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| Home Front: Politix |
| Is Vicki Kennedy ready to succeed? |
| 2009-02-21 |
| Sen. Ted Kennedy, wintering in an undisclosed location in Florida, may never return to the Senate, friends say, as his battle with brain cancer enters its final rounds. "He's someplace sunny, near the water, where he can rest and sail," said a pal of the senior senator. "Time is of the essence. It's very sad." Kennedy was rushed to the hospital after he collapsed during a luncheon that followed President Obama's inauguration, and returned to vote on the stimulus bill. Although family members have said publicly that the senator is doing "good," privately those close to Kennedy say he may only have a few months to live. "He's very sick," said another Kennedy associate. "He's actually done well to get to this point." Kennedy was diagnosed last May with a malignant brain tumor and his prognosis was poor. According to pals, the senator spent every day that he could last summer on the waters off Hyannisport sailing his beloved yacht, Mya . He has returned to Washington only sporadically since being diagnosed - most dramatically a month after his first seizure to cast the deciding vote on an important Medicare bill. Because of Kennedy's condition, off-the-record speculation about the future of his Senate seat has been rampant this week - especially in light of a seven-part Boring Broadsheet opus that is being widely viewed as a premature obituary. And yesterday's installment was interpreted by some close to the matter as the first step in a torch-passing to Kennedy's wife, Vicki. "It appeared to be setting up Vicki's senate campaign," said one insider. The story described the former Victoria Reggie as "a great lawyer" with "tremendous political skills" and "great sense of humor." It portrayed her family as Kennedy doppelgangers and Vicki's father, Edmund Reggie, as one of Ted's closest companions. "The Reggies and their six children had more than a little Kennedy in them," the BB wrote. "Edmund was an unabashed liberal from the heart of Dixie . . . 'Last one in the pool is a Republican!' the judge was known to bellow at his kids." |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #8 Wonder if Teddy will have a large screen view of the Senate from his seat in Hell? Or will that seat be in a submerged Oldsmobile....? |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2009-02-21 16:12 |
| #7 returned to vote on the stimulus bill One last act of malevolence. |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque 2009-02-21 16:00 |
| #6 Tu3031, You underestimate the level of evil the Dems of my Massachusetts can sink to. The Dem legislature is already considering reversing that rule and letting the gov make the pick. There is enough internecine warfare among Dems here that it may no happen, but I wouldn't bet on that. |
| Posted by: AlanC 2009-02-21 12:02 |
| #5 I always thought it would be Caroline, but after her atrocious performance in New York, that's up in smoke. Unfortunately for Miss Vicki, if she wants it, she'll have to run for it. The Dems, in their short sighted wisdom, decided to take away the governors authority to appoint a successor when evil Republicans held the office. The cannibalistic Democratic catfight for the seat should be a laugh riot. A lefty vs.lefty civil war... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2009-02-21 11:01 |
| #4 ...Enough of this nonsense. Our self-appointed rulers in DC need to be reminded that the last time we had hereditary leaders, we fought a Revolution to end it. Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2009-02-21 09:04 |
| #3 How sweet of them! They're going to keep the Senator job in the family. Mass. richly deserves the political machines that they have. a thoughtful vote could change everything, but it wont happen. |
| Posted by: Richard of Oregon 2009-02-21 08:33 |
| #2 premature obituary Yeah. Right. Hummmm...... Here's one: congressional staffer Mary Jo Kopechne abandoned by Teddy Kennedy to drown after car accident born on 7-26-1940 expired 7-19-1969 in Chappaquiddick Island, Masschusetts age 28 cause: drowned, trapped inside submerged car |
| Posted by: .5MT 2009-02-21 07:59 |
| #1 Maybe they should give the Kennedy seat to a real Kennedy - like Caroline. |
| Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2009-02-21 00:18 |