Talk about someone devoted to what he believes in. Senator Ted Kennedy, who just passed the halfway point of a grueling course of daily treatments for brain cancer, traveled to Washington today so that he could vote for cloture (i.e., to break a filibuster) on a Medicare bill. Here’s the Globe report:
Breaking away from his treatment for brain cancer, Senator Edward Kennedy traveled to Washington today and made an emotion-filled return to the US Senate chamber where he cast the deciding vote to end a filibuster on a long-delayed Medicare bill.
Kennedy’s surprise return to the chamber he has served in for nearly 45 years made for high drama. He arrived at a side entrance and went straight into Majority Leader Harry Reid’s office. From there, he walked into the Senate chamber alongside Senator Barack Obama and his son, Congressman Patrick Kennedy, to a deafening cheer as the senators and visitors’ gallery leapt to their feet. Kennedy looked well and was smiling broadly. Colleagues from both parties hugged and kissed him as he made his way to his desk, where he waited for the applause to subside so he could vote….
Sixty votes were needed to break a Republican filibuster on the legislation. Kennedy’s vote brought the support for ending the filibuster to 60.
Amazing. Putting his own health on the line to do what he thought needed to be done to protect the health of others. That’s public service right there, folks. Thank you, Senator Kennedy.
Kennedy manned up and roared like a lion today.
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p>McCain was too busy chasing the presidency to show up for work.
Senator Obama found time to vote as well. Here’s a telling stat:
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p>99 showed up; one didn’t. Ouch.
filibustering this in the first place?
The money to pay for the increase in payment to doctors is being paid for by reducing the subsidies to insurance companies that offer Medicare Advantage plans.
but before we get too far down the “Kennedy showed up for work, McCain didn’t” line, do keep in mind that Kennedy missed the FISA vote.
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p>In my opinion, he’s got an entirely reasonable excuse… but let’s not get silly with the Kennedy v. McCain stuff, m’kay?
One made it to DC for one of two votes despite being in the middle of radiation and chemotherapy for freaking brain cancer.
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p>The other missed both votes because he was off campaigning somewhere, even though his opponent stopped campaigning to come to DC to vote in both cases.
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p>I’m OK with making the comparison.
The pro-freedom Senators were significantly short votes needed either to stop the bill or amend it, so Kennedy showing up wouldn’t have mattered.
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p>Kennedy technically wasn’t decisive on the Medicare bill either, but only because a lot of Republicans had a change of heart between the first vote, which failed only due to Kennedy’s absence and the second which Reid called once he knew he was coming. (The AMA running ads berating them for blocking the bill may have had something to do with this.)
…contrary to the highly disingenuous comments above.
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p>Ted & Barry were there only because the nose-counters determined that their votes were absolutely necessary to prevail.
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p>Had McCain’s vote been required, he’d have been there as well. Allusions that he was shirking his duty are pure bullshit.
Thanks for speaking the truth.
Or is this just another excuse to talk out of two sides of his mouth, like when he derided Obama for supportting the energy bill (which he missed the vote on) because it contained tax breaks for oil and gas companies (which Obama supported removing but the amendment fell short of breaking a filibuster, the critical vote being McCain’s.)
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p>See my Kos diary from a few weeks ago for more details on what I’m talking about.
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p>If McCain had supported the bill and cared about it he would have showed up the first time it was brought up and voted aye. Obama was there the first time. The fact that Kennedy needed to fly down from Massachusetts while undergoing treatment for a malignant tumor because the Republicans were largely unwilling to support a bill necessary for ensuring care availability for older Americans is a disgrace.
to see bipartisan affection for Kennedy as he entered the chamber. For whatever political differences senators might have, they all seem to recognize the positive significance of his work in the Senate.
MSNBC First Read has the statement
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p>Funny how 9 Republicans flipped when Kennedy showed up. Why wouldn’t they vote for closure before? Now that the Democrats had their 60 votes, it was CYA time for these opportunistic jackasses when returning to their home state and had to explain to their voters why they voted no.
Switching votes after a matter has been decided is a COMMON practice on BOTH sides of the aisle.
The same visitors’ gallery from which — in December, 1963, with the nation and his family still in mourning — I watched Sen. Kennedy address the Senate about his late brother, eloquently and with great dignity.
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p>The juxtaposition of personal tragedy and unwavering dedication to public service is there in both of these moments towards opposite ends of his political career. It’s no wonder that, for me personally, Ted Kennedy is the political figure I most feel a strong connection to, and measure all the others against.
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p>I’ve only lived in Massachusetts for 22 years, but — because of the things he’s fought for — I’ve been his constituent for much longer.
So that vote doesn’t matter. How many votes have each presidential candidate missed while on this campaign? Does it matter? Yes? If we count them and BO missed more than JM, would the answer change to NO? This happens every election.
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p>”… The deafening cheer…” Do you really think these guys give rat’s ass about Kennedy, or anyone else besides themselves for that matter? Seriously! The applause and cheering is for the cameras and the press. In more honest moments, they would tell you the disdain they have for most of their brothers in the Senate.
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p>As for the Medicare vote, is anybody trying to control healthcare costs anymore? I thot Dems would be controlling costs/payments and GOPS would be for increasing the fat 6 figure salaries of Doctors, but the reverse is true. This bill will increase Medicare costs to al of us, Great!
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p>Another part of the bill “Delays Competitive Bidding for Medical Equipment”. I keep reading about no-bid contracts in places like Iraq being horrible. Is this process now okay? Which is it?
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p>An earlier blog here said
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p>I could certainly comment here on “Teddy’s concern for others while putting his own health on the line” but I’m sure you guys would attack me with “low blow” complaints so I’ll avoid making you face the ugly truth.
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p>And do you honestly think the Republicans Senators changed their votes on this issue because Teddy showed up and “roared like a lion”?
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p>I guess Kennedy will be looked at like Manny and so many other celebrities (Allen Iverson, Charlie Sheen, Bill Clinton…). They can do virtually anything they want in their lives (even hurting innocent people), but as long as they hit the occasional home run, their fans will forget their bad deeds and cheer them on. We all get what we deserve.