No Democrat who calls himself a uniter should be taking cheap shots at Ted Kennedy, of all people, on healthcare, of all subjects. I just saw footage (click here) of Barack Obama from 2003 – and 2003 is not that long ago, kids – in his state senator days, when he actually said: “Ted, you’re getting a little old now…Ted, get some spine and stand up to the Republicans.” Telling TED KENNEDY to stand up to the Republicans?? This sounds far more like the Republican attack machine than Democrats talking about one of their own. Is calling Ted Kennedy old and spineless how Barack Obama envisions bi-partisanship? I want to believe a lot of what he says, but I just can’t when I see how he is in reality.
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p>Now….That’s really pretty nasty of Barack Obama to hav said that. He really did take a cheap shot at Ted Kennedy. To say that to a Democratic candidate who’s shown far more spine than any other Democrats in standing up to the Republicans is more than just a little bit far-fetched. I hope that Barack Obama issued an apology to Ted Kennedy.
Barack said this from a podium with a sign that reads “AFL-CIO Civil, Human, and Women’s Rights Conference”. Heaven knows I have my disagreements with Ted, but not on labor rights, or civil rights. This clip is hosted on YouTube by an evident Ron Paul nut, but I’ll presume the tape hasn’t been doctored at all:
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p>Frankly, on my list of concerns about Obama, this doesn’t rank that high. But it does confirm some things.
I mean, depending on the context, this could very well counte the image that Obama is so concerned with establishing a consensus, he won’t fight for certain things. If he’s farther to the left on civil rights/labor rights on some issue than Senator Kennedy, that could be a good example of when Obama fights for what is right, no matter the politics.
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p>Or, it could just be an example of Obama needlessly making a jab at a Senator in a far-away state to score political points at home. I’d like to see the rest of the speech.
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p>I think it’s the latter. The above-mentioned quote from your posts says it all…in a nutshell.
the line is clearly taken without context. any clue what issue he was talking about? Ted Kennedy’s not perfect and shouldn’t be off the table if he was over-compromising on something. health care you say?
Barack Obama calling out Ted Kennedy for political spinelessness is analogous to the bat boy of the 1927 New York Yankees calling out Babe Ruth for going 0 for 4 in baseball game against the Red Sox.
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p>When Barack Obama gets off his high horse and successfully sponsors and wins bipartisan Congressional support for just ONE piece of federal health care, labor, education, or civil rights legislation benefiting tens of millions of Americans, then I’ll listen to any complaint he has with Ted Kennedy’s politics or political strategy.
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p>Until then, Obama is just a dime store bloviating national politician with a resume thinner than Kate Moss’s figure. Obama’s flowery speeches, full of sound and fury, signify nothing in the way of actual legislative accomplishments in the policy areas of healthcare, labor, education, and civil rights. In contrast, Sen. Kennedy has been fighting and winning passage of of key Congressional bipartisan legislation in all of the above areas for over forty years and blocking the most noxious attempts to roll back progressive legislation by conservative Republicans. Which Senator would you rather have representing Massachusetts today?
Personally, I like Senator Kennedy’s response: