The Rest In Peace and Remembrance Thread

[Lester]

Eso es muy gracioso, Bob.

[Scott Reppert]

"Death is a bridge that he proved he could cross"--Skeeb Wilcox

[Jet Black]

Possibly the greatest single Senator in the history of the United States. While the right fixates on his one glaring personal mistake, a drunk driving death, there is no denying his accomplishments as a representative of the American people. As a Senator, he was without peer in his honesty, integrity, and commitment to the citizens of the United States. His work for civil rights, the disabled, and health care is without peer. His ability to forge useful compromise with the opposition was matchless. There is no one currently in the Senate who can hold a candle to his ability as a statesman. The Senate, and the nation, have lost the last great Senator. We are all the poorer for it.

I'm no fan. One of his last acts: When Kerry ran for President and was going to vacate his Senate seat, GOP man Mitt Romney would have had the power to appoint a GOP senator if he so chose. Teddy got on the horn, rallied the troops, and the Mass Legislature took the power away from the governor and allowed for a special election to fill the seat. Now that Ted knew the curtain was falling, like the elitist king he thought he was, he wanted to name his own successor. So, back on the phone, trying to get that power for the special election taken BACK AWAY from the people, and put in the hands of the compliant now-Dem Mass gov. But he died before he got his way. Doesn't that piss you off, Bob? Doesn't it piss you off that this man had no problem, right out in the open, changing the laws of the land just to suit his own royal mood? That's not what America is supposed to be like. I say Ted Kennedy, whether he did good or not, was the crooked scion of a corrupt family. And if you think he was the greatest senator in American History... Geez, you don't know much history, do you? That's my opinion.

[Bob Campbell]

That's the best you got to slam him? The Americans with Disabilities Act trumps all of that a hundred times. So does MedicAid. Both projects that he reached across the aisle to pass. What? You think a Senator wants to let his seat go to the other side?
Please name a Senator, a Congressmen, of any decade or century, who would not do the same. That's the nature of the business, neither unethical or treacherous. All done openly and by the rules of the people he served so ably for so long.
His record as a Senator is unassailable. That's why the right wing has to harp on Chappaquidic.

[genlock]

Possibly the greatest single Senator in the history of the United States. While the right fixates on his one glaring personal mistake, a drunk driving death, there is no denying his accomplishments as a representative of the American people. As a Senator, he was without peer in his honesty, integrity, and commitment to the citizens of the United States. His work for civil rights, the disabled, and health care is without peer. His ability to forge useful compromise with the opposition was matchless. There is no one currently in the Senate who can hold a candle to his ability as a statesman. The Senate, and the nation, have lost the last great Senator. We are all the poorer for it.

I said the sme thing about Strom Thurmond (excep the drunk driving death).

[Bob Campbell]

Except Strom never passed a significant piece of legislation in his career. He blocked a lot, mostly civil rights stuff. All the while having an affair with a black woman.

[Jet Black]

...Please name a Senator, a Congressmen, of any decade or century, who would not do the same. That's the nature of the business, neither unethical or treacherous. All done openly and by the rules of the people he served so ably for so long...

I find that easy excuse for crookedness in the name of Winning a hallmark of Democratic thinking. There are plenty of crooks on the right, no mistake, but I just don't find that institutional disregard for right or wrong in the GOP.

Watching Kennedy's body being taken away from Hyannisport, on FNC right now. Moment in history.

[Bob Campbell]

You don't see that on the right Jet? How soon we forget 2000. Please.

[Lester]

Now, now Bob... I thought Kennedy was supposed to be forgiven for his early "mistakes". Strom's affair was pre-political career. Then again, Kennedy was just doing what Kennedy's do. I'll leave it to the reader to determine if drowning is more humane than, say, beating her to death with a golf club.

And Strom was the first senator from either party to hire a black staff member... and his success was his own. It wasn't sucked from the bones of his dead brothers.

[Bob Campbell]

I think we all know Teddy's success was earned, not bequeathed. I do think Strom's affair contined into his political career. And no, JFK didn't have Marilyn killed.
If I start a really wild story like that, will you promise to promote it like the truth too? I smell a book deal!

[Lester]

I think we all know Teddy's success was earned, not bequeathed.

No... "we" don't.

I do think Strom's affair contined into his political career.

Nope... but his care and support of his illegitimate child did. It I start a really wild story like that, will you promise to promote it like the truth too? I smell a book deal!

[Bob Campbell]

I'm in. How about Teddy fathered Strom's child after Strom had Marilyn killed?

[AmpedNow]

I kinda liked Ted. While I disagreed with him more often than not, (but not all the time), at least you knew where he reliably stood on the issues. He believed in his convictions. Quite a few lightweights on both sides could learn some lessons from him.

I just wonder if Byrd will be sent off with the same national media fanfare when the time comes...

[Hoosier Daddy]

Over the years, I grew to like and respect Ted Kennedy. No one can argue that Ted was a deeply flawed man in his personal life, a situation promulgated by the assasination of two older brothers who were cut down in their prime, the death of several other loved ones at a young age, the lifelong haunting of the events surrounding Chappaquiddick, his bouts with alcoholism and depression, to the whole Kennedy aura (a lot of it was media-contrived rock star bullshit) that most of us couldn't handle or ever live up to family pressures and the public's "Royal Family" expectations.

But as a United States Senator, for almost five decades, almost every major piece of legislation to advance the civil rights, health and economic well-being of the American people bore his name and resulted from his efforts. Ted Kennedy's ideas and beliefs are stamped on scores of laws and reflected in the improvement of millions of lives. Kennedy recieved great respect and affection from both Democrats and Republicans in the Senate, bringing voices from all points of the political spectrum together for common good. His seriousness of purpose was always matched by humility, warmth and good cheer. He battled passionately on the Senate floor for the causes that were important to him and still maintained warm friendships across party lines. Ted Kennedy was a passionate defender of a dream for the American people and a guardian and protector for his family members.

Rest in peace, Senator Kennedy.

[Lester]

Excellent write-up, if you ignore his efforts to eliminate English as the national language (WIN for Kennedy!), and his efforts to legalize those who are illegal. (I'm not gonna throw that stone though... President Bush was his buddy on that one as well.)

However, the best point you bring up is the one about his brothers. I still get sick to my stomach watching the JFK tape. I don't care who you are or what you've done, no one (esp. a U.S. President) deserves to be gunned down like that. Watching it happen to a sibling, I can't imagine.

But then he turned around and drowned someone's daughter. Can you at least understand where I'm a little torn on all this hero worship?

"I had not given up hope all night long that, by some miracle, Mary Jo would have escaped from the car." (But he never called for help.)

[Bob Campbell]

He got drunk, wrecked, the passenger died. He panicked and took off. How many times does that happen every week in this country? I think he made up for it by his public service. How many hundreds of thousands of lives did he improve with his service to his country? Who among us posting here can claim anything remotely like what he did?
People resent the Kennedy's because of their money and power. But look at the price they paid. Three sons killed, one in the line of duty in the war, 2 more by cowardly assassins. They are a clan that for the most part has totally dedicated themselves to the service of their country. It's why we love them and hate them.
And I would assume that anyone who so virulently disagreed with Ted as some poster here do, would walk the walk and never accept Medicaid, never allow themselves or relatives with disabilities to use ramps instead of stairs , and never allow any of there children with cognitive disabilities the opportunity to attend public school. And dozens of other things we take for granted that we have because of him.

[genlock]

Should Ted be canonized as a Saint?

[Jet Black]

Hey, didn't Byrd kill a guy drunk driving, and got it swept under the rug too? Where are Byrd's props?

Somehow I don't think Mary Jo's folks think Kennedy's service to humanity is payment enough.

But why do you keep bringing up Kennedy's submarine command? Yeah, Americans with Disabilities act was a good thing, although it put a financial burden on lots of small business. But lots of things Keneedy did in office were no more laudible than the things he did in his personal life. Ask Judge Bork for instance.

But let's not quibble. He's gone forever. Let's hope the people of Massachusettes this time around are tired of being labeled the dumbest voters in America.

[unchoopfan]

DJ AM (Adam Goldstein) found dead in NYC apartment
Fri Aug 28, 2009 8:59pm EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - DJ AM, the stage name of disc jockey Adam Goldstein whose music could be heard on albums by Madonna and Will Smith, was found dead in his New York apartment at age 36 on Friday, according to media reports.

John Sweeney, a spokesman for the New York police, told Reuters officers found a man dead at 5:23 p.m. EDT on Friday but he could not immediately confirm the man was Goldstein.

The address where Sweeney said the man was found matches that of Goldstein's apartment.

Celebrity news website TMZ.com said Goldstein, who socialized with Hollywood celebrities and in 2008 survived a plane crash with Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker, was found with prescription pill bottles near his body after he had not been heard from for days.

As a DJ, Goldstein's work appeared on albums by Madonna, Will Smith, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and Papa Roach. He performed at clubs in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and elsewhere.

With the band Crazy Town, Goldstein had the 2001 hit song "Butterfly" but the group broke up two years later.

He partnered with Barker of punk band Blink 182 last year to create a live DJ and drum performance and the duo played occasionally at clubs and other concert venues.

In September 2008, Goldstein and Barker were in a private plane that crashed while trying to take off from an airport in South Carolina. The two pilots and two passengers were killed.

Goldstein and Barker suffered serious burns and were hospitalized in critical condition.

Goldstein posted his last known public remarks on the social networking website Twitter on Tuesday when he wrote: "New york, new york. Big city of dreams, but everything in new york aint always what it seems."

The words were lyrics from a song by Grandmaster Flash, a pioneer of hip-hop music.

Goldstein dated reality TV star Nicole Richie, to whom he was at one point engaged, and later went out with singer and actress Mandy Moore.

[The-Hammer]

Should Ted be canonized as a Saint?