The passing of Ted Kennedy and what it means in the healthcare reform debate

August 26, 1:10 PMJacksonville Republican ExaminerPatrick McMahon

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Early this morning, news broke that longtime Senator Ted Kennedy died after battling brain cancer for over a year. While I disagreed with his ideology, I respected the man. He served as a senator from Massachusetts for 46 years, taking office in 1962. He is a historical figure because he is the last surviving Kennedy brothers, seemingly destined for the White House, but he never got there due to personal scandals. The Chappaquiddick scandal, where Mary Jo Kopechne died, forever ended his chance to become president. That scandal, coupled with decades of womanizing and alcoholism, made Senator Kennedy a tabloid sensation. The Kennedy mystique made him a fascinating figure in American politics and his tremendous record as a legislator will forever seal his legacy. A poll commissioned last year showed that Republican senators chose Kennedy as the best Democrat to work with and would look for common ground with his opponents. Both sides of the aisle will miss Ted Kennedy.

Kennedy has long made it known that his signature issue was healthcare reform, and that just happens to be the major political issue being discussed around the country. While the debate raged on in Washington and around the country, it was noticeable that Kennedy was not actively involved in day to day discussions of potential legislation. He would not have taken such a partisan route that many have undertaken in order to pass the bill. Many Democrats are calling for the Congress to rename a healthcare bill for Kennedy and to pass it “for Ted.” While it may be honorable to name a bill after someone, and I encourage them to do so, it is irresponsible to pass healthcare legislation solely in someone’s memory. Americans have made it clear to the politicians in Washington that they don’t like the ideas on the table and do not want a government run option. Invoking Senator Kennedy’s memory in order to pass a bill, without adequately answering the questions and comments of Americans, is shameful.

By all accounts, Ted Kennedy would have sat down with the Republicans, found the common ground and gotten a bipartisan bill passed. The Democrats in both houses of Congress have apparently forgotten how to do this and want their way or the highway. If our elected officials want to truly honor Kennedy’s memory, then they would work out a bipartisan piece of legislation instead of a radically liberal one. Democrats should be warned not to turn a tragedy like this into political theatre, designed to further your cause. It has been done in the past before with the late Senator Paul Wellstone (D-MN) in 2002 and completely backfired on you. This is a time for reflection and mourning, for some, so leave the healthcare politics at the door. Doing an end run around the American people, using Ted Kennedy’s death, is shameful and will ultimately fail.

Here is some news footage about Kennedy's death: