When it comes to the US Senate I encourage “politics as usual” and see no shame in it.
If Kerry became President then Romney would have appointed a Republican to a basically 50/50 senate. That one vote could have been the needed vote on various bills, amendments, motions; etc that significantly affects federal policies which our democratic state legislature honestly believed could not be in the best interest of Massachusetts residents. In other words, “we’re not going to help those crazy Republicans in Washington with their apparent far right agendas.”
Six years later and, if I understand correctly, a missing liberal Democratic Senator here and there results in defeat of any major change in health care paradigm championed by Ted and Obama, and Deval.
So keeping that needed vote in place is essential if the debate is to continue.
I’m not saying I agree with Teddy’s health care plan. I don’t.
I’m just saying I have no problem with the play they are trying to run. It is legitimate. Why can’t the players simply say so? Politics is not a four letter word. (And denial is not a river in Egypt)
Also, wouldn’t it be nice for Deval to appoint one of Joe’s twin boys to keep the seat warm until a big person gets elected? Then if Capuano or Lynch win the lad can run for the winner’s now vacant seat. That would make Teddy happy. Wait, I doubt they are 30 yrs old. Never mind.
With apologies for the timing, my role model of enlightened partisanship has always been Ted Kennedy. With one exception I know of — welcoming Andrea Cabral into the party after she promised Jane Swift she’d run as a Republican — Ted embodied, to me, the spirit of standing up for your beliefs, but within the rules. When he compromised, the other side did too, and he got something where others got nothing.
<
p>So to answer your question, the rules are agreed to by both sides. to ensure fairness. Not that they can never change, but one party changing them because it can is fundamentally unfair.
<
p>In retrospect, I’m wondering now if Ted knew how close the end was and wanted to make his presence (and especially absence) felt, so that the GOP would think twice about a filibuster. I wouldn’t put it past him.