Thanksgiving Day is the ultimate time to report news that you’d like to have on record, but unremarked. So yesterday, the Cape Cod Times reported this item:
With a decision possibly looming in the weeks ahead, the proposal to build the country’s first offshore wind farm in Nantucket Sound could face another delay.
Earlier this month, U.S. Sen. Paul Kirk, temporarily filling the seat held by the late Edward M. Kennedy, sent a letter to President Obama urging that any decision on the proposed 130 turbine wind farm in Nantucket Sound be delayed until a national policy on ocean management and planning is in place.
Link HERE
Interestingly, the Associated Press REPORTED the same day that Kirk was non-participatory – “He’s pretty milquetoast,” said Thomas Whalen, an associate professor of social science at Boston University and author of “A Higher Purpose: Profiles in Presidential Courage.”
But he found time to erect another delay for the wind farm. The Kennedy family got their pick right after all.
I’m happy to go on record in saying that Mr. Kirk is a schmuck for opposing Cape Wind. But, do you really think that a President who ran on green energy (amongst other things) gives two whits about what an interim Senator writes?
Is the fierce urgency on this board of replacing Kennedy ASAP so that we had two representatives yet the complete lack of action on the part of Kirk to advocate for us. We haven’t seen him on television, he isn’t reaching out to the people, the constituent office is still dead, it’s as if he is mocking all those who demanded we change the Constitution to have a functioning Senator.
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p>With press releases like these it begs the question was it really worth it? Just to get a seat warmer?
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p>At least Burris used his appointment to do some real damage.
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p>He did cast the needed vote to open the health care reform debate. In the end, that may have been worth it.
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p>The Globe has the story today. Good news:
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p>And there’s this:
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p>Sigh…
I’m neither surprised nor particularly discouraged that he’s basically acting like a substitute teacher (which I’ve been for a good chunk of my adult life so I’m not disparaging substitute teachers). If I were the interim I might behave similarly.
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p>What was Kennedy’s problem with Cape Wind anyway? The Hyannisport NIMBY argument seems a bit of a stretch since my understanding is that the windmills would be well out to see an MAYBE only barely visible even on the clearest of days.
Of course it was worth it. As Jasiu says, he was the 60th vote to move health care to the Senate floor. No interim Senator, no health care bill (or, perhaps, a health care bill with some horrendous concession to get Olympia Snowe to vote for it).
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p>And what is your evidence for saying that “the constituent office is still dead”? Maybe you’re right, but I haven’t seen anything to indicate that you are.
in his short time in the Senate, he provided the 60th vote needed to move the health care bill to the floor of the Senate for debate. Tune in Tuesday CSPAN2.
The thing that annoys me is that Patrick took the step of appointing the guy that the Kennedy family wanted — as if the family somehow could/should exercise ownership over the seat. Now that their guy is in, he not surprisingly turns out to be an empty suit who does their bidding on Cape Wind — why should anyone be surprised?
I’m actually not quite as disturbed that the elected Senator’s preferences were given great weight. I would say it is his seat until the voters determine otherwise. Kind of like when I substitute teach my services are sometimes specifically requested by teachers because they know I will keep things running close to how they would want it.
The rationale wasn’t that we wanted the 60th vote for expediencies sake, it was that we demanded full representation in the Senate. he clearly is representing the interests of one political family and not the people of his state by stalling Cape Wind. Luckily that family will finally really have its hands off the seat when we elect someone new.