Isn’t accusing someone else of politicization itself a form of politicization?
Key conservative voices have begun to charge in the day after Sen. Ted Kennedy’s death that Democrats are inappropriately politicizing the senator’s death, his memorial and his legacy.
Kennedy was that ultimate political creature, a “lion of the Senate,” and the last son of the archetypal American political family — his passing is inevitably political. In his final days, he focused on a narrow political goal, pleading with state leaders to change state law to posthumously fill his Senate seat with an interim appointee who would be a vote in favor of the health care legislation he championed.
So his allies on the left have made no secret of their hopes that his legacy will serve to bolster the uncertain health reform plan, with Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) even suggesting the bill be named for Kennedy.
SpotWeld
Left Wing: Attempting to cash in on the drama of a politicians death to accomplish the very goal said polticial was striving for up until the moment of death.
Right Wing: Lacking any other useful argument can only call a whaaaaambulance.
Max
I think the GOP is scared to death that the death of Sen. Kennedy is going to rally the dems together and we are going to run over them and get it passed.
Seems to me, the dems were heading that direction anyway. Organizing For America has the bus tour starting, we’re hearing the “r” word (reconciliation) a lot more, and the media is shifting back.
Obama’s strategy seems to be to treat the GOP like a child having a temper tantrum, let them scream and cry and cause a scene, but when its all over, they still have to go stand in the corner. He’s like the Super Nanny.
Also. Too. Death Panels.
Zifnab
STFU, that’s why.
Darius
I’m shocked, shocked I tell you, to find Politico regurgitating right-wing talking points.
NS
Isn’t accusing someone else of politicization itself a form of politicization?
Yes. It’s called Wellstoning.
JK
Rush Limbaugh: “Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Teddy Kennedy, he yelled an awful lot. He yelled all the time. Sometimes he yelled and got out of control, and we’re told today how he was a “uniter” and how he was a legislator. You know what? I actually want them to put Ted Kennedy’s name on the health care bill. I want ’em to do it. The DC elite just don’t get it. In fact, they don’t get the reaction to the coverage out there. They are in a totally different world from the rest of this country. I think one of the easiest, sure-fire ways to defeat the health care bill is to put his name on it. So I officially today, as host — only host — on the Excellence in Broadcasting Network, suggest and join my friends on the Democrat side of the aisle: “Yes, please name Obamacare after Ted Kennedy. Please do so. It’s only appropriate. Do it this week! Do it during the funeral. Do it during the memorial service. Do it while the nation’s attention is riveted.”
rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_082709/content/01125109.guest.html
cleek
Key conservative voices have begun to charge…
STFU, ya buncha fuckin dillweeds.
Balconesfault
Call it the Kennedy bill. Shove it to the floor with a public option. Let the Repubs hold a filibuster at their own peril … they can scream “Politics” all they want, but they’ll go down in history as the party that won a filibuster on an issue that the majority of Americans wanted passed thanks to the death of a Kennedy.
And if some Repubs actually show a conscience, and it passes … it will be the best tribute to Teddy that the Senate could ever make.
General Winfield Stuck
They wingnuts know there fucked, they just want to be kissed first.
cleek
so, blockquote is completely dead now ?
General Winfield Stuck
they’re they’re they’re they’re they’re they’re they’re they’re.
There.
CalD
How can you “politicize” the death of someone whose every action in life was seen through a political prism.
ominira
Slightly OT: Early Katrina praise for Obama
Excerpt:
How long before Bobby Jindal has to walk back any hint of praise?
lamh31
Kinda OT, but I know I’m late, but I’m looking at the Kennedy motorcade with the family getting ready to go to where Ted K will be in state.
Damn, those Kennedy’s sure make some hot looking men don’t they. the girls are hit or miss, but the menfolk are sure handsome. I’m looking at 2 “Kennedy-relations” now, and they are too cute.
General Winfield Stuck
JK
CALLER TO RUSH LIMBAUGH: “I think Obama’s too narcissistic to let Kennedy’s name go on this bill. I think he thinks he could pull it through himself, and because of his narcissism, won’t want him on there.”
RUSH: “As to your question about the narcissism of Obama, that is a great question. Because Obama, with health care, is trying to build a monument to himself in Washington. Obama wants to be FDR the Second. He wants to be the black FDR. And put Teddy Kennedy’s name on it…? (chuckles) Yeah, his ego is such that that might stand in his way. That’s a good question. Would Obama go along with it being called Kennedycare, the Ted Kennedy Memorial Health Care Reform Act and blah, blah?… (interruption) If you put Kennedy’s name on the bill, when the thing turns into a disaster you blame him and there’s nothing he can do about it. “Oh, it’s the Ted Kennedy bill. It’s all screwed up. I had nothing to do with that bill. It’s the Ted Kennedy bill. We did that in honor of Senator Kennedy. That’s why it’s screwed up.” (chuckles) Well, that’s a great question, Stewart. Obama is narcissist enough to be concerned about that. Speaking of naming the bill under Ted Kennedy, we have a State-Run Media montage here, day two: pushing health care for Kennedy. Here we have John King of CNN, Jessica Yellin of CNN, Roger Simon of Politico, David Gregory at NBC, David “Rodham” Gergen at CNN, Brian Williams of NBC, Kelly O’Donnell at NBC, and Kiran Chetry at CNN all talking about the passing of Senator Kennedy and health care reform.”
rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_082709/content/01125109.guest.html
ominira
Blockquote fail as usual. The line “How long before Bobby Jindal has to walk back any hint of praise?” should be outside the quote and all the other lines before it inside.
joe from Lowell
Sniff sniff.
Sniff sniff.
What is that I smell, fear? Desperation maybe?
eric
@Max: Max, I have said for weeks that it is already game over. They have always planned to go the way of reconciliation. Obama wants to look bipartisan. The GOP cannot help but try different crazy memes, but it does not matter. Obama needs 50 votes in the Senate. He lost Kennedy — that hurt, but probably expected. They will carry Byrd their on his shield to vote.
So, the only question has been whether Obama can twist a few Dem Senators’s arms enough to get to 50 and the public option. That is the only number that has ever mattered. I refuse to believe that Reid and Obama and Rahm and Durbin have not already gotten commitments (albeit silent) for varying forms of the bill. You would have to be suicidal not to.
eric
eric
@eric: “there” (hangs head in abject shame)
DonkeyKong
This is basically a version of turning to someone at a bar and saying “Did you just call me an asshole!?” so you don’t have to pay the tab.
joe from Lowell
I like Balconesfault’s idea at #8. Dare them to sustain a filibuster with Ted Kennedy gone. Do it while everyone’s paying attention.
WereBear
@Max: The image of Obama as Super Nanny will stay with me.
In the giant dysfunctional relationship the two parties have become, I am hoping the Democrats are coming to realize that there is no pleasing this abusive spouse. This accusation of politicizing Kennedy’s death is a classic example; I’m sure these articles have been waiting in the right wings since the diagnosis became public.
Because there isn’t anything better to memorialize a man’s life work than use his death as a rallying cry to get a huge achievement accomplished.
I mean that. The Democrats would be fools not to.
calipygian
Fuck those whiney GOP bitches. Let’s politicize the shit out of his funeral.
I hope Joe Kennedy gets on top of Teddy’s coffin and calls for single payer socialized medicine as what Teddy would have wanted.
Those whiny GOP bitches got nuthin’
Nuthin’
GregB
I couldn’t imagine listening to that bloated sack of shit for more than 5 minutes.
Talk about a decadent, bloated aristocrat.
-G
Balconesfault
@JK:
Remember this the next time the Republicans squeal about being called racist.
OK, maybe Rush isn’t really a racist. Maybe he’s just a flaming dick. And instead of dittoheads, his disciples should be called dickheads.
eric
@calipygian: Here is the last of a brood that served its nation and sacrificed three other young men in their prime. Two were murdered. Fuck you GOP. I hate dynasties as much as the next guy, and I cant speak to the next kennedy generation, but this last one did pretty good.
Let’s see all his “good buddies, like Hatch, piss on his memory by tut-tuting the services. Man up Orin, spotlight’s on you. Friendship fail, also.
eric
SGEW
I liked Marcotte’s and Yglesias’ take on the “politicization” of deaths (this one’s from Yglesias):
GregB
Let’s not forget that on the passing of President Ford, Dickwad Cheney took to the airwaves to politicize his death by delcaring that Ford was a great American for “healing the nation” after Watergate.
Healing meant pardoning Nixon. An important concept for Dick Cheney to forward in the political psyche.
Healing means never holding the elite to the rule of law.
-G
BFR
I like Balconesfault’s idea at #8. Dare them to sustain a filibuster with Ted Kennedy gone. Do it while everyone’s paying attention.
I’m not sure why naming the bill after Kennedy should or would have any impact. One, Kennedy is really not popular with GOP voters and two, it doesn’t change anything in the bill.
They could name it the “Rush Limbaugh Awesomeness Act of 2009” – it’s not going to change any of the dynamics.
Joshua Norton
Yeah, because the wingnuttery would NEVER politicize death for their own gains. Things like their habit of screaming “9/11” whenever a subject comes up that they don’t like are just taken out of context.
Deborah
Can we expel from Washington everyone who is shocked, shocked to find politics going on there?
joe from Lowell
BFR,
It’s not about GOP voters, it’s about swing voters, people who might consider siding with the GOP except for a nagging concern that they are flaming a-holes.
Remember why the Sotomayor pick was such good politics? Because the Republicans just couldn’t stop themselves from acting like flaming a-holes. The same thing would happen here.
Zach
Calling someone a racist is racism, so yeah.
Really the GOP just wants to remind people of the Wellstone thing which no one knows about except crazy conservatives on the Internet; and most of that group is only in it because they hate Obama and don’t even know what their own compatriots are yelling about.
eric
@joe from Lowell: i disagree. It is not about voters at all; it is about senators. EVERY poll shows people suporting meaningful reform. The Senators are worried about losing money from their PACs and other assorted campaign funds. This has neve really been about voters.
eric
BFR
It’s not about GOP voters, it’s about swing voters, people who might consider siding with the GOP except for a nagging concern that they are flaming a-holes.
I don’t think there are many voters who a) haven’t figured it out already and b) are going to be swayed to oppose the GOP because of this.
At any rate, eric @35 is right – it’s not about the voters it’s about money.
SpotWeld
Can we wake up Mel Brooks and ask him really nicely to write up a comedy based on the next 4 years (at least) of politics?
We’d even let him call it Blazing Saddles II
SpotWeld
Can we wake up Mel Brooks and ask him really nicely to write up a comedy based on the next 4 years (at least) of politics?
We’d even let him call it Blazing Saddles II
different church-lady
*scratches head*
The… guy… was… a… life-long………. POLITICIAN, YOU NITWITS!!!!!
HOW THE BLAZING F**K DO YOU “POLITICIZE” A POLITICIAN?!?
Chad N Freude
@JK:
I listen to Limbaugh occasionally (until my ears start to bleed), and I have yet to hear any Excellence in his Broadcasting.
Chad N Freude
@JK:
Judging from the spew you quoted, Limbaugh has clearly lost all contact with any thought process more sophisticated than that of a seven-year-old schoolyard bully. Assuming he ever had it at all.
ed
OK, maybe Rush isn’t really a racist.
And maybe he is.
General Winfield Stuck
@BFR:
Yes, I’ve been saying that all along. This play’s script was written well before the show got started. The dynamic change I do think has happened, regardless of name changing the bill, is it is going to make it harder for Senate dems (blue dogs) that have been wavering and guffawing to throw more monkey wrenchs into the process, or filibuster, or to vote no when it’s time. Nelson won’t change and maybe one or two others, on a bill with a PO, but some others will have to think twice,
Seth K.
I completely agree with the statement that Kennedy’s death will and has been made into a political catalyst for his health care legislation but we must ask, is that a bad thing? Part of the legislation would require that employers and companies help pay for some of their employees health care. I personally think that this is a fair contribution to make. If the legislation passes which I believe it will, the democrats will be scoring a point. Much like art is worth more once the artist has passed, Kennedy’s legislation carries more weight now that he has passed as well.
It’s not always the best to only take something seriously once the person pushing for it has died but the death has drawn public attention to the legislation which gives it tremendous power.
Demo Woman
I watched Wellstone’s service and one of his aides giving an eulogy was in obvious pain. The next day MSM misrepresented what actually happened. I was shocked. Wellstone’s aide needed a hug, not a slap in the face.
It appears that the whackos are already planning on rewriting the Kennedy funeral before it even occurs.
Can we now change MSM to WMSM or better yet FWMSM?
W=whacko or wacko and the F you can figure out.
Litlebritdifrnt
I posted something about Limbaugh this morning but BJ eated it. Anyhow, Scarborough said something earlier this week which I agreed with and surprised me at the same time (cause I had not really thought about it until he said it). They were talking about Limbaugh’s influence on the Republican Party and how the repubs seem to think he is all powerful Scarborough said “he has no influence he spent every day during the primaries campaigning against McCain and yet he couldn’t even stop McCain getting the nomination.” I thought bingo! Limbaugh, Ingram and Hannity all spent an inordinate amount of time campaigning against McCain because he was not “a conservative” and yet they couldn’t stop him getting the nom. I think Limbaugh et. als. influence is restricted to their listeners echo chamber and NOT the majority of republicans. The majority of republicans ignore them, the elected republicans should do the same.
Litlebritdifrnt
Hmmmmm
Chad N Freude
@ed:
Unfortunately, Harry Shearer, the extremely talented satirist, Simpsons voice, and liberal commentator, has produced this CD
(Just in case the link code fails: harryshearer.com/projects/cd_dvd/#songs_of_the_bushmen)
Rosali
Isn’t accusing someone else of politicization itself a form of politicization?
Fighting the “War on Terror” by issuing bogus terror alerts and warning of the impending mushroom cloud from Iraq in order to scare your citizens into supporting an illegal war is itself a form of terrorism.
Main Entry: ter·ror·ism
Pronunciation: \ˈter-ər-ˌi-zəm\
Function: noun
Date: 1795
: the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion
o kanis
Dems politicizing Kennedy’s death?
Tough.
Tom Q
For those who weren’t around at the time…the GOP rather shamelessly used the Hinckley assassination attempt to pimp for Reagan’s tax cut in 1981. Not to mention how many times they invoked “Win on for the Gipper”. As James Carville says, for Republicans, hypocrisy is as natural as breathing.
I think we all know this isn’t about anything but fear that Dems will manage to rally around the bill now.
wilfred
Why does politicization only have to mean health care? Kennedy himself called his vote against the Iraq war resolution the best vote he’d made in 44 years in the Senate yet I haven’t heard a goddamned thing about that, even though the funeral will be crowded with many of his fellow Senators who did vote for the resolution.
Politicization is inevitable. So is its mix and match feature that privileges only one aspect of his career.
Bender
You know, we’d have universal health care already if Teddy Kennedy hadn’t led the fight to defeat Nixon’s CHIP bill in 1974.
Alannis Morissette thinks that ultra-partisanship is ironic.
Jack
Hmm… When has a recently diseased Kennedy’s name been used to pass a hugely needed reform bill before…
Bill
Although Senator Ted Kennedy is eligible for interment in Arlington National Cemetry beause he is an Army veteran who held an elective office of the U.S. Government, why would he want to have his physical remains be at rest in the world’s most honored veterans cemetery?
I have no recollection of Ted Kennedy ever being an advocate for our national defense, for our military prsonnel or for our veterans.
Ted Kennedy’s interment at ANC is also personally distressing as I too will have my physical remains placed at ANC, approximately 100 feet from the JFK burial plot. My headstone is already in place.
One would think that Ted Kennedy would be more comfortable among his rich liberal associates in MA!
Bulworth
I’m striving very hard to avoid any Republicon commentary about Ted Kennedy. I won’t let them ruin this moment, this time to celebrate the life of a man, and a family, who has done so much for this country.