Patrick Kennedy’s choice could start Dems’ exodus

The Boston Herald ^ | February 13, 2010 | Hillary Chabot

[Cheap_Hessian]

U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy’s abrupt announcement that he’s not seeking re-election to Congress has gleeful Republicans eyeing incumbent New England Democrats and asking, “Who’s next?”

“Long-term incumbents who don’t have a fire in their belly are in trouble,” said GOP consultant Ron Kaufman, in response to news the Rhode Island congressman is stepping aside. “There’s an anti-incumbent fever, and that helps Republicans.”

In Massachusetts, the National Republican Congressional Committee - tasting victory after the come-from-behind Senate win of Scott Brown last month - has targeted U.S. Rep. William Delahunt and U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas - both from districts where Brown won the majority of communities.

Those two Democrats have also shown sluggish fund-raising, and Delahunt has refused to even commit to seeking re-election.

[rsobin]

Wonder if these guys are quitting so as not to reign over our demise?

[Palmetto Patriot]

Thanks, Ms L!

[ak267]

SQUEAK, SQUEAK....rats leaving the sinking ship !!!

[MsLady]

Chrissy Matthews had a pity party for Patrick last night. Oh, poor poor little Patrick. Instead of looking at the real reason the demorats are abandoning ship, they were making excuses of why he was leaving. He’d struggled with substance abuse, it was in his genes. The rock of the family had died. And on and on, not a word about people being mad as wet hornets at the mess our government has gotten us into.

[NutCrackerBoy]

Nothing hurts Democrats more than winning a Presidential election.

[arthurus]

I wish they would all hold on to the bitter end. I want to see them defeated in election.

[texmexis best]

My guess is that politics doesn’t fit Patrick and he has decided to leave the family business. Can’t say I blame him.

He’ll probably settle in Florida and take a few years to decide just what he wants to do.

[American Constitutionalist]

And our prayers are being answered by the God of Israel, ...
Let's pray more and more fervently.

[randog]

So....Chrissy didn’t mention that the RI polls showed people favoring a 2-by-4 over Patrick by a wide margin....? I’m guessing not.

[caww]

Yep...I do think this comes into their thinking...getting out while the gettings good..before the ship completely sinks.

[MsLady]

Nope not a word about that at all.

[Paine in the Neck]

"...until he jumped into bed with Hugo Chavez."

Long before he loved Hugo he was enamoured with Sandinista capo Ortega. He was always on Kerry's and Harkin's jaunts to Central America. He's also known to be a frequenter of the more racy Carribean resorts.

[Liz]

Patrick Kennedy’s announcement that he’s not seeking re-election has gleeful Repubs eyeing incumbent New England Dems, asking, “Who’s next?”

Interesting that at Scott Brown's victory speech, the crowd chanted, "Kerry's next.

Even more relevant: Bwaney Frank’s 4th congressional district went overwhelmingly for Scott Brown; just five of the 24 cities and towns voted for Coakley. Frank acknowledges that it may be a tougher race than he’s used to. “But, if I want to get re-elected it’s my job to talk about the issues and my record, and that’s the nature of democracy,” he said.........fierce competition or not, Frank said he will “definitely” seek re-election this November.

NOT HIS DECISION TO MAKE What this self-absorbed Lipless Wonder fails to fathom is that his constituients (including those townhallers he sneered at) will decide whether he is fit to run for reelection. Now Frank wants to talk about his "record?" Fine. Here it is.

Let The Inquisition Start With Barney Frank
Investor's Business Daily | 3/6/09
FR Posted on 03/08/2009 by FreeManN

Congressman Barney Frank says he wants some of those responsible for our current financial meltdown to be prosecuted. And we couldn't agree more. First up in the court dock: Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass.

Even by the extraordinarily loose standards of Congress, it takes some chutzpah for someone such as Frank to suggest that he'll seek prosecutions for those behind the housing and financial crunch and for what he called "a strongly empowered systemic risk regulator." Frank: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's point man in Washington.

For Frank, perhaps more than any single individual in private or public life, is responsible for both the housing market mess and subsequent bank disaster. And no, this isn't partisan hyperbole or historical exaggeration. But first, a little trip down memory lane. (Excerpt) Read more at ibdeditorial.com ...

======================================

THE WORM TURNS The Poor Should Rent, Not Own (Barney Frank admits disastrous mistake)
The Atlantic | 02/01/10 | Daniel Indiviglio /
FR Posted 02/02/2010 by TigerLikesRooster

In its final installment of the "What Went Wrong" Series on the financial crisis, Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA) spoke up. Much of it was predictable: Frank ralked like anyone closely following the financial regulation push in Congress already knew. But there was one fascinating gem in his discussing where Fannie and Freddie went wrong. Frank says urging the poor to own homes was mistake, and now believes they should rent instead.

Frank's take on how Fannie and Freddie could be structured to avoid moral hazard and a too cozy relationship with regulators: After stating that we should separate the liquidity creation function from the subsidy objective ( which we already knew he supported), he said: "I think you separate out the function of providing the equity in general for the mortgage market and doing some subsidy and, in my judgment, the subsidy again, as I said before, should be focused on affordable rental housing, not in pushing low income people into owning homes that they can't afford." (Excerpt) Read more at business.theatlantic.com ...

[ronnie raygun]

Patch is not a fighter like his unc ted, ted defied the death penalty

[ought-six]

ObaMao is an avowed marxist.

[Agamemnon]

Be careful what you wish for.... I have a moldering suspicion in the back of what's left of my brain....

What's with some of you people? We get Rats jumping ship and you think it's all a Dem set up conspiracy to wrap Obama's economy around the (R)'s??

If the (R) party is guilty at times of being "the Stupid Party" I'd wager there's exponentially more stupid conspiracy theorists out there that look at wins like Scott Brown's and serial abject surrenders like Patches Kennedy's, etc. like it's Lucy, Charlie Brown and the football.

The (R)'s haven't won alot in New England recently and when they finally do, the absolute power of (D)'s starts imploding and (R)'s and have a reasonable chance to win, yet you refuse to believe it.

You are so used to losing you don't recognize what it means to win. Worse than that, you think Obama/RhamEmmanuel/DNC are all behind them quitting!! You fail to see what losers they manifestly are and have been since taking power, and insist instead that (R)'s are the losers in the long term because these assholes are supposedly by your estimation such brilliant, long-term planners!!

C'mon get a grip, will you, people!!

That makes about as much sense as saying the same thing about Clinton in 1994. Losing the House and Senate to the (R)'s: was that Clinton's idea too?? I say bring on a truck load more of all that DNC long-term planning ability and "stategery"!!!

The school of thought that drones on about: "When we win, we lose, and when we outright lose we really lose..." is the same self-fulfilling, defeatist's attitude that ran the Bob Michel "go along to get along" table crumb-grubbung (R)'s in the House and Senate from 1954-1994.

Believe it or not there are some out there that prefer to wear the hair shirt through life with the "Born to Lose" logo silkscreened to the front of it. Ask yourself: Is that you, or do you want to win?

Lose the "'tude," dude, and start believing in winning for a change. You can't be a winner unless you start believing you are a winner and start acting like a winner.

FReegards!

[Liz]

Video: Kennedy’s name booed at health-care town hall
HotAir.com | 09/01/09 | FR Posted by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle

ON A SLIPPERY SLOPE Jan Schakowsky, seen on the vid stupidly invoking the "hero of Chappaquiddick" in defense of healthcare before a clearly unimpressed townhall crowd. No one has been as blunt about the hated public option (serving as a trojan horse for single-payer) as Schakowsky has.

Now here’s some of the disastrous measures ultra-liberal Teddy used to trash our culture. Kennedy was in a class by himself when it came to destroying our borders and our quality of life. He died knowing Obama would continue his plundering.

Kennedy pushed SEVEN amnesties into law. Eeven though that was supposedly the goal, none of it was ever followed by a reduction in illegal immigration.

1. In 1986, Ted Kennedy’s blanket amnesty for 2.7 million illegal aliens promised a lot more enforcement but did not set any requirements for actual reductions in illegal immigration.

2. In 1994, Ted Kennedy’s Section 245(i) Amnesty gave legal residence and jobs to 578,000 illegal aliens. It was a temporary rolling amnesty primarily for extended family members of immigrants who instead of waiting in line, come on to the country illegally.

3. In 1997, Ted Kennedy’s extension of the Section 245(i) rolling amnesty was followed by an increasing flow of illegal immigration.

4. In 1997, Ted Kennedy also won an amnesty for close to one million illegal aliens from Central America. Illegal immigration sped up some more.

5. In 1998, Ted Kennedy won an amnesty for 125,000 illegal aliens from Haiti.

6. In 2000, Ted Kennedy got the so-called Late Amnesty, legalizing another 400,000 illegal aliens who claimed that they missed out on Kennedy’s 1986 amnesty.

7. In 2000, Ted Kennedy also won the LIFE Act Amnesty for an estimated 900,000 illegal aliens. It was another reinstatement of the rolling Section 245(i) amnesty...an estimated 900,000 illegal aliens. Illegal immigration accelerated.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2328980/posts?page=5#5

[uncbob]

Country is in such a mess that they don't want to be around to take responsibility for what they caused

[phillyfanatic]

Good point. Look when Dodd quit, Blumenthal now is crushing Simmons. Keep the old cows and bulls in the races so the new Pubs can thrash them with tax and spend claims. All true.