SOUTH DAKOTA STRAIGHT TALK

Partisanship has gotten in the way of fair play again with the political gamesmanship surrounding the replacement of Senator Ted Kennedy.

News media and the blogs have reported pretty extensively on the political kabuki theatre and hypocrisy surrounding Senator Kennedy’s replacement. Senator Kennedy himself got into the act only the week before his death when he suggested the Massachusetts succession law be changed to allow the Governor to appoint an interim replacement until an election could be held. This change contradicts Senator Kennedy’s previous successful effort that changed the law from the power of gubernatorial appointment (that he now favors) to holding a Special Election with no interim appointment..

Senator Kennedy’s motives are driven by the party of the Governor sitting in the Massachusetts State House at the time of an appointment. Thus Democrat Governor = Interim Appointment; Republican Governor = Special Election.

In 2004 the Governor was Mitt Romney, a Republican when Kennedy wanted to change the law in the event Senator John Kerry was elected President. Obviously given his concerns on his own impending vacancy of the office he did not want an election but rather have the Democrat Governor, Deval Patrick appoint his replacement.

Regardless of which method is best laws should not be changed for specific circumstances. It is not good public policy and you should play the game fairly and not change the game to suit your best interests.

I posted previously in Following the Rules,  

We expect that laws and rules will be administered and enforced blindly and equality without regard as to the Who.

On Monday, Governor Patrick called a Special Election (as required by current law) to be held in mid January 2010. The Democrat controlled State Legislature is also currently considering changing the law to allow the Governor to make the special appointment. We will see very shortly how this plays out.

Past as Prologue - Contemporaneously with this bit of theatre is the cha cha cha that the Dem politicos are doing in Massachusetts either to obtain the appointment if there is one or to run for the Special Election. Filing deadline for the partisan primaries is October 19^th. Several non Kennedys have expressed an interest. Mass Attorney General Martha Coakley is in the race. Considering running are Marty Meehan a former U S Congressman and President of the University of Massachusetts -Lowell, and current Congressmen Ed Markey, Stephen Lynch, and Michael Capuano.

The Kennedy’s want to hold onto the seat, it has belonged to them since 1953 (56 years ago).

Rumored in the past day or so Governor Patrick wanted to make an appointment if there is to be one to Kennedy’s widow, Vicki. Reportedly Mrs. Kennedy is not interested. Former 6 term U S Congressman, Joseph P. Kennedy II, son of Bobby and Ethel has been positioning himself to be the heir to the Kennedy Senate seat. I posted previously that Ted Kennedy’s son, U S Congressman from Rhode Island was his likely successor. However after watching the moving and passionate tribute by son Ted Kennedy, Jr. at the funeral in the Basilica on Saturday, my money is now on Ted Junior. if he wants it. His tribute to his Dad was the highlight of the day in terms of eulogies.

When one of the Kennedys becomes a candidate, it is all over.