the cause of Ted Kennedy's life

[hfojvt]

will it be derailed on Tuesday by the voters of Massachusetts?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IDN4b58pTU

We had a lot more hope back in August of 2008.

The Obama administration was going to, we hoped,

"change America
restore its future
rise to our best ideals"

And we won in November. Not only the Presidency, but lots of Congressional races. Except, of course, in my own 2nd district in Kansas where our one term incumbent was defeated by a supposed moderate. :banghead: :argh: :nuke:

But after that victory, Republicans have fought us. First, was the shaky economy. Second, were their street rallies and opposition to and weakening of the stimulus bill. Republicans could still fillibuster in the Senate and they did. It took time for us to fill Obama's seat with Burris. The Republican, who couldn't give us Cheney for Fitzmas, managed to indict and taint Governor Blagovich, although he still hasn't been convicted or even gone to trial.

It took months and months and endless months to finish the recount in Minnesota and finally get the wishes of a very slim majority of Minnesota voters granted and put Al Franken in the senate.

However, we still didn't really have 60 solid votes because Lieberman was part of that group. Not to mention other wobblers like the Nelsons, Bayh, Tim Johnson, DiFi, etc. ad nauseum. Plus, Arlen Specter is now supposedly a Democrat. Riiiiight.

Republicans, the corporations, the media and other wealthy people, and the mighty wurlitzer of the Republican Noise Machine have been continuing to fight our victories and to prevent change and advancement. Here on DU, progressives have gotten impatient and disgusted with losses and mere partial victories and anger at a weak economy, and fear of future weakness, have joined and added to the chorus of negativity about Obama and the Democratic Party.

But I am digressing. My point is, we need to keep fighting. We cannot, or we should not, let our enemies, the enemies of progress and compassion win. Yet that is what they may do on Tuesday. And although some DUers are optimistic about that possibility, I do not share that optimism. Defeat on Tuesday would be a dagger to the heart of any hope of change.

"For me, this is a season of hope.

New hope, for a justice and for prosperity - for the many, and not just for the few.

New hope - and THIS IS THE CAUSE OF MY LIFE - New hope, that we will break the old gridlock (thanks to Republicans and conservadems, we didn't break the old gridlock) and guarantee that every American - North, South, East, West, young, old will have decent, quality healthcare as a fundamental right, and not a privilege.

We can meet these challenges with Barack Obama.

Yes we can, and finally, yes we will!

There is a new wave of change all around us, and if we set our compass true we will reach our destination.

Not merely victory for our party, but renewal for our nation.

This November, the torch will be passed again, to a new generation of Americans.

So, with Barack Obama, and for you, and for me, our country will be committed to his cause.

THE WORK begins anew.

The hope rises again

and the dream lives on."


A victory for Soctt Brown is a victory for Limbaugh, for Bush, for Beck and all the teabaggers. It will undo some of Ted Kennedy's work, or, at the very least, make further advancement that much harder. It will turn some hope into despair. It will be a dagger to the heart of the dream.

Massachusetts voters, you can NOT let that happen. NEVER GIVE UP! Keep the dream alive! Now go out there and win one for the Tedder.

[leftygolfer]

1. said so well

and now hoping for Massachusets voters to do the right thing

[Oregone]

2. Ill always admire Ted for standing up against mandated & subsidized private insurance

For pointing his finger at a shitty bill and saying it was partially written by the insurance industry to help their profits, and it was not good enough. A great public servant

[Rosa Luxemburg]

4. I do wish Ted was with us now

[BlueDemKev]

32. Ted Kennedy's Death Means Death of Health Care Reform?

The Lion's death will hurt so much more if it results in the death of health care reform, also (i.e.--if a Republican wins his seat). He fought for it his entire life.....

LIBERALS IN MASSACHUSETTS....FOR GOD'S SAKE.....GET OUT & VOTE FOR MARTHA COAKLEY TOMORROW!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[Rosa Luxemburg]

3. A victory for Scott Brown is a victory for the rich, corporate thugs

the MSM wants him to win because they are controlled by the corporations.

We should have wiped out the GOP in November.

[mdmc]

5. I'm sure the dem will win in MA.. I am amazed that the story has been

all about a dem loss in MA. A dem loss in a three way race. In MA!

That being said, MA already has a mandated for profit health insurance. People know that private for profit health insurance does not increase access to affordable health care..

Single payer medicaid might have been Teddy's dream, but this "reform" is far from that dream.

[Oregone]

6. Very far indeed

Ted fought down this version of reform when Nixon introduced it in the 70s, with scathing rhetoric. He had his own very viable compromise bill in the single-payer vein (Kennedy-Mills), but the unions weren't pragmatic enough to get on board at the time.

Oh, how the goalposts have shifted

[Tailormyst]

7. I don't think this waterdowned POS bill is what he had in mind.

[tridim]

14. His relatives disagree with you.

I think they know him better than you.

[Tailormyst]

16. Then I had the wrong idea about him all along.

:shrug:

[tridim]

21. If so, then you're not a real Democrat.

Not my problem.

[Tailormyst]

23. Well then I guess I don't need to FUCKING VOTE TOMORROW

But I will anyway, despite the way some of you are acting here today.

[tridim]

25. I'm defending TK on DEMOCRATIC Underground.

Why would that have any bearing on your vote tomorrow?

Strange days.

[Tailormyst]

27. I fucking give up.

I'm going to log off now, because frankly, the nastiness on this site today is making me even less enthusiastic about GOTV tomorrow.

[tridim]

30. Defending Democrats on DU is not "nasty".

It's defending Democrats.

[sharesunited]

20. Absolutely correct.

Here in his own words:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4Fm5sTHSrg

[hfojvt]

29. it really sucks that he was not around to fight to make it a better bill

But his wife and children are neither saying 'kill the bill' nor 'vote for Brown'.

[Tailormyst]

33. I'm not saying either one of those

I would like to see the Dems in congress get some backbone and make this into a bill we can be proud of.

[BlueDemKev]

34. Tailormyst.....

I know you're frustrated, we ALL are. America is still the only democratic industrialized nation in the world which doesn't protect its citizens with national health insurance. It's embarrassing, and even shameful.

However, Ted Kennedy understood that to achieve a goal, the right road has to be followed, even if it's a longer one. Health care is currently 18% of the nation's gross domestic product. The federal gov't cannot realistically reform nearly one-fifth of the nation's economy in one fell-swoop. The bill that was passed by the Senate on Dec. 24 if FAR from perfect, BUT.....it lays the groundwork to enact true health care reform in this country. As time goes by, it can be amended, altered, and have more meat added to it. THIS IS WHY conservatives are fighting against passing ANY health care reform bill, no matter how watered-down it is. They know that it's the first step on the road to national health insurance in America.

Do you think Sen. Kennedy would want you to stay home tomorrow??? If Coakley loses, the health care reform efforts of this Congress will die and we will not have the opportunity to take this critical first step towards reforming our broken health care system again for decades. Please, don't let that happen. Please, please go out and vote for Martha Coakley tomorrow and preserve Ted Kennedy's legacy.

"The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall NEVER die."

[Tailormyst]

39. I never said I would stay home

I've voted in every election since I turned 18. Coakley has my vote because the alternative sucks. I hate the health care bill and I am furious beyond words with the Democrats in congress and I have let them know it. However, that does not meant I want a republican to represent me...EVER.

I do however plan to work for every progressive primary contender in the future no matter who says they don't have a chance and I will never again work for someone who does not uphold progressive values through their deeds, not just their words.

[NJmaverick]

8. Very well said! Proudly K&R

:applause:

[BrklynLiberal]

9. It would be so very sad if it were the MA voters who killed the dream.

[BolivarianHero]

10. The voters did not fail Kennedy...

The Democratic Party has fallen short of Kennedy's ideals and those of its progressive base and is being punished for it. While the chastisement is perhaps well-deserved, the alternative is far worse, and we can only hope that it does not go far enough to get Brown elected.

[hfojvt]

11. sure there are

and it makes perfect sense, because that 'punishment' is bound to make the country more progressive.

[ddeclue]

12. If she is elected it WILL derail the cause of his life.

The Obama healthcare plan is a sellout to insurance companies - NOT the reform Teddy wanted.

Sad but true.

[leftstreet]

13. People don't realize Ted wanted Medicare For All

A Democratic Blueprint for America's Future
by US Senator Ted Kennedy
An Address by Senator Edward M. Kennedy at the National Press Club
January 12, 2005


An essential part of our progressive vision is an America where no citizen of any age fears the cost of health care, and no employer refuses to create new jobs or cuts back on current jobs because of the high cost of providing health insurance.

The answer is Medicare, whose 40th birthday we will celebrate in July. I propose that as a 40th birthday gift to the American people, we expand Medicare over the next decade to cover every citizen - from birth to the end of life.


For those who prefer private insurance, we will offer comparable coverage under the same range of private insurance plans already available to Congress. I can think of nothing more cynical or hypocritical than a Member of Congress who gives a speech denouncing health care for all, then goes to his doctor for a visit paid for by the Federal Employees Health Benefit Plan.

I call this approach Medicare for All, because it will free all Americans from the fear of crippling medical expenses and enable them to seek the best possible care when illness strikes.

The battle to achieve Medicare for All will not be easy. Powerful interests will strongly oppose it, because they profit immensely from the status quo. Right wing forces will unleash false attack ads ranting against socialized medicine and government-run health care.

But those attacks are a generation out of date - retreads of the failed campaign that delayed Medicare in the 1950s and 1960s. Today, we are immunized against such attacks by the obvious success of Medicare. It is long past time to extend that success to all.

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0112-37.htm

[ddeclue]

15. Please repost as a top level OP!

Excellent.

[tridim]

18. Great, can you please tell the REPUBLICAN CofC to shut the fuck up.

And quit lying about HCR for the Insurance companies.

Sad that you think what you said is true. You're completely wrong, ask Bernie Sanders.

[ddeclue]

26. I don't have to ask Bernie Sanders.. I'm a personal friend of Alan Grayson's

and I know what the truth is.

[tridim]

28. Grayson supports Democratic HCR.

What's your point?

[ddeclue]

31. Nonetheless this package is STILL a giveaway to insurance companies

that screws over the voters by forcing them to buy a policy from the insurance companies WITHOUT a public option and Alan, if he votes for it, would be doing it under pressure from party leadership.

Sorry if you are too blind drunk on the Kool Aid to know any better.

[hfojvt]

40. would they really do that?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=153x9379

[LWolf]

17. The current insurance bill on the table is not the cause of TK's life. nt

[Name removed]

22. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[flamingdem]

19. We need 60, support COAKLEY, and OBAMA !!!!!!!!! nt

[Tailormyst]

24. yup- I'll be voting for her tomorrow

[azmouse]

35. Thank you.

:)

[flamingdem]

36. Thanks!! nt

[FrenchieCat]

37. K&R!

[hfojvt]

38. kick

I cannot believe I did all this work trying to help a Democrat win

and I have less votes than William Pitt's three lines of mockery towards DUers.