Statement From Vicki Kennedy

[sandnsea]

“As Ted Kennedy said, across the decades, in the best and the most discouraging hours, health care was the cause of his life. Tonight that cause becomes more than a dream, it becomes America's commitment.

“This landmark moment belongs to President Barack Obama, to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the courageous members of the House, and to the colleagues he cherished in the Senate. Most of all, it belongs to America -- and it is one of the rare legislative achievements that belongs to the ages.

“When Ted stood with Barack Obama in 2008, he said he had new hope that we would break the old gridlock and guarantee that every American -- north, south, east, west, young, old -- would have decent, quality health care as a fundamental right and not a privilege. And now they do and from now on they will.

“In the last words he wrote, Ted said that ‘if you persevere, stick with it, work at it, you have a real opportunity to achieve something. Sure, there will be storms along the way. And you might not reach your goal right away. But if you do your best and keep a true compass, you'll get there.’ Ted knew we would get here, and all of us who loved him and shared his hopes for America are deeply grateful.”

http://www.facebook.com/pages/John-Kerry/6685427293

[BrklynLiberal]

1. I hope that eventually, this will become the kind of health care plan that Ted Kennedy dreamed of.

[sandnsea]

2. Well his bill came out of committee last June

And was immediately trashed by the left. The Senate bill is much like Kennedy's bill, although not as generous in some areas of subsidies and medicaid.

Maybe people will learn not to rip everything apart right out of the gate. Nah, that'll never happen.

[laughingliberal]

6. I'm not sure the left trashed the bill that came out of Teddy's committee

I recall being OK with the HELP committee bill. In addition to being more generous, it had a public option. I'd have been happy to see the Senate pass his committee's bill.

[sandnsea]

9. PNHP

And I'm not going to argue anymore in this thread.

http://pnhp.org/blog/2009/08/14/the-senate-help-committee-%E2%80%9Cpublic-option%E2%80%9D-will-be-multiple-%E2%80%9Coptions%E2%80%9D-and-these-will-be-run-by-insurance-companies/

[laughingliberal]

10. Okay. Then I'll say not everyone on the left opposed the HELP committee bill

I was OK with it.

[NotThisTime]

7. He would have known to vote for the smaller to get the larger, he made that mistake once and he

always regretted it.... And may I say I miss him greatly....

[TomCADem]

3. K&R!

[karynnj]

4. Worth going to the link to see a great photo of a

Kennedy and Kerry, likely from the 1980s - with Kennedy laughing about something.

[karynnj]

11. Here's the photo

[backscatter712]

5. I hereby drink to Ted Kennedy.

He deserves a huge amount of credit for this bill.

[politicasista]

12. Yep. Thanks Uncle Ted

wherever you are.

And hats off to President Obama, Madame Speaker Pelosi, and the Democrats for making this a reality. :patriot:

[Spazito]

8. President Obama promised Senator Kennedy it would get done...

he and the Democrats kept his promise.

An historic and moving night.

[pampango]

13. Nice statement and thanks to Ted for all his efforts over the years. n/t

[Scurrilous]

14. K & R

:thumbsup: