Teddy Kennedy Wants to Change the Law Just For Him

Ted Kennedy is apparently in his last days as U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, and he thinks the state should ignore the law enacted in 2004 that requires a special election to replace departed senators:

In a personal, sometimes wistful letter sent Tuesday to Governor Deval L. Patrick, Senate President Therese Murray, and House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo, Kennedy asks that Patrick be given authority to appoint someone to the seat temporarily before voters choose a new senator in a special election.

Although Kennedy, who is battling brain cancer, does not specifically mention his illness or the health care debate raging in Washington, the implication of his letter is clear: He is trying to make sure that the leading cause in his life, better health coverage for all, advances in the event of his death.

In his letter, which was obtained by the Globe, Kennedy said that he backs the current succession law, enacted in 2004, which gives voters the power to fill a US Senate vacancy. But he said the state and country need two Massachusetts senators.

Democrats are not known for their allegiance to laws that are inconvenient to them, so it wouldn't surprise me if Patrick tried to pull something here.

Secondly, if Kennedy wants a quick resolution to the empty Senate seat, why doesn't he resign today and speed up the process?

Ace agrees and gives some background on how the law came to be:

First, that 2004 law was put into place because Democrats were horrified at the thought Mitt Romney might appoint a successor to John Kerry had the latter won the presidential race that year.

Now that a Democrat is back in charge, no worries about that and no need for the people to decide anything.

Second, this is admittedly unkind but unavoidable given this letter....Kennedy's concern about the people of MA having two Senators is noble and all but it doesn't concern him enough to resign. He hardly ever shows up (for more than obvious reasons) and Democrats know one reason they can't get cloture on health care is Kennedy (and Byrd)probably won't be there to vote.

It's unseemly to point this out (though it's true) and I wouldn't but for the fact that Kennedy and his acolytes are making him out to be far more noble than he is.

The third reason this letter from Kennedy reeks is because it was clear early on that he was interested in having his wife succeed him. Obviously that would be much easier should the governor appoint a successor and give her a leg up for any special election (should they keep that feature).

Kennedy's wife apparently denies she's interested in the seat but things change. I'm sure they'll be a "popular" cry to honor Teddy this way and noblesse oblige being what it is and all, she might be persuaded.

Regardless of the sympathies that might be invoked by the letter, I doubt there's anything legal that Patrick could do to change it. It's nice to see Democrats pay the price for their own political games once in a while.

And frankly, given that Kennedy has been unable to attend two major events recently - the funeral of his sister and the White House ceremony giving him the Presidential Medal of Freedom - I have my doubts that Kennedy even wrote this letter. You have to wonder if there's some other motivation by family members to get this out there.