Kennedy’s legislation has saved and improved the quality of countless women’s lives, and how come we don’t hear MRA types saying that because Michael Dutton Douglas had a Y chromosome that all of the work Laura Bush has done standing by and supporting her husband’s anti-abortion, anti-woman legislation is for naught?

To be perfectly honest, I would sort have preferred he step down; this being MA, we would have had no trouble finding another long-term Dem who would’ve had an equally distinguished legislative record over decades.

I think W’s drunk driving arrest in Maine is a lot more relevant.

Had Ted Kennedy committed the crimes of drunk driving, leaving the scene of an accident, killing a passenger, etc. today, he would likely have done jail time and would not have been reelected, even in psycophantic Massachusetts. I think the incident still raises some real questions about his judgement.

He should have retired years ago - either that, or Weld should have served out his term as governor and then gone after Teddy instead of Kerry. Even though Weld is a republican (although one hated by the reich wing and neocons) we would have been better off.

Maybe somebody should point out to Teddy Quixhote that wind power doesn’t make the kind of pollution that puts people in the hospital for cerebralvascular events.

Absolutely true. Whether they will get a large enough majority to ignore the Rethugs is the only remaining question.

But I can’t help worry about American’s preference for divided government, which combined with the ambient racism level could keep Obama out of POTUS.

I sure hope not. Obama is a much better answer to our problems than McCain, even if McCain actually was the “maverick” too many seem to think he is. The “Real McCain” would be another 4-more years of disaster America cannot afford…

Whatever happens on the Presidential level this year, its pretty clear there will be large majorities of Democrats in Congress. And unlike the earlier Democratic majority, its much more ideologically coherent and to the left. There aren’t any Dixiecrats to screw it up this time. They’re either dead or Republicans now.

I disagree.

Looking back, it’s obvious that Carter’s election was an aberration, and only happened because of Nixon’s faux pas.

Carter was an interruption of solid Republican dominance in the wake of Johnson’s creation of the Republican South as a side effect of his Civil Rights legislation.

Between the Angry White Man and the Solid South, the Reichwing should have been able to maintain a stranglehold on POTUS for 50-years or more. It has only been the accumulation of stupid mistakes, capped off by the disaster of Bush Jr. that has left them vulnerable.

Even now, it’s unclear that the general anger many have toward 4-more years of Bush/Cheney-style irresponsibility will overcome the deep racism many Americans harbor.

It’s going to be interesting. I just wish I was watching it from the outside - instead of being strapped into the American rollercoaster alongside everyone else…

As for Chappaquiddick, the guy saw two of his brothers whom he idolized brutally shot and killed. Of course he is going to have a messed-up personal life.

Without Chappaquiddick, though, I think he could’ve beaten Carter and Reagan in 1980. If only…

And frankly, I’ve heard Chappaquiddick referenced so many times I’m just tired of hearing about it…

Okay. Yes. If Clinton had done it, the right wing would have gone batshit. But wouldn’t they have been wrong to do so? Isn’t it relevant that they would have been wrong?

I’m not an advocate of unilateral political disarmament. You want to make hay over Cindy McCain stealing drugs? Go for it. It’s fair game. Hanging Bush’s DWI around his neck? Absolutely. But I just don’t see the point of bringing this up, and I just don’t see it doing any good.

And I’ll note as well that when Kennedy got into his car accident, he was 37 years old. He was out in the middle of the night partying, and most likely driving drunk. He was 37 years old, a US Senator, and the married father of two small children.

I think Chappaquiddick jokes are disgusting, and I don’t think that incident has any relevance to Ted Kennedy’s current political career. But to equate it with Laura Bush’s history strikes me as a little strained.

(Apologies if this somehow posts twice. It didn’t go through the first time, and I’ve given it ten minutes or so to show up.)