]

4. Yes, Teddy looks very good.

I did not know that he reads to 2nd graders on his lunch hour every Tuesday. But it doesn't surprise me. How wonderful.

[CountAllVotes]

5. Sen. Kennedy is a very fine man

he does a lot of very good things for many people in our country. :toast: to you Senator Kennedy! Keep up the good work! :D

:dem: :kick:

[OldLeftieLawyer]

7. He's always been a terrific public servant

Yeah, he made mistakes.

Like none of us ever did.

His were pretty awful, but, shit, look at what he's been through in his personal life. It's a miracle he's alive, don't you think?

Two of his three kids have had cancer.

Live through that, why don't you, Rush FUCKING Limbaugh?

[CountAllVotes]

9. despite his mistakes

Senator Kennedy made one great decision! He just said it! He voted AGAINST THE IRAQ WAR!!!

:dem: :kick: :dem: :kick:

[OldLeftieLawyer]

11. His gravitas is gorgeous

He's the Elder Statesman, up there with the best of the best.

He's the Voice of Reason.

He's terrific, isn't he?

[LiberalPartisan]

13. Remember his speech at the '80 Dem convention?

One of the best ever and certainly his best.

http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/tedkennedy.htm

[CountAllVotes]

19. that was a great speech!!! :)

>> The economic plank of this platform on its face concerns only material things, but it is also a moral issue that I raise tonight. It has taken many forms over many years. In this campaign and in this country that we seek to lead, the challenge in 1980 is to give our voice and our vote for these fundamental democratic principles.

Let us pledge that we will never misuse unemployment, high interest rates, and human misery as false weapons against inflation.

Let us pledge that employment will be the first priority of our economic policy.

Let us pledge that there will be security for all those who are now at work, and let us pledge that there will be jobs for all who are out of work; and we will not compromise on the issue of jobs.

These are not simplistic pledges. Simply put, they are the heart of our tradition, and they have been the soul of our Party across the generations. It is the glory and the greatness of our tradition to speak for those who have no voice, to remember those who are forgotten, to respond to the frustrations and fulfill the aspirations of all Americans seeking a better life in a better land. <<

We need MORE Democrats like Senator Kennedy and we need them now!!! :D

:dem: :kick:

[mcar]

23. Funny story about that speech

A former co-worker of mine from way back then was out with her girlfriends that night. They were all complaining about how their husbands didn't pay any attention to them. They had a few drinks and all agreed that they were going to go home, strip and enter their homes buck naked, just to see what their husbands would do.

My friend paused outside her back door, took a deep breath and stripped to her skin. She walked through the kitchen and into her living room, where her husband was watching the Democratic National Convention on TV. Kennedy was giving his wonderful speech. The spouse glanced over at his wife and said, "you have got to come over here and see this - it's amazing!"

She went to the bedroom, put on her robe and watched the rest of the speech.

[Darth_Kitten]

27. that's a classic!

:D

[LiberalPartisan]

10. Just what I was thinking

He looks the best he's looked in years.

And - the man really does know the issues inside and out.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

12. A lifetime of public service

And, welcome to DU (a little late), LP!

[question everything]

15. He lost a lot of weight. Hope this is of his own actions

and that he is not ill

[OldLeftieLawyer]

20. No, he's not sick

He's well-made-up, but he's also cleaned up his act A LOT in terms of diet, and I think his younger wife has been a fabulous influence on him.

He is also demonstrating something we haven't seen in a long, long time, and that is the image of a leader rising up at the moment when he is most needed.

His soft-spoken and brilliantly articulate manner are overwhelming. I can't remember when I've been so impressed by an elected representative - except when JFK was running for President.

God, he's good!

[babylonsister]

6. A voice of reason; I've missed OUR statesmen the past few weeks. nt

[leftstreet]

8. Is he talking about his Medicare For All plan?

:shrug:

An essential part of our progressive vision is an America where no citizen of any age fears the cost of health care, and no employer refuses to create new jobs or cuts back on current jobs because of the high cost of providing health insurance.

The answer is Medicare, whose 40th birthday we will celebrate in July. I propose that as a 40th birthday gift to the American people, we expand Medicare over the next decade to cover every citizen - from birth to the end of life.

I call this approach Medicare for All, because it will free all Americans from the fear of crippling medical expenses and enable them to seek the best possible care when illness strikes.
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0112-37.htm

[babylonsister]

16. No, at least not yet. Talking about his history, his book, the

maniacs in power (my words).

[question everything]

14. And in among TIME magazine 10 best senators

The others are:

Arlen Specter
John McCain
Dick Durbin
Richard Lugar
Carl Levin
Jon Kyl
Ted Kennedy
Olympia Snowe
Kent Conrad
Thad Cochran

The worst five:

Conrad Burns
Wayne Allard
Daniel Akaka
Mark Dayton
Jim Bunning

(Just started reading, the category is based on acitivity in the Senate without cowering to the party).


Forgot to add that TIME also lists the up-and comers freshmens:

Barack Obama
Hillary Clinton
Lindsay Graham
John Sununu
Mark Pryor

[MrSlayer]

17. He has high praise for Pickles.

Not something I thought I'd see.

[babylonsister]

21. I'm sure you had to be there; trying times. nt

[Catherine Vincent]

18. Will he be taking calls?

Lord knows a freeper will make it through to chat about Chappaquidick. :eyes:

[Lancer]

24. God, looking at the pictures

of the three brothers just tears me up.

Consider this. You're the fourth of four sons. You're 17 years younger than your eldest brother, who dies in WWII when his plane is shot down -- you lose an older sister in the same way. When you've been in the US Senate one year your brother, the President, is blown away in broad daylight. Five years later, your next oldest brother is also assassinated while running for president. Holy God, you're 36 years old and you're now the head of the family. No wonder Teddy made a few disastrous personal mistakes. Who could handle all that grief, all that despair, all that pressure?

Teddy Kennedy learned he could.

He has now been in the Senate 44 years, fighting battles for the least of us; always urging all of us to do better. He has given far too many eulogies, and his own political obituariy has been written too many times. But he is a fighter, and I think he will leave his work and his life on his own terms, two gifts never granted any of his brothers.

God bless him.

[babylonsister]

26. Lancer, thank you. That's a great post, and I agree.

Who among us has ever been perfect? Shit happens, but the man has persevered and excelled. I love him and already see that true patriots are few and far between, which makes Senator Kennedy extra special.

[WiseButAngrySara]

28. And God bless you for posting this! Ted Kennedy is a good, intelligent,

and compassionate leader. I'm so sickened with the lies and empty rhetoric of this current cabal...

[stanwyck]

22. He's truly been an advocate

for those most needing help in our society.

[Bill McBlueState]

25. woo-hoo, he gives a shout-out to MA

"there are a lot of people there who care deeply about important issues"

:toast:

He's a strong supporter of organized labor in Mass. UMass workers have a contract because Kennedy refused to cross our picket line.