Report: Patrick Kennedy calls Brown's candidacy a ‘joke’

Boston Globe ^ | February 5, 2010

[reaganaut1]

The son of the late US Senator Edward M. Kennedy has criticized Senator Scott Brown for accelerating his swearing-in, saying it showed Brown's candidacy was "a joke," a publication that covers Capitol Hill reports.

Representative Patrick Kennedy, a Democrat from Rhode Island whose father held Brown's seat for 47 years until his death last year, said Thursday that "Brown's whole candidacy was shown to be a joke today when he was sworn in early in order to cast his first vote as an objection to Obama's appointment to the NLRB," according to The Hill's Blog Briefing Room. "Senator Brown is eager to start working on behalf of Massachusetts families on policies that will create jobs and help the economy. He won't be sidetracked by negative partisan attacks that do nothing to help Massachusetts families find work," said Felix Browne, a Brown spokesman.

A spokeswoman for Kennedy didn't immediately return messages seeking comment.

Brown abruptly announced Wednesday that he wanted to be sworn in Thursday, a week earlier than the Feb. 11 swearing-in his campaign had been planning. Brown has said he wanted to start working immediately on urgent issues, but there has been plenty of speculation about exactly why he made the move.

Brown declined to say Thursday whether he would participate in a Republican filibuster of the Obama administration nominee, union lawyer Craig Becker, to the National Labor Relations Board, which brokers disputes between employers and unions. Becker's nomination could come up as early as Monday, possibly providing Brown his first chance to join Republicans in blocking a Democratic proposal.

Kennedy told The Hill that Brown had gotten strong support from labor households and his first vote would be "the most anti-labor, the most anti-what his constituents thought they were voting for when they voted for him."

[Bitsy]

The real joke is that the last vestige of “America’s Royalty Family” is this halfwit.

And, really thinks he has relevance.

[pburgh01]

You whole stinking family from your Irish gangster scumbag Grandfather to the rapists, murderers, adulterers and other assorted degenerates is a joke. I do salute JFK and the son that dies in WWII only ones that worthy of not being aborted after the bunny died. Bucktoothed indbreds

[HerrBlucher]

Not only is their free ride over, it went off the road into the river.

[Beowulf9]

Let’s see who gets the last laugh, Pat.

[albie]

“Prepare to say goodby to your seat in November Pat. Payback time”.

...pardon my ignorance, is pat up for re-election in Nov and, if so, is he behind?

[tatsinfla]

i don’t know...i think he is pretty well pickled these last 5 monthes...(just saying)

[Gabrial]

Real class Patrick.

Sour grapes perhaps?

I hope you enjoy the private sector, be aware the job market sucks.

[sarasota]

I thought I read that somewhere...???

[Redleg Duke]

Somebody post the picture of the Dean from Animal House saying “Drunk and Stupid is no way to go through life.”

[savedbygrace]

Brown moved up the swearing in date because the Dims had pushed up some votes they needed 60 for. End of controversy.

[businessprofessor]

I hope that his Republican opponent plays for keeps. Patches is one of the most despicable rats, a tremendous accomplishment in the year of the rat. The preferential treatment that he received for his last drunken outburst should disgust every fair minded American.

[Question Liberal Authority]

This will just make the Democrats look stupid

Works every time they try it. John McCain is a fire breathing extremist. So was Larry Craig. So was that text messaging congress critter from Florida in 2006. For that matter, so was Arlen Specter before he 'evolved'. I've never heard the media use the term 'right wing moderate' or 'left wing extremist'.

[Londo Molari]

Yep, Teddy! Well, really a little less than 5 months because it took an extra two weeks for all the alcohol to evaporate from his system.

[tennmountainman]

Pat does not realize he is trashing 20% of the democrats and 60% of independents who voted for Brown in MA.

Those same numbers could work against him in RI.

[hoe_cake]

Patrick is not very gracious, certainly not a statesman. Then again, the only Kennedy who was gracious was Jackie.

[Logic n' Reason]

Patrick's time is so limited....he might as well spout off while he still has the chance.

After he's fired, he'll have to go on "Older-man's" show to get any airtime at all.

And no one is listening to that anyway.

[FrankR]

"saying it showed Brown's candidacy was "a joke," "

Well, patty...the jokes on you.

Which begs the question, why didn't you resign R.I. and run over to Mass and run for daddy's seat?

AFter November, Brown will still be a Senator...and you won't. We'll all have a good laugh over THAT joke, won't we?

REMEMBER in NOVEMBER.

[wilco200]

As soon as Patches losses his seat to a convicted felon in RI, Camelot will be officially dead...finally

[Flash Bazbeaux]

So you feel he’s going back to Massachusetts?

[eater-of-toast]

Hopefully some Republican “jokester” will have the last laugh on Patrick Kennedy in November.