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Kennedy campaigning for the U.S. Senate in 1962. (Senate.gov)
For all his faults and flawed liberal ideas, Senator Ted Kennedy was actually right on some political issues. What follows lists Kennedy’s true achievements.
War on Terrorism
After the tragedy on September 11, 2001, Kennedy supported the overthrow of the Taliban government in Afghanistan by the U.S. military.
In 2002 when the Iraq Resolution came before the Senate, Kennedy voted against the resolution that eventually authorized the costly and unproductive Iraq War.
Kennedy was also a strong supporter of Israel on foreign policy in the Middle East.
Supreme Court nominee votes
As a Senator, Kennedy voted to confirm Supreme Court nominees Sandra Day O’Conner, Antonin Scalia, and Anthony Kennedy. In 1990 while Kennedy was on the Senate Judiciary Committee, he voted against Supreme Court nominee David Souter, although Souter was eventually confirmed.
Miscellaneous issues
Kennedy was an advocate of raising the minimum wage and did so by his support of the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007.
He was also a longtime proponent of amending the U.S. Constitution to allow 18 year old citizens to vote. "Long ago, according to historians, the age of maturity was fixed at 21, because that was the age at which a young man was thought to be capable of bearing armor. Strange as it may seem, the weight of armor in the 11th century governs the right to vote of Americans in the 20th century," said Kennedy in 1970. His dream was accomplished in 1971 with the signing of the Twenty-sixth Amendment that lowered the voted age from 21 to 18.
For more information: See the slide show below and the headlines below.
GOP directing TV ad at Rep. Kratovil's constituents
How Catholic were Ted and the Kennedys?
President Obama's eulogy of Ted Kennedy (transcript)
Edward Klein: Ted Kennedy liked to joke about Chappaquiddick
Curt Schilling may run for Ted Kennedy's Senate seat
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Comments
What Ted Kennedy got right
His final days!
Nice to see you finally stopped beating the birth certificate issue, you have a new horse to beat now...KENNEDY...6 of the last 8 articles!
wow you call yourself a Marine and you dont even support the war in Iraq. Maybe you should go look at all the murders Saddam committed and or authorized. Then if you ever advance into a Career in the military you will learn there are alot of classified information on the Iraq war that proves weapons of mass destruction and where they are. Also we have photos of them being shipped out and our government knows exactly where they are. I could go on all day but i dont expect an online writter who has know actucal knowledge or experience in the military other then the reserves and zero in the USA government to know about this stuff.
John: North Korea had and used an actual WMD, a nuclear bomb recently. Using your logic, why didn't we invade North Korea?
Thanks John for your pointless post. I don't see you joining the military to go and fight in Iraq. Put your money where your mouth is. You are a chicken hawk, and also a horrible speller. I think you meant "no" instead of "know," "a lot" instead of "alot," and "actual" instead of "actucal."
Good article Sean. The "gentlemen" poster below me is an idiot, who neglected to read in you bio that you ARE in the service. Semper Fi, keep up the good work.
Yikes Sean - you list the minimum wage in the "good policy" column. I'll have to argue that's one thing for the "What Sean got wrong" list. But otherwise, thanks for the positive thoughts on the senator we conservatives love to hate.
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