Robert Byrd: "Mr. President, this is for my friend Ted Kennedy. Aye."

[wndycty]

WOW!

Also Specter: "With the passion of Ted Kennedy on our hearts. Aye."

ON EDIT: on edit DOUBLE WOW! Bitter DUers are unrecommending Robert Byrd paying tribute to Ted Kennedy.

[saltpoint]

1. Class.

This man has made a very long journey.

Change happens.

Thumbs up, Senator.

[NJmaverick]

2. That shows some real class

what a great way to honor a great man

[Clio the Leo]

3. It matters not......

.... the bill was not killed ..... and we are that much closer to a better America.

[Betty Karlson]

4. Kicked and recommended. N/T

[nofurylike]

5. k&r

:cry:

thank you, wndycty.


peace and solidarity

[Parker CA]

K&R!!!

[Parker CA]

6. K&R!!!

[lamp_shade]

7. Pass the tissues. I'm a crying mess.

[countingbluecars]

8. K&R! n/t

[dave29]

9. K&R!!

:)

[nofurylike]

10. kick. precious history. nt

[firedupdem]

11. That choked me up..glad I woke up to see it. n/t

[southern_belle]

12. k & r n/t

[gademocrat7]

13. K&R

[davidpdx]

14. K&R

[bdamomma]

15. yes indeed Teddy is watching this.

[Kahuna]

16. K&R! And pass the tissues..

:cry:

[tandot]

17. K & R

[bluescribbler]

18. Excellent, senator Byrd

Though I'm sure Ted would have somehow coerced or persuaded his friend, Senator Hatch, to vote for the bill.

[quiet.american]

19. Loved that moment. nt

[BeyondGeography]

20. And some of them have Ted Kennedy avatars

:crazy:

[Phx_Dem]

21. Okay, that choked me up. Very classy, Senators Byrd and Specter.

:patriot:

[AspenRose]

22. That's beautiful.

Whatever mistakes Byrd has made in his past, they are in the past, and he has certainly redeemed himself.

[AuntPatsy]

23. K & R

[Top Cat]

24. K&R

[Cetacea]

25. K&R squared.

[bleever]

26. K&R.

For Teddy.

:patriot:

[LiberalAndProud]

27. I cry again for Ted. Oh God I miss him.

I truly believe he would count this day as a victory for the good guys.

[HughMoran]

28. K&R

This is for Teddi - my avatar until healthcare reform passes.

[DissedByBush]

55. I just hope it works out better than his last reform

You remember, the one that created the dreaded HMOs.

"As the author of the first HMO bill ever to pass the Senate, I find this spreading support for HMOs truly gratifying. Just a few years ago, proponents of health maintenance organizations faced bitter opposition from organized medicine." -- Ted Kennedy, 1978

Kind of familiar, different target.

[Cha]

29. Thanks for this, wndycty! How poignant is that!

Bitter duers Lose.

[katkat]

32. Cha

We can admire Teddie and Senator Byrd, and still know this bill is a loser.

[Cha]

34. I'm refering to those who unRec this historical

tribute from Senator Byrd to Senator Kennedy.

And, a lot of people don't think it a loser..they think it's a foundation on which to build
over the years.. and here's to it coming out even stronger when the Senate and the House get together in Conference.

Just bc you don't like it and jane hamsher wants to kill the bill doesn't make it unworthy.

[SoxFan]

30. K&R

The heck with the haters.

[katkat]

31. yeah for Senator Byrd

Specter, not so much, that creep shouldn't even mention Uncle Ted's name.

[BlueIdaho]

33. Touching...

Ok - damn it, lets finish this thing.

[goclark]

35. K and R in honor of Sen. Kennedy nt

[Hekate]

36. I am so hoping I can watch it later--I just could not get up at 4 in the morning.

Yes, this is a great moment. For all its flaws -- a great moment.

Hekate

[depakid]

37. If Byrd actually cared about reform, he wouldn't have opposed reconciliation

as it is he's a poster child for a mandatory retirement age.

[Hippo_Tron]

39. Better him than the Republican that would almost inevitably replace him

[cyclezealot]

58. For what it's worth

. The governor of West Virginia is a Democrat.

[Hippo_Tron]

62. And a special election would be held in 2010

It would be very hard for anybody the Governor appoints to hang on to the seat.

[uponit7771]

38. The pony people unrec this?! Come on....

[apocalypsehow]

40. Kick, Rec. And about the Unrec's: they are the same people who support racist Blackface, while still

pretending that they are some kind of great "progressives." Nothing those scumbags would pimp for would surprise me anymore.

[onestepforward]

41. K&R

[Chorophyll]

42. K&R nt

[FourScore]

43. For Teddy!!! n/t k/r

[riverbendviewgal]

44. Merry Christmas my friends...

K & R

in memory of Teddy and in honor of Sen Byrd.

[TheCowsCameHome]

45. Classy. Very classy.

[Politicub]

46. K&R!

:yourock:

[BrklynLiberal]

47. K&R

[Suji to Seoul]

48. No cost controls, no public option, no universal coverage. . .

Mr. Kennedy would be proud (rolls eyes)

Mawkishness sickens me, Mr. Byrd!

[wndycty]

49. Well Senator Kennedy's wife seems to believe he would have supported it

:kick:

[totodeinhere]

57. She is wrong. Teddy Kennedy wanted a robust public option. n/t

[MzShellG]

51. Well we got NOTHING under every other president in history.

Huge victory for our president. I doubt we'll ever get true universal health care when dealing with repukes and dino's.

[Barack_America]

50. I may be bitter these days...

...but that's beautiful.

Rec.

[Autonomy]

52. K&R

[liquid diamond]

53. This isn't a perfect bill but a step forward.

That's progress. I wish others here would realize that.

[Jenny_92808]

59. I agree...This is a step forward and

something to build on in the future. As was said, it may not be the mansion we hoped for but it is a starter house with a good foundation that we can build on in the future.

[tammywammy]

54. k&r

[totodeinhere]

56. I don't think that Teddy Kennedy would have liked this bill.

Yes, health care for all was his life's work, but this is not health care for all. If we really want to honor the memory of Teddy Kennedy, kill this bill and pass something closer to the sort of thing that he fought for. This bill is not it.

[LibDemAlways]

60. I cannot imagine Ted Kennedy supporting a bill with no public option that

forces people to buy shitful insurance from lowlife thugs under penalty of law. He'd have been mighty disappointed this is the best the Senate Dems could come up with.

[onenote]

63. Teddy may not have "liked" the bill as much as some other bill, but you are way off base

if you think he would have wanted the bill to be killed. Maybe with Teddy there, the bill would have been better, but even if it wasn't, he would have been front and center trying to get it passed because he understood more than almost anyone the legislative process and the importance of moving forward even if its not as far and not precisely in the direction that he wanted.

[Silver Gaia]

61. K& R - I LOVED hearing Byrd say that!

[Iwillnevergiveup]

64. Senator Byrd

showed great class and courage even making it to the chamber to vote!

[RFKHumphreyObama]

65. What a class act -thanks for posting

Thank you Senator Byrd and Senator Specter. Somewhere, Teddy is looking down and smiling