We need you, Senator Kennedy. Rest, rest, and get well.

I hope he survives with all of his faculties -- we need his continued devotion to progressive goals. All of the spew of the right (and some of the left) about his personal pecadilloes have never obscured how hard he has fought for ideals beyond the imagination of the Rush Limbaugh pea brains of this country.

The tabloid treatment of Teddy over the years foreshadowed the empty, sensationalist coverage of politics which has now consumed our media . . .

Many of us share the sentiments of hereontheres.
Get well soon, Senator Kennedy.

We look forward to your recuperation and return to the Senate!

Not a Kennedy fan, but as with anyone in this situation, he is in my thoughts and prayers. Hopefully he will be up and around soon. Life is fragile and too short if nothing else maybe we hug our loved ones a little more today.

At least he'll be getting the best of care. God be with you Senator Kennedy. We really really really do need you. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

God bless you Senator and please get well soon!

Godspeed Ted. I railed at your medicare taxes when I was working but I'm grateful in retirement. Thank you Senator.

I hope he is OK. No matter what people think of the political bent of the Kennedys or of their personal "ways and means" :) the boys were part of one of America's smarter "first families", certainly smarter than the Bush dynasty. It's a shame they never got to realise their full potential with respect to the White House.

???

The Kennedys have been the best leaders Americans could ever hope for every single one of them, what a family, they saved America from Tyranny many a time, please get well Ted!

While I type on my computer the TV is on behind me, very often on CSPAN & CSPAN 2, and whenever I hear the familiar voice of Ted Kennedy more often than not I stop typing & listen. Although I have issue with some of the positions he takes he is usually on the side of the average person rather than just the 'upper crust elites', something rather remarkable coming from a person heir to wealth as substantial as part of the large Kennedy fortune.

There is little debate he is from a family who understand the blessing of great wealth carries with it an obligation to public service over just being self-serving, and despite his advancing age he has remained articulate, lucid, courageous, and engaged as an important participant in the public debate.

I wish we had more like him in Congress, and best wishes with his health issues.

This is the first I've heard of this. We need you in 2008- Good luck and good night- to quote the infamous Keith Olbermann.

Fuddgate-- two minor points: I would say Mr. Olberman is famous, not "infamous".

"Good night and good luck" was first coined by Edward R. Murrow (see film "Good Night and Good Luck" starring David Strathairn as radioman Murrow). I imagine Olbermann uses the tag line in homage to Mr. Murrow.

But, essentially, yes, absolutely-- we need Senator Kennedy, and I echo your sentiments and pray for a speedy and full recovery not just for the Senator and for the Kennedy family, but for our entire nation at this critical time.

You are correct on both points! I love KO but don't have cable tv anymore- so I only see him on youtube clips. Rachel Maddow is the bomb! Her radio show changed since she got all big and is now on MSNBC. I got the Edward R Murrow quote backwards- but it is still awesome none the less.

I have heard that Senator Kennedy had a Seizure and not a stroke or heart attack- just to let you know.

To militantlibrarian:

Because NCLB is so "progressive," right? I can't stop laughing.

Thanks for the update Fuddgate-- that's encouraging. I don't get cable either or network TV for that matter, so I too rely on on youtube/Google vid for my "TV". Don't know about Rachel Maddow yet-- will do a search. Thanks for the scoop ;-)

I am all over the Daily Kos- The premier democratic blog site. They often post YouTube vids of what is up with the democratic race. I am lucky to have a Radio America station in the Denver area. Many cities do not. Rachel is a dynamite lesbian- and how about that California court ruling- 4-3 saying that gay people are now allowed to get married!! Human Rights!

Mr. Kennedy's voice in the Senate, although senior brings a generous heart, a rare intelligence, and fair focused leadership values with relevance to the Country's national policy debate on our general welfare, domestic tranquility, common defense, blessings of liberty. Without him in the Senate relativism will creep frighteningly closer to becoming our National value system.

I once heard Senator Edward Kennedy called "the Lion of the Senate". That lion image has stuck with me for a number of years now. As I watch him on C-Span and read of him, I have been thankful for that Lion who can roar louder than the rest.

We all wish him well and we all pray that he can return to his role in the Senate for just a while longer...

Continually amused

Is Laura Bush the same girl that killed her ex-boyfriend in a car accident and didn't even get a ticket.?

continually amused - must be a troll. What kind of person brings up youthful indescretions, mistakes, and personal failures at a time like this? A TROLL.

I'm a conservative and never had much faith in the Kennedy bunch - but such comments are just indefensibly poor manners - at any time.

Has anyone else noticed the death spiral of comments in these responses? (Not just these responses--everybody's, everywhere.) Ten or twelve of the first responders will stick to the topic; after that, it's bile, flaming, ad hominem attacks, name-calling, vile insults, etc. Are we all suffering from short attention spans or what? Sad...

continually amusing, I believe a revision of your handle might be appropriate since offensive vulgarity is NEVER amusing. Attacking the messenger, and disregarding the content of the message is a typical Republican ploy to draw attention away from Republican inadequacies. Is this really how you prefer to be viewed? If so I would suggest you go elsewhere because on this site you will only find intense heat, and be disregarded as an inconsequential waste of time.

dr_h, there are those who seek only to disrupt the feast of reason that sincere progressives and sincere conservatives bring to the table here at commondreams and other open web sites.

Their goal is not mutual exchange and understanding but merely to prevent the exchange of ideas and mutual understanding by contributing comments calculated to offend, disgust, alienate, antagonize and ultimately drive away or shut down participants. They are not interested in winning arguments or the hearts and minds of readers, but only in winning a kind of propagandistic war in which the last one standing and screaming their dogma in an empty room is deemed the winner. They also win if they succeed in bringing the level of discussion down to their level (the death spiral phenomenon).

Yes, they are a kind of troll and, like all trolls, are best ignored.

They may be identified by their attacking nature and lack of respect for those who disagree with them and their unwillingness to present or receive logically structured arguments according to any reasonable rules of order and discourse.

The only solution is rigorous moderation, but there's far too much to keep track of on this site.

As a forum moderator myself, I've learned that certain personality types tend to take advantage of the anonymous nature of the medium and feed on attention. They are dogmatic, messianic and have huge authority and control issues.

But you all know this.

The rule is: Don't engage. Once you do they magnify, exaggerate and spin to take control of the thread.

Senator Edward Kennedy is the product of privilege period, he was made senator by his dad, as was his brothers.

I am not sentimental, we all are mortal, and hopefully age along with take us.

Not so for millions of others, victims of US mass murder. Ande we must remember that Senator Kennedy is a on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Voted for military funding of wars of aggression. And has not EVER spoken out intelligently on 9/11 or his brother, President John F. Kennedy's assassination. Where has been his integrity? What statesmanship has the man ever had in addressing the critical issues in his decades in the senate?

He is a perfect example why I adamantly reject the concentration of wealth in hands of a few - families. The Philosopher King that Plato processed has never materialized or been elected to office!

And there we have it, there are no elites by wealth what have a just claim to "represent" us. All policymaking should be the providence of the populous by direct popular vote.

With a centralized imperial plutocracy out of control, doing what comes natural to such concentrations of power, influenced by the concentration of wealth; is the downfall of all of us.

Had Massachusetts selected by lottery, their senators and representatives, they would have done better. And so it for the whole nation. But, why leave it in hands of few, when it is our responsibility to be accountable for what is done in our name, the 'We, the people of the United States?

So, the would be king is dead, Long live the king, is also dead! I am addressing the institution itself, our form of governance, and pointing to Ted Kennedy as another example, of the preposterousness of maintaining submission to a repressive system designed to destroy democracy in the first place! Just has we have the Right and Power to make law http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initiative">at the level of state government, in 24 states and the District of Columbia [1], and is also in common use at the local and city government level. The initiative has been recognized in the US since at least 1777 when provision was made for it by first constitution of Georgia.

The 9th Amendment of the Bill of Rights, states:

'The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Since all state constitutions have to be in accordance with the US Constitution, and in 24 states laws are made by popular vote, it is absolutely lawful under the US Constitution as protected as our right to do so.

Further is the power in the 10th Amendment:

'The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people

The Bill of Rights, are amendments, which supersedes,changes,overrules anything to the contrary in the original body of the US Constitution. Including:

'Article I Section 1. All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.

So our Power and Duty as 'We, the people of the United States of America' is to rightfully assume our Powers by withdrawing our proxies from our esteemed politicians, and govern directly ourselves in making the Law of the Land by popular. After all, we are supposedly elect the president, as well as Members of Congress, state legislators, governors, mayors and such. How does it not follow that we could not order the troops to cease-fire, apologize and come home? That we repeal the Patriot Act and its significant others!?

Senator Kennedy would sneer at these thoughts, disparage them in violation of the 9th Amendment, in spite of his years on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

This is one radicals perspective, on a jaded system, that does not represent me, and the best interest of the vast majority of the people in the US and all of the world. It is a system that has stained us, by genocide, slavery, war crimes, and allowing High Treason to rule with impunity.

Continually amused

You have a funny way of keeping score...But as vile as this incident was...laura's husband wouldn't make a pimple on E.K."s ass where the american people are concerned.

Hey I just got through with the pages, I should say Pretty nice work done there.
Thanks,
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