Hypocrisy in Politics - Kennedy Style

I hate party politics. I hate anything that is done because it is good for one party and its hold on power. Usually this is good for the parties, the politicians, and the power-brokers and bad for the peons – us ordinary people.

Ted Kennedy (D – MA) is terminally ill. That is sad but it is a fate that awaits us all. As a parting gift to the Democrats he is now trying to overturn a 2004 Massachusetts that took the ability of the Governor to appoint the replacement of a Senator who resigns or dies.

The Wall Street Journal puts this situation in perspective with one paragraph:

What Mr. Kennedy doesn’t volunteer is that he orchestrated the 2004 succession law revision that now requires a special election, and for similarly partisan reasons. John Kerry, the other Senator from the state, was running for President in 2004, and Mr. Kennedy wanted the law changed so the Republican Governor at the time, Mitt Romney, could not name Mr. Kerry’s replacement. “Prodded by a personal appeal from Senator Edward M. Kennedy,” reported the Boston Globe in 2004, “Democratic legislative leaders have agreed to take up a stalled bill creating a special election process to replace U.S. Senator John F. Kerry if he wins the presidency.” Now that the state has a Democratic Governor, Mr. Kennedy wants to revert to gubernatorial appointments.

In his letter advocating for the law change Kennedy trots out his supposed concern for citizens of Massachusetts “to have two voices speaking for the needs of its citizens and two votes in the Senate during the approximately five months between a vacancy and an election.” This is all very noble but the question immediately comes to mind: During his illness ho often has Sen. Kennedy been present to lend his voice and vote to the job he seems so concerned about? Well, in 2009 he has been absent for a staggering 97% of the votes. Of 270 roll-call votes he has been absent for 261. And these absences started last year.

Senator Kennedy, concern is not saying the right about a subject. Concern is doing the right thing. You say you believe “it is vital” the people of Massachusetts “have two voices” representing them in the Senate. Well, where has your concern been for part of 2008 and 9 months into 2009? Do they only deserve two Senators when it is politically convenient for you and your party? This is not leadership and, as a former constituent of yours, I am not surprised.