Special Election Date to be Announced

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick will make an announcement sometime today (Aug. 31) when the special election will be decided. He has to pick a date, between 145 - 160 days from now, as to when the people get to vote on a new senator, to replace the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy. Possible people that have been rumored to run on the Democratic ticket are: Joseph Kennedy, son of the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy, Ted Kennedy Jr, whom I doubt will run, but then you never know. Also mentioned is Teddy's wife Vicki, but says she has no intentions of filling his seat, even if it was only temporary. As for the Republicans, no one has announced who will run on their ticket.

As for Massachusetts politics, strange things do happen, and believe me, when I say that, it is true.

Update: Gov. Patrick said that Vicki Kennedy is not interested in the vacant Senate seat.

Ted Kennedy Jr at the JFK Library

Hearing Ted Kennedy Jr talk about his father at the JFK Library was inspiring. He recounted his childhood days, when he was stricken with cancer in the leg, and had to have it amputated. His dad stayed with him in the while he was in the hospital. When he told of the story about he his dad bought him a sled, and said 'we are going to go up the hill' and Ted Jr said he couldn't do it, and his father said, 'yes you can, even if it takes all day, you will make it up the hill'. And lo and behold, he did make up to the top of the hill.

They were other memories that his son had told about his younger days with his dad. Some of it was funny, and some of it a bit serious. It all hit home, after hearing Teddy Jr speak about a dad that he really loved, and of a man who loved is entire family, and his country.

We all, or I hope we all learned a lesson in life, and if we did, then we will all be the better of it.

Quietness at Arlington National Cemetery

It was only fitting that the funeral of the late Senator Ted Kennedy, lasted past the setting sun. With the lightning in the sky, the quietness of the surroundings of Arlington National Cemetery, the three gun salute, and the playing of taps, was all a nice tribute to a man that most of us will miss, not only today, but tomorrow and for the rest of our lives.

I know he would have wanted it that way.

Teddy, I already miss you.

Sen Ted Kennedy 1932 - 2009

A well know icon of politics has left us.

Senator Edward M. 'Ted' Kennedy will sorely be missed. Over the years, he has done a lot for his home state of Massachusetts, but also for the entire nation. He was advocate for the needy, the elderly, school children. It didn't matter whether what race or color you are, he was there battling away in the Senate. If he couldn't get a full bill to be voted on, he would work both sides of the aisles, to make sure it gone done, or at a compromise worked out.

Ted Kennedy has gone through a legacy of losing three older brothers: is oldest brother Joe, John who went on to become president, and his brother Robert who was Attorney General of the US.

He also lost his John F Kennedy Jr, in a plane crash in 1999, and his sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who just passed away this August 11. He did not attend his sisters funeral, as he was bed ridden well, battling the brain tumor that has plagued him since May 2008.

What becomes of the health reform that has gone haywire, and without his voice to get it done right, I'm afraid will be watered down version of what he would want done.I hope that the senators and members of the House of Representatives, get together and start working on getting it the health care bill done, and done the way Ted Kennedy would have wanted it done.

Senator Kennedy was like the late actor from Boston, Jack Lemon who if he didn't know you, he was still your friend, as he no bad words for anyone, and thats the way everyone should act.

Senator Kennedy will be missed by the people of Massachusetts, and across the nation.

August Nuttiness 2

Michelle Obama watch what you wear. The crazies criticized you for wearing shorts, while you and the rest of your family was touring the Grand Canyon. If you wore jeans, or floor length gown, the crazies would find some fault with that.

Now, the First Family is going on vacation next week on Martha's Vineyard. What do they want them to do, stay home? Give me a break. The House and Senate shut down for a month. The Supreme Court goes on hiatus for three months. What's with that? By the way, George W would go on a six week vacation to his ranch in Crawford, Texas, and the crazies didn't say anything about that.

The Obama's deserve a vacation, and let them have their peace. The president needs to spend time away from Washington, and away from the loonies.

August Nuttiness

What is it about the month of August, that brings out the nuttiness out, such as: politicians, news reporters, especially the bone heads at Fox News, and right wing kooks like; Coulter, both Cheneys, and the wizard of bizarreness Sarah Palin. She can talk a fly off a toilet seat, with her discombobulated speech, talk or whatever one wants to call it.

Is it the heat? Is it the boredom for the politicians not to be in Washington, and some of them talk like they don't know which end is up. To hear some of these guys, going to so called town halls and spread lies, twist things around, read into something that isn't there, is beyond comprehension. I'm talking about the few Republicans that will do anything to sabotage Barack OBama's health care reform, with such loony tune talk like 'Death Panels', government getting between you and your doctor. How the US has the best health care in the world, when it isn't. 

If these guys think they are real serious and believe what they say, then they need a reality check, along with spending a day or two in the open fields, with butterfly nets.

Why Do I Even Bother to Vote

The health reform this country badly needs, is just about dead in the water. Why do I say this? There are several reasons: 1) The lies spread by Palin, Gingrich, Grassley, Limbaugh, Beck  and others. 2) The conservative Democrats are against public option, also the Republicans too, but that's to be expected. 3) The lies about the Canadian Health Care System, saying it does not work, people having long waits for surgery, longer waits to see a specialists, which all of those charges made by the insurance companies, certain politicians and conservative talk radio. 

Without Senator Ted Kennedy being in Washington to work on this bill, there was never anyone to take his place in getting it done, except for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who I believe would have been a pick to head the health reform committee, instead of Senator Dodd of Connecticut. 

The White House can say all they want, but if the Congress and the Senate are going to do things their way, by screwing this up, then they did a damn good job of it. And well they should be ashamed of themselves, as they get free health care at some of the best hospitals in the Washington/Baltimore area. There is just no need for the shoddy health care system we have in this country. There are some jackasses that say that the US has the number one health care, when in fact we rank #37. That is an outrage in itself, and should never be that low. 

Sometimes I say: "Why do I even bother to vote", and it is stuff like this among other things, makes it feel like its a big waste of my time.

A Great Speaker

Watching President Obama speak at the latest of his town hall meetings, it was a breath of fresh air, listening to a man who has a great command of the English language. The man is no slouch when he tries to get a point across, and he also dosen't talk at people. He makes you feel right at home.  I would put him in a class with the late John F. Kennedy, Senator Ted Kennedy and former President Bill Clinton. All four of these men know how to grab hold of the audience, and in return, have you understand what they are saying.

George W on the other hand, was at a complete, loss when it came to speaking on just about anything that came down the pike. I mean you could have had over sized cue cards, and he would still screw it up. He was not someone I looked forward to watching and hearing him speak. Bad. Just plain bad.

Sarah Palin, what can I say. The butcher of the English language. Listening to her speak, or attempt at trying to make sense of what she is trying to say, can be very hard on the ears, and the brain too. She just goes from subject to a totally different subject, in the same sentence. And speaking of sentences, she has a bad habit of doing sentence run ons. Goes from one sentence to the next, without even the slightest pause.This from a woman who spent six years and 5 different schools to get her degree in journalism. The less I hear from this woman, the better off I feel.

Afraid Not

Watching some of the clips of the town meetings, with some of the people who have nothing else better to do than disrupt the meetings, by shouting out, screaming like idiots and think they are getting their point across? Afraid not.

It seems that they must have forgotten what they learned in high school civics class, thats if they went to high school, probably dropped out, and went on with their lives.

One other thing, they only amendment they seem to know, or care to know is the 2d amendment, as all the others are just a waste of time. Sad...

Reason

Remember this: a person with smarts, cannot reason with idiots. Its a hopeless cause. This pertains to the lunatic fringe, loons, nut bags, and however way you want to describe the people on the far right of politics. 

I believe these people are just being used, for the advancement of the rich and powerful, such as the drug making and the big insurance companies. In the long run, these people are being duped into believing that health care reform will not work, so as to pad the big boys profits, at the expense of the little guy.

When all is said and done, the people that are disrupting the town hall meetings, more than likely never read even one page of the health care bill, and so they are just forced fed lies that they read on the internet. Then they will be the ones that will be sorry in the long run, and if they are not, then there is no hope for them.

 

Diplomacy

Its nice to see our former president Bill Clinton, securing the release of the two women from N Korea. This is very commendable of him, as he is well versed in world diplomacy, something George W was not. 

Clinton knows how to deal with people of all different walks of life. It dosen't matter whether a person is rich or poor, black or white, he has what it takes to get things done. It looks like he is going to be taking the place of Jimmy Carter, who also was well liked, and knew how to talk to different world leaders in securing releasing people, and worked on striving for world peace.

When I saw the video of Clinton being greeted at the airport, I had a good feeling, that would secure the release of the two female journalists, that were sentenced to 12 years of hard labor. 

There should be a special Hall of Fame for these two great men.

Painful Just to Watch

Watching the Baltimore Orioles on television, this weekend was painful. This is not the team of the 1960's '70s and early '80s, which the team was managed by "The Earl of Baltimore" Earl Weaver. Those great Orioles teams had probably one of the best pitching staffs in all of major league baseball. The four starters cmprised of Jim Palmer, Dave McNally, Pat Dobson and Mike Cuellar, and in one season, all of them were 20 game game winners. Of course they had other pitchers too, on through the years like; Ross Grimsley, Scott McGregor, Mike Flanagan, Tippy Martinez, who was one of the better relievers on the Orioles bullpen crew.

As for the infielders, outfielders and catchers, they're just to many to list. A few I will tell you about are; shortstop Mark Belanger, nicked named "The Blade" as it seemed nothing got by him, and made some hard plays that seem seem to easy. At third base was, Brooks Robinson, at second Bobby Grich, first base was big John 'Boog' Powell. In the outfield was Paul Blair, Al Bumbry, Ken Singleton and others. Catching was Rick Dempsey, Andy Etchebarren and Elrod Hendricks. 

There was a lot of enjoyment listening to the Orioles games on WBAL, in which I can hear after sunset. The radio tandem of Bill O'Donnell and Chuck Thompson, in my opinion was second to none in calling a baseball game. 

The Orioles also won three World Series, 1966 over the LA Dodgers, 1970 over the Cincinnati and in 1983 over the Philadelphia Phillies. The O's also lost three of the Fall Classics; 1969 against the NY Mets, 1971 and '79 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. They came close to going the World Series a couple of other times, but it wasn't their calling.

Since the late 1990s, the Orioles have been having nothing but losing seasons. It does hurt to see them lose games that they should have won. And if you don't have the pitching, or the big guy with the bat, your not going to win to many games.

I could go on, but it just hurts sometimes just thinking about, and this is one of those times.