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Teddy's Friends Raise Millions
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The Daily Beast has learned that despite a family vow against "premature eulogies," Kennedy's pals have $88 million in commitments towards a massive monument in his honor.
While the watchword from Hyannis Port is “no premature eulogies” for Ted Kennedy, the ailing senator’s friends are hard at work on an imposing monument to his career, the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the Senate. Just as presidential libraries have replicas of the Oval Office, the institute’s building—to be constructed on Boston’s Columbia Point, not far from the John F. Kennedy Library—will house a full-size version of the Senate Chamber.
Despite the recession, in a year of fundraising Kennedy’s allies have secured commitments for $88 million toward a goal of $100 million, said Jack Connors, a Boston businessman in charge of securing contributions. Connors said he expected to meet that target and perhaps reach $120 million, including federal money.
Connors said, “This will be probably the easiest $100 million I have ever raised—because of him…It is really amazing to watch people’s reaction, to listen to their stories about him.”
Peter Meade, chosen last month as president of the institute, said this week that activities and programs would begin this fall, even before any construction of the building has begun.
Eventually the institute will have programs for elementary- and secondary-school students, including a “Summer Senate” with two teenagers from each state working on simulated legislation from hearings through debates and votes. College students from the University of Massachusetts at Boston, which is providing the 4-acre site for the institute, and other nearby institutions will study the history of the Senate generally and Kennedy’s career specifically, especially the importance of working across party lines. The institute also plans to offer orientation sessions for newly elected senators.
Rep. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, who is seeking $20 million in earmarks for the institute in the House, said Kennedy “is the greatest senator in American history and the embodiment of the legislative branch as it was envisioned by the Founding Fathers.” The institute, Markey said, is more than a tribute to him because it will “improve civic education and inspire millions of young Americans to public service.”
For all the enthusiasm of Connors, Meade, Markey, and others working on the project, it has drawn criticism over its fundraising. Slate's Timothy Noah contends that contributions from the health-care and drug industries raise conflicts of interest for a senator deeply involved with such issues.
Meade dismissed the accusation, saying that of course groups and companies “who have worked with [Kennedy] the closest admire him the most. And I don’t think in his almost 50 years of public service anybody has said a contribution of any kind has changed any position he has taken on anything.”
Kennedy, like a Michigan senator looking out for the auto industry or one from Texas protecting the oil business, has worked for years to help the biotech industry in Massachusetts, a major factor in the state’s economy.
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Ozone69
How a man who let a young girl drown in his car as he swam to safety and then went to his hotel room to sleep (while she was still in the car at the bottom of a pond) gets re-elected term after term boggles my mind.
Cooper2
Unbelievable!! Instead of using the $100M to, oh say, benefit those without insurance, they spend it on a useless monument for an admitted drunk and womanizer with a "little" something known as Chappequidick. Why do we continue to lionize this man and the Kennedy's?? How difficult is it "stand for the poor" as you live a life a luxury?
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n--Y--toodogsGVidal
ozone...you are on glue
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n--Y--toodogsThis user is no longer registered.
n--Y--toodogsDobodob
The question is whether Kennedy's friends are giving their own money or their constituents' money. Kerry earmarked five million for the iIstitute and his office staff defended it by stating it created jobs.
In 1947, national health care was being promoted by doctors in Massachusetts because many were going without health care. When Kennedy was elected fifteen percent of the country was uninsured. Today fifteen percent of the country is uninsured. Fundamentally, our system of health care is no more efficient or fair now than it was when the Lion of the Senate began his careeer.
His contributions and failures have been overblown and minimized respectively because of his name. He is not a person to admire or emulate. And, I wish his pals would spend their own money not mine to honor him. Kerry especially seems like a creepy sycophant.
pricklypear
"He is not a person to admire or emulate." Well said.
pricklypear
"He is not a person to admire or emulate." Well said.
aackc1
Living in Massachusetts for 27 years of my life, all of which under Teddy's steady watch... Although I never voted for him, he and Kerry always were able to to bilk the federal tax payers for Massachusetts projects, like the BIG DIG. Personally, I believe he is a despicable murderer, drunk and a waste of a human being. I believe the healthcare bill will die when he does.
GVidal
I'm in Mass also....maybe you will die before him and we will be rid of your sorry a-s-s who is in the serious minority in MA.Barny Frank is YOUR new Senator...another great man.
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n--Y--toodogsGVidal
"Ozone" is sniffing glue. Kennedy is probably the greatest Senator in history and a GREAT man. This is a perfect honor to him. I only wish he had become President. We pray for you Senator...you have done God's work on earth.
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n--Y--toodogsSC0TTBL4M
And it could be worse... he could be a conservative cult member of "The Family".
We can be nit-picky and point out his flaws, but overall, I like Ted Kennedy. He continued his brothers' legacies after their deaths.They would be very proud.
VinnyB
If you're a LIBERAL democrat, even murder is forgiven.
GVidal
If you're a Republican, - being the Anti-Christ is part of your nature. It shows such an intellectual void as well - so deal with it. Liberals rule. Pray for socialized medicine.
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n--Y--toodogsAmericanPravda
In every man's life there is usually one instance, one salient instance, that allows you to get the measure of the man; to see what he really and truly is at his core.
In Ted Kennedy's case, that instance was Chappaquiddick. His movements, along with the attendant timeline, directly following the incident, tell you everything you want to know about Ted Kennedy. That he would chose to protect his reputation and his political career over the life of a young woman, tells you everything that you want to know about him.
aackc1
Hey G... is this the Barney Frank you are talking about? This great man. I hope your children grow up to be just like him!
A 1990 investigation by the House Ethics Committee was prompted by Steve Gobie, a male hustler Frank befriended and housed, who attempted to profit on his allegations that Frank knew he was using the home to see clients. Frank confirmed that he had once paid Gobie for sex, hired him with personal funds as an aide and wrote letters on congressional stationery on his behalf to Virginia probation officials, but Frank said he fired Gobie when he learned that prostitution clients were visiting his apartment.
Frank used his congressional office to fix 33 of Gobie's parking tickets.
These are the facts.
GVidal
lets talk about your perverted acts. Yes - I hope my children grow up to be honorable like BF - and not criminals like Bush Cheney and that hag racist Barbara Bush
mvtp47
A building for the purpose of educating ... sounds good.
A monument to Ted Kennedy ... only if it incorporates a larger-than-life bronze statue of a terrified woman drowning inside a car.
GVidal
typical comments and posts from racist backwards southerners - wishing that could have been born in God's country - the North.
What a burden to have been born in a wacky trailer park ridden mess of rebels.....who lost the war and are losing the country. So sad.
RighteousJudge
Great Great Great Great Great Great Man.
The Greatest Senator Ever.
Allan264
Reading some of these anti-Kennedy comments, reminds me that hate-filled a-holes typically come out of the ground whenever they are confronted with the fact that talented people who care to and work hard can really make a positive difference for their fellow human beings. Like Ted Kennedy has done. Also typically they to invoke a 40-year old car accident to defend themselves from feeling inferior. That is about the only thing they get right, by the way -- feeling inferior.
aackc1
Allan264, my apologies. But referring to a murder as a car accident is like referring to Michael Vick's treatment of dogs as playful banter. If this is the case, everyone that has killed someone via DUI, should get a free pass for a chance to do good in our society. That is really one of the most insensitive comments I have heard on this website. I feel for all the people who have lost loved ones due to behavior linked to drinking and driving.
Allan264
No need to apologize, aackc1, but referring to a car accident as murder does make your post look silly and, typical of your class of haters, way over the top. Same with your ridiculous post about Barney Frank. I too live in MA and Frank was my Congressman for many years. I've met him a couple of times and both times found him very well informed on the issues and aligned with changes I strongly agree with. What he proposes in the way of changes to current financial services practices, for instance, are desperately needed by our citizens. He, like Kennedy, is a credit to our state. You, unfortunately, are not. Whatever it is that makes you feel inferior is probably correct because in my experience people who carefully nurse their hatreds, as you obviously do,almost always turn out to be, in fact, inferior, and desperately aware of it as well. I know that it's not politically correct to speak plainly like that these days and it is better to be charitable and let bygones be bygones in hopes the inferior person will recover, but, alas, that seldom happens. And since you don't behave that way yourself, all the better to call a spade a spade.
bcaldwell
So what you're saying is that you are an enabler for a pimp and a promoter of wantin murder?
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