I hope Senator Kennedy did not see the recent town halls.

[moondust]

The national disgrace we have been witnessing over health care reform might have broken his heart yet again.

Surely the fervent opponents of his life's work for all Americans shall never be kindly remembered.

:(

[mucifer]

1. I doubt he diid. I'm a hospice nurse. I've watched people die with tumors like his.

It's possible. But, I doubt it.

[moriah]

20. Thank you for working in hospice.

My father died a little more than a month ago in hospice. Thank you for the work you do.

[Spazito]

2. I have little doubt he did but...

he would not have been surprised by them having lived through the civil rights era and knowing those who fought so hard AGAINST those rights would be front and center again fighting against these civil rights. He also lived through the winning of that civil rights fight and, I bet, he believed this one, too, would now be won.

[Brigid]

3. I have often thought that the freakazoids . . .

demonstrating against health care reform remind of the ones from more than a generation ago who were demonstrating against civil rights. I think maybe it's because it's the same mindset.

[Spazito]

4. It is, imo, the very same mindset.....

a fight against losing a perceived position of 'privilege' which denotes, falsely, a higher place in the hierarchy versus a right everyone can claim.

[sandnsea]

6. That's probably the root of it

It's so sad that after all this time we still have so many people who have so little regard for themselves that their entire sense of self comes from whether they have health care with their $8.00 hr job.

[Spazito]

9. It really is sad as it, repeatedly, has those same people acting against...

their own interests due to true ignorance of the facts.

[KittyWampus]

5. I've known people with brain tumors. I doubt it.

[Spazito]

7. He was certainly cognizant of details as recent as last week when..

when he sent a letter to the Governor regarding a change in the law re a temporary appointment to fill his seat. The news coverage of the town halls occurred before and during that time period.

[TicketyBoo]

8. I heard today…

that letter was sent some weeks ago. Word of it just got to the press recently.

[Spazito]

12. Everything I have read re the letter states quite clearly the letter was ...

received within the timeframe to which I referred. Here is an article, dated August 21, 2009:

"The ailing liberal leader wrote this week to his home-state governor, Deval Patrick, and state legislative leaders, asking them to alter the method by which Kennedy's successor could be chosen."

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-kennedy21-2009aug21,0,3138980.story


Another dated Thursday, August 20, 2009:

"Mr. Kennedy did not mention the issue in the letter, delivered Tuesday..."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/21/us/politics/21kennedy.html?_r=1

[TicketyBoo]

24. I heard on both NBC Nightly News…

…and Hardball yesterday that the letter was delivered "some time ago," but its existence was just made public last week. One place online said it was "drafted in early July."

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/08/20/kennedy_looking_ahead_urges_a_quick_filling_of_senate_seat?mode=PF

Maybe NBC just got it wrong and it was drafted in July but not delivered until last week? But Brian Williams and Chris Matthews both said that it had been delivered earlier, but not made public until last week.

[1]

11. teddy didn't send that letter last week. teddy probably didn't even know of it from its july date.

[Spazito]

13. Please provide links where the letter is shown to be dated in July...

I have seen nor found nothing that refers to a July date re the letter.

[1]

14. no. i won't. don't believe me. or do your own homework. i don't care...

hipaa keeps ted's surgeries private. i am cool with that. i have known scores with brain tumors. i know what they are and do.

out of respect, let's leave it at that...

[Spazito]

15. I do know that the same cancer affects different people different ways...

having experienced many, too many family members,who suffered with it. Brain cancer, lung cancer, intestinal cancer. Some were cognizant and aware until the last 48 hours, approximately, others were not aware well before their death. In some cases, the cancer was very agressive and the length of life from initial diagnosis was a mere three months, others were slower and death did not occur until at least a year or more later.

Given the town hall coverage of the despicable actions of the opponents of health care reform were well before the letter was sent, it is not inconceivable Senator was aware of them, imo.

[1]

16. again, out of respect for teddy, why do you persist in these posts?

the letter was dated july 2, 2009. it was never sent. teddy took a huge turn for the worse in august. the letter was sent.

let it go. since you have experienced so many that suffer with cancer, let it go.


what fucking difference does it make to teddy now?

teddy did not see this shit. he didn't. let it go!

[Spazito]

17. You leave the inference you have intimate knowledge of Senator Kennedy's state of awareness...

yet post it as an opinion. I merely reflected my opinion in response to the OP. It was NOT disrespectful of the Senator in any way. I will let it drop as requested.

[KittyWampus]

23. it was reported that letter had been written some time ago.

[1]

10. most don't understand how invasive brain tumors are...

for the most part they are not "spots" on an xray. but spiders that grow and creep everywhere.

post surgery, after removal of the boundaries, i'm sure teddy knew nothing of these town halls...

[Libertas1776]

18. According

to this NY Times article...
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/27/us/politics/27year.html?em

The once-indefatigable Ted Kennedy was in a wheelchair at the end, struggling to speak and sapped of his energy. But from the time his brain cancer was diagnosed 15 months ago, he spoke of having a “good ending for myself,” in whatever time he had left, and by every account, he did.
<snip>
As recently as a few days ago, Mr. Kennedy was still digging into big bowls of mocha chip and butter crunch ice creams, all smushed together (as he liked it). He and his wife, Vicki, had been watching every James Bond movie and episode of “24” on DVD.
<snip>
He began each morning with a sacred rite of reading his newspapers, drinking coffee and scratching the bellies of his beloved Portuguese water dogs, Sunny and Splash, on the front porch of his Cape Cod house overlooking Nantucket Sound.


It seems his last days, even quite recently, were spent quite well, both peaceful and relaxing. I am very glad for that. I don't know whether or not he was aware of the town hall fiascoes, but even if he was, I know he was a strong willed man with a strong heart and such bickering would have affected him little. If anything, being the altruistic man he was, Ted may have regretted not having more time to engage and convince these people. I am sure he viewed them as misguided citizens (most at least) and not the plethora of derogatory labels we have given them. We here on DU are not above partisan opining (mostly justified, I might add) nor should we be; that's what DU is all about. But Ted Kennedy was above all that; he had the charisma and fortitude to transcended the ideologies and partisanship of the American people. Just look at the outpouring of consolation, if not outright grief from the other side (save the truly RW bat shit crazies) People who did not agree with Kennedy politically, could still concede that he was a decent and honorable man who had the common man first in his heart. That is, in my humble opinion, what makes him a better person; better than me and better than most of us.

[moondust]

19. Maybe he didn't see the news much.

He certainly had the character to take it in stride, but the town halls with guns and the birthers and deathers, the barrage of shameless lies and all the current RW insanity could be a real letdown for somebody near the end who had worked so hard for so long to improve the quality of life for so many.

[Raine]

21. That's a nice article

THANKS for posting it, I so hope Teddy had the "good ending".

[bklyncowgirl]

22. You kind of wonder how the old boy would have dealt with those Limaughtomized jackasses

I have a feeling it would be fun to watch.