A New Haven paper is reporting that Ted Kennedy Jr. will decide within two weeks whether he
wishes to occupy the soon to be vacant seat. Mr. Kennedy is the son of the late
Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy.
Following Mr. Meyer’s announcement,
Mr. Kennedy praised the departing senator “for his outstanding service … and
for the exceptional work that he has done for the entire state of Connecticut. Through
dedication, keen intellect and personal commitment to constituent services, Ed
has given us a stronger state, especially in the areas of public safety,
economic development and environmental protection.”
Among other long term
considerations, Mr. Kennedy may be pondering the quickest route to the U.S.
Congress. Hillary Clinton, the wife of President Bill Clinton, ran for the U.S.
Senate from New York after Daniel Patrick Moynihan retired. She then ran for
President, losing to current President Barack Obama, who appointed her Secretary
of State, a ramp that some hope may lead to the presidency. In Mrs. Clinton’s
case, straight was the gate and narrow the way.
Mr. Kennedy, however, will find his
way to higher office blocked by Connecticut’s two newly minted U.S. Senators,
Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy. Connecticut’s Senior U.S. Senator Blumenthal
is but a babe in swaddling clothes, having been elected to the chamber only four
years ago. Mr. Blumenthal replaced a U.S. Senator of thirty years standing, Chris Dodd, and Mr.
Murphy replaced a Senate fixture of twenty-four
years standing, former U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman.
Turnover in the U.S. Senate is
infrequent. The advantages of incumbency have made it very difficult for
challengers to unhorse any U.S. Congressman. Unless the grim reaper intervenes,
Congressional positions do not often open up – even for Kennedy’s. Term limits
would solve this problem and, at the same time, recirculate politicians in what
has become, for lack of a better word, a closed shop. The possibility that
either Mr. Blumenthal or Mr. Murphy might surrender their seats so that
Connecticut might become, like Massachusetts, a political nesting place for the
large Kennedy brood, is remote.
There will be no room in the all Democratic
U.S. Congressional delegation for future House members, and Governor Dannel Malloy
very likely will continue in office until Hell freezes over.
So then, Mr. Kennedy probably would
do better to plant his flag in some other receptive state – if he has his mind
set on national service in Washington D.C.
As a last resort, Mr. Kennedy might
consider quietly changing his party affiliation to Republican, in which case
the world of Connecticut politics would be his oyster. There are plenty of Republican
spots open in Connecticut’s U.S. Congressional delegation, and a change in affiliation
is easily done. Mr. Meyer himself served in the Republican Party in New York,
and it did not hurt his political prospects a bit.
Comments
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Everything being relative lo these past 100 years or so, it appears to me that the problem is not so much the narrow gate and way, but the candidate's inordinately wide load. She ain't no way tired, knows at this point what difference it makes, and will press the reset button on her campaign to be National Executive.
If we could, as we should, re-amend the Constitution to restore the U.S. Senate to its original function representing the states, perhaps the Kennedy fellow would stand a chance to replace Blumenthal in a couple of years. The Dems in the State legislature might go for a younger law school grad, even if he never served in Vietnam. Certainly, Ted Jr. would have had a very good chance of replacing Senator Lieberman after he did whatever it was he did to infuriate the Nutmeg moonbat community.
Please, we are Constitutional Republic, not a Monarchy.
For the sake of the country, no more Bushes, Clintons, Kennedys and dear God, no more candidates named Obama.