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May 22, 2008

More Dynastic Creep

Or maybe it's "creeps." I have to say the only attraction that Obama has for me is the fact that his name is not "Clinton" or "Bush" or "Kennedy"

Ted Kennedy has made clear to confidants that when his time is up, he wants his Senate seat to stay in the family - with his wife, Vicki.

Multiple sources in Massachusetts with close ties to the liberal lion say his wife of 16 years has long been his choice to continue carrying the family flame in the Senate. Kennedy won the seat in 1962; his brother John held it from 1953 to 1960.

"There's no question that he'd like Vicki to continue in his seat," said one Massachusetts Democrat with ties to the Camelot clan who spoke to Kennedy recently, before his health crisis.

"She's smart, and smart politically."

One of the most depressing signs of the decay of our Republic has been the rise of this dynastic tendency, this emergence of a "ruling class" in lieu of truly competitive elections. Certainly we've had such families in the past (the Adams and Roosevelts spring to mind) and certainly local politics have tended towards these sorts of things, but never, it seems to me, have things on the national level been so dominated by so few. The system is stacked against independent candidates, with enormous amounts of money needed for runs, arbitrary election rules created by the two entrenched parties to hinder independents and foster their own, the media turns their noses at independents for the most part, etc. It's just a sad situation.

Posted by Mr. Bingley at May 22, 2008 06:51 AM

Comments

A few more generations, and we'll have "royalty".

I doubt that the Taxachussetts Governor has the spine to disregard this request.

Posted by: The_Real_JeffS at May 22, 2008 09:22 AM

Adams family? Was Lurch secret service? Sorry, couldn't resist.

Posted by: Ebola at May 22, 2008 09:36 AM

I don't like to speak ill of the dead.

That's why I feel compelled to say as much rotten stuff about this man that I can before his long overdue and well deserved death.

Also, whenever mentioning him my policy is to always add, Mary Jo Kopechne has no comment.

Posted by: Skyler at May 22, 2008 11:08 AM

Skyler, I'm with you. JFK was the best of the Kennedy clan, and even he had serious issues. It's long past the time for that collection of spoiled, whiny brats to leave public life.

Posted by: The_Real_JeffS at May 22, 2008 02:41 PM

Agreed. Teddy is under the mistaken opinion that this is just like Cuba and he can name his successor as if Massachusets were his personal fiefdom. Not for want of his trying, but it doesn't quite work that way.

Posted by: nightfly at May 22, 2008 04:25 PM

Nightfly, in Massachusetts, actually, yes it does. Deval Patrick is a despised nobody compared to Teddy.

Besides, when they believed Kerry's seat might go vacant due to him being elected president, thus giving Romney the chance to name a GOP senator (most likely his then-Lt. Governor, Kerry Kealey), the denizens of the ever-so-humbly named Great and General Court of the Commonwealth (the legislature) took away the governor's power to fill US Senate vacancies and gave that power to...themselves.

Posted by: Dave J at May 22, 2008 08:44 PM

If Teddy wasn't a Kennedy, he probably would
have done six to eight years in prison for that
'accident' which killed Mary Jo.
That is why these people pass all these crazy
unconstitutional laws now.The don't apply to the
ruling gentry ,only us trailer trash..

Posted by: greg newson at May 22, 2008 09:11 PM

'trailer trash' meaning everyone who doesn't or hasn't worked in the Capital building.

hmmm....they don't actually do any work.

ok, trailer trash refers to anyone who bought a elected postion.

Posted by: Prussian Tiger at May 23, 2008 08:01 AM

^...anyone who HASN'T bought a elected postion.

oops. brain not awake.


Posted by: Prussian Tiger at May 23, 2008 08:14 AM