And on the Third Day...Politics Sets In...

The Boston Herald is hyping a senatorial candidacy for Edward Maxiumus' second widow Victoria Reggie, however the Globe is talking up the alleged ambitions of former US Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III.
So it would seem the family has resoved to find themselves a candidate...and on that much may turn in the days to come.
Meanwhile despite a sure gig in the House of Representatives Ed Markey is talking more and more like a candidate. On paper Ed is formidable with a hand in all sorts of legislation from energy and transport to military policy and health care. And besides that he has been whispering the words "Ed Markey, United States Senator" to himself since the seventh grade.
Like I said, on paper, he is great, but paper isn't always the best substance out of which to forge a US Senator, there is a fidgety-ness to Ed, sometimes his sense of audience fails him and his wit will never rise to the level of Edward M. Kennedy that is for sure.
Nonetheless, he has many many friends and lots of money to spend in an off year election wherein he risks nothing to make the race.
Martha Coakley is making noises but that is to be expected the Hillary-istas in the Bay State are looking for a big score to avenge their loss in Denver last year and Martha would seem to be the their best bet to grab off a seat in the US Senate.
There are many many Spartan camped by the sides of Spy Pond in Menotomy who would dearly love to take to the field under her banner.
Mike Capuano and Steve Lynch are both supposedly interested, dunno much about Lynch but by rep, Capuano is a good man with his heart nailed to the right place. Some of these congressmen we've got have to be looking at this from the prospective of redistricting in 2010 when the Commonwealth will loose a US House seat, best to make the jump now to the US Senate before you done out of your job, or so some might think.

Ideological quicksand

the philosophical dry-rot of movement conservatism extends even down as far as Jeff Jacoby's level. Yes indeed the Sunday Globe's own laughing young senescence goes staggering out into deep mire trying to prove that John Fitzgerald Kennedy was really a wingnut with welcome bona fides for any Kampus Konservative bundist.
This is to say the least a bizarre argument to make when the loam on Edward Moore Kennedy's grave is barely a day old....Jeff's downfall is his tendency to hide in passive aggression, he thinks he is being subtle and artful, in reality it's plain cowardice.
Truly the Jeff Jacoby's of 19663 screamed with simian rage when JFK proposed a test ban treaty with the USSR a measure of obvious benefit to both nations.
The Jeff Jacoby's of 1962 brayed long and loud about state's rights when the President Kennedy as compelled to send twenty four US Marshals to Ole Miss to get James Meredith (an African American) registered for classes.
The Jeff Jacoby's of 1961 sneered at the Peace Corps and Alliance for Progress.
And in 1960 they didn't have problem one with double dealers like the Reverend Billy Graham who couldn't be bothered signing a simple plea for tolerance of Kennedy's Catholic faith and instead made himself useful at Richard Nixon's rallies.
In 1960, JFK was having his own problems getting the opposition to accept his right to exist, but of course Jeff forgets all that...doesn't he?

When Edward Maximus first ran for the US Senate

his slogan was "Kennedy: He Can Do More".

Did ever a politician pay off so relentlessly on an off-hand cliche'?

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Hearts are heavy right now, but on Monday, I promise you politics will set in, and those dauntless campaigners, the Spartans of Menotomy will take up their assegais, crash their spears and take to the field once again.
They know they are defeated only if they give up.
And that they will not do....

Wasn't gonna do any special e-lection

polly-tix til after Edward Maxiumus' funeral rites, but this item had me guffawing loudly in the Alewife T-Station parking garage this morning.
Scary Kerry Healey wants to run for the US Senate?
Oh ghod that...is...a...riot!
I guess her husband has unfrozen her allowance so she is free to seek new humiliations at the ballot box. Her Orange-shirt squadristi must be tanned rested and ready as well.
Honestly, Scary Kerry Healey is a sidekick, a Robin, A Doctor Watson, A Lady Blackhawk even...if she is looking at a senate race then you can rest assured that Mitt Romney is giving the contest a pass. Given all the rotten things that the Former Viceroy said about Massachusetts in 2008, it seems only fair.
If was the state GOP, I'd flee the notion of her candidacy, Scary Kerry is a hex a hoodoo a star of ill-fortune, I mean forget about her husband's money..It did her no good in 2006 and it will do her no good in 2009 either. You have to go a long way in state politics to find a politician more bereft of ideas than Former Lt. Governor Kerry Healey.

Oh and congrats...

to our new Senior Senator from Massachusetts, John Forbes Kerry, hope that hip of his heals up quick cause' his job just got waa-ay more challenging.
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BTW, the talk show tyrants are in a bluster over democrats "politicizing" Ted Kennedy's death, but then again these are the same yaps who proclaimed Ronald Reagan a civil God of the Radical Right when he got measured for his harp...So what is the problem eh?
Besides these ass-holes have been fundraising off of Ted Kennedy's very name for eons, the Reverend Jerry Fallwell built Liberty University on direct mail fulminations against our late Senator and all he represented.
That is why they are so incensed, their meal ticket just got confiscated.

An anecdote and a quote...

regarding the death of Senator Kennedy can be found over at Channel Zero.

Long Time Passing

A moment of silence,

Edward Maximus is Dead.

The very Heavens do shake.

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If there is a man alive who did a better job of Standing Up for Massachusetts, for the Republic and for all those who needed a fair shake, then I'd like to meet them...and soon.
You need not walk far to see the Late Senator's reach, every handicapped ramp, the doings of special olympians in the paper, the scholarship your niece received that got her sprung out of Beauty School he had a hand in all of it and more.
All I can say is, the man left this world a better place than the way he found it all those years ago in 1962. He has been our Senator for all but three months of my entire breathing life. At least he left on a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky in Boston, better times I know are coming, dunno exactly how but they are coming.
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Oh and kudos to the Boston Globe, looks like they scooped that dishrag the New York Times, seems as if Morrissey Boulevard still has some long claws and sharp teeth.
Oh and it looks like Joanie Vennochi and Jeff Jacoby are all getting a resignation just not the resignation they so ardently wanted.
To quote Ray Bradbury, "What yuh gonna dooo nights Mistah Teece? Whatcha gonna doooo?"