The Kennedy Wars
EmailFormer President Bill Clinton tweaked tweaked Obama-backing Sen. Ted Kennedy for “mess(ing) up” education reform by teaming up with President Bush and trying to undo all the good things Clinton did.
Sen. Hillary Clinton’s campaign, meanwhile, sees Obama’s JFK-invocation ad and raises with an ad featuring the descendants of RFK and Cesar Chavez.
It’s difficult to push back against the backing of Kennedy patriarch Teddy — especially when the liberal lion roared so loudly against the Clintons in his endorsement speech earlier this week.
As noted by others, the slams against the Clintons in Kennedy’s speech were clear — it was a deeply personal rejection of Clinton politics.
(Read it HERE and watch it HERE.)
“Let no one deny that truth” of Obama’s opposition to the war in Iraq in 2002, Kennedy said.
Obama’s campaign is “not just about himself but about all of us” … He will “rise above the old politics that parses us into separate groups and puts us at odds with one another.”
Kennedy said, “With Barack Obama, we will turn the page on the old politics of misrepresentation and distortion … we will close the book on the old politics of race against race, gender against gender, ethnic group against ethnic group, and straight against gay.”
Here’s a real ouch — “With Barack Obama, we will break the old gridlock and finally make health care what it should be in America — a fundamental right for all, not just an expensive privilege for the few.
“What counts in our leadership is not the length of years in Washington, but the reach of our vision, the strength of our beliefs, and that rare quality of mind and spirit that can call forth the best in our country and our people.”
And then, the Hillary-is-Truman, Obama-is-JFK crescendo: “There was another time, when another young candidate was running for President and challenging America to cross a New Frontier. He faced public criticism from the preceding Democratic President, who was widely respected in the party. Harry Truman said we needed ‘someone with greater experience’ — and added: ‘May I urge you to be patient.’ And John Kennedy replied: ‘The world is changing. The old ways will not do … It is time for a new generation of leadership.’”
Kinda puts that Teddy-messed-up-education-reform charge in perspective, no?
- jt
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Funny, when I heard Kennedy say “we will turn the page on the old politics of misrepresentation and distortion,” I assumed he was referring to the Republican noise machine (ably abetted by the complacent or complicit news media) and the history of vicious attacks on the Clintons. Is it so hard to imagine that he might’ve meant that with Obama we can hope to leave behind the baggage of all the myths and outright lies that have accumulated around the Clintons?
In fact your characterization of Kennedy’s praise of Obama as fundamentally a “deeply personal rejection of Clinton politics,” only supports that reading. Why must you twist Kennedy’s focus on what he likes about Obama into a “personal rejection” of Clinton? Who has been running the country for the last 8 years? Could Kennedy possibly have been referring to the Republicans when he talked about “the old politics of race against race, gender against gender, ethnic group against ethnic group, and straight against gay,” or is that just not in your script?
Posted by: cymatic | February 2, 2008, 10:09 am 10:09 am
I am a conservative Republican and I think the country does need to unite. I will not vote for a Republican at all costs. I hope that Obama is the nominee because I will vote for him. The dirty politics on both sides are ridiculous.
Posted by: Susan | February 2, 2008, 10:44 am 10:44 am
No Child Left Behind was a scam invented by Bush to tun our school systems over to for-profit and religious organizations.
Our kids were used as pawns by the right wingers who wasted vasts amounts of our kids precious time preparing for idiocy tests that were designed to punish and close public schools.
Bush should be impeached for obstructing our kids educations and for being a child abuser.
Kennedy should apologize for being so gullible and for not fixing the obvious crime of Bushes plan sooner.
Shame on both these men.
Posted by: hhkeller | February 2, 2008, 1:18 pm 1:18 pm
RFK’s widow Ethel, and Dwight Eisenhower’s granddaughter have just endorsed Obama today…….and the hits just keep on coming.
Posted by: dionysus | February 2, 2008, 3:29 pm 3:29 pm
Did not Clinton Vote the NCLB? lol
Posted by: seven | February 2, 2008, 4:48 pm 4:48 pm
OBAMA is the liberal candiadte that McCain will eat alive. He will show he is weak on National Security and be the LIBERAL thanks to Kennedy,Kerry Dean And Gore. Kennedy endorsement might be good within the party but it comes with what price? the kiss of death as OBAMA IS NOW THE LIBERAL CANDIDATE the tax and spend guy…did anyone ask why the republicans haven’t gone after him as they want him for the nominee. Could it be why so many independents are voting for him the bait and switch is going to happen in the election.
WEAK ON TERRORIST
TAX AND SPEND LIBERAL
THE SCANDAL AROUND HIS HOUSE and his poor judgement in letting his crimminal buddy help him buy his house
the list goes on but the republicans are silent…YOU TELL ME WHY
THEY DON”T WANT TO FACE ANOTHER CLINTON and in particular one that will carry Florida for the Democrats …Hillary is that person ..don’t be fooled VOTE HILLARY to stop the GOP
Posted by: Harry | February 2, 2008, 9:38 pm 9:38 pm
For O’Bama to claim to be a agent of change and then welcome the endorsement of a Senator with 47yrs in the Senate doesn’t make any sense.Don’t get me wrong I’m a Kennedy supporter from many moons ago but he is set in his ways and O’Bama is not going to change him.
Let’s face there is a power play between the Clintons and the heirarchy of the DNC. The Clintons don’t play the liberal games of Dean & Co. When Hillary wins they will lose power and then you will see real change.
Posted by: M.G.B. | February 2, 2008, 9:43 pm 9:43 pm
FULL DISCLOSURE: I’m an ‘Independent who is voting for Obama. The thing I gathered from Ted Kennedy’s endorsement of Obama was; Ted realized that with his tenure in Washington, he needed a change himself. He needed to surround himself with some “free-thinkers” and new ideas. Ted in his [heart-of-hearts] knows there is a strong need for [change] in Washington. The Democrats have control of Washington and nothing has really been done. He’s frustrated just like the rest of us. So, I give him credit for not wanting more of the same old partisan politics with the Clinton’s. Smart move Ted.
Posted by: DEE | February 2, 2008, 10:09 pm 10:09 pm
camalot bamalot its all of the same, I don’t have alot of respect for kennedy, he lost his stronghold and so he is far reaching for bama baby,kinda like he’s been adopted. what a great payoff to push forth his rotten liberal agenda. I refuse to live in la la land where life is good for a few and screw the rest. they made fun of john edwards 400 dollar hair cut while bama baby is wearing thousand dollar suits. Well there will be a pay day advance for bama winning the nomination. I’m laughing at what the return will be and if he can’t deliver look out new scandals on the horizon.
Posted by: Carol | February 3, 2008, 1:14 pm 1:14 pm
lol im waiting for nancy reagan to endorse obama then i will vote for him.
Posted by: Carol | February 3, 2008, 1:16 pm 1:16 pm
Has everyone forgotten the part of the JFK legacy that includes his daliances in the WH and elsewhere, his prescription drug use and abuse, his inability to pass legislation due to his lack of experience, not to mention the Bay of Pigs disaster? LBJ, the unlikeable president to many, got Civil Rights legislation and anti-pverty programs through. Affability should not continue to be the top criteria for choosing our nation’s leader.
The media may love and beknight someone who charms them, as they did in 2000 and 2004, but we all pay the consequences. Never doubt the power the media plays in creating and continuing the rise and fall of candidates. In 2000, they berated, ridiculed, and focused on the missteps of the guy who was the policy wonk (read: they guy who is extremely knowledgeable about world events and ideas to resove problems), Al Gore. And they gave a free pass over and over to the guy who would have been the kid in the class throwing spitballs from the back of the room, George Bush. The press made very clear their dislike of Gore’s personality, and how much they would enjoy having a beer with (and spending the next 8 yearsw listening to) Bush. When will Americans learn to choose the person with the best ideas and an ability to get good things done for the country?
Posted by: Lori | February 3, 2008, 3:01 pm 3:01 pm
Oh, and tho Bill Clinton was a centrist, he was somewhat of an idealist when he got to the WH in 1992. My understanding is that he got in there with a belief that he could change the system; hence, he undersetimated the power of big interests. He appointed Hillary to create a healthcare system for all and she tried to do it based on the interests of the people; big business stopped that. He wanted to give equal rights to gays in the military; he was forced into the issue prematurely and he underestimated the power of the opposition. Obama talks as an idealist with a vision, and he would have a learning curve until his vision caught up with the reality of the situation (tho I wish it weren’t the reality). Hillary has learned firsthand what is possible and how to get things done. We need someone to repair our image and relations in the world and return it to where it was when Bill Clinton was president. I think maybe Obama could do that in the future but Hillary can do that now.
Posted by: Lori | February 3, 2008, 3:17 pm 3:17 pm