Misguided Ted (Ted Kennedy's vengeful filibuster of Estrada)

Lowell Sun ^ | March 1, 2003 | Editorial Board

[11th_VA]

Sen. Ted Kennedy's vengeful filibuster of Bush administration court nominee Miguel Estrada is a disgrace to the Senate's judicial process and an affront to the American people.

Kennedy's waging war on President Bush and his conservative ideology, more so than Estrada's qualifications to serve on the U.S. District of Columbia appeals court. The liberal icon said he won't stand for a succession of conservative Bush appointments, fearing someday one might make it to the U.S. Supreme Court. So he's singling out Estrada, a conservative Latino immigrant who Kennedy himself calls "intelligent."

This vindictive strategy is repulsive to people of all ideological stripes who believe judicial nominees should be considered individually on the merits. That's the American way, and it's why Estrada deserves a fair Senate hearing.

If Republicans fail to break Kennedy's misguided stranglehold, they'll surely use the same tactic against a Democrat who might enter the White House in 2004 and beyond. It's a bad seed Kennedy's planting for future party nominees.

Four Democrats have come out in support of Estrada. They see Kennedy's plan as destructive to the Senate's integrity.

We see it as shameful and urge Kennedy to end the filibuster.

[11th_VA]

Is this usually a conservative paper?

[debaryfl]

Hmmm. Ted Kennedy won't stand for it. That must mean it's not a free drink, a loose woman, or a side of roast beef.

[ChiefKujo]

Captain of the USS Oldsmobile...

[ThirstyMan]

Is this usually a conservative paper?

I've never associated it with a political slant. The Lowell Sun is an afternoon/evening newspaper, serving a rather small area with mostly local news like car crashes and school happenings. I'll have to go buy one today and check it out on my way home from work!
Certainly the editorial is right on!!!

[cynicom]

This is odd...Bush called Kennedy, "my friend", when they laid out those untold billions for "education".

[JulieRNR21]

MA paper scolding Teddy is pleasant news....BUMP

[CyberAnt]

No! It's from Lowell, Massachusetts!

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

So he's singling out Estrada, a conservative Latino immigrant who Kennedy himself calls "intelligent."

How would Kennedy know if someone is intelligent? He might recognize when someone was drunk, or was swimming in the water after just allowing a young girl to drown, but intelligence?

[teletech]

This drunken windbag leftist "senator" needs to retire and open a school teaching people to drive.

[Cicero]

Lowell was one of the biggest of the 19th century mill towns (built by the Lowells). It had a lot of immigrant workers. I imagine it probably still does, and from the sound of this article, probably a lot of Latinos.

[maizey]

Surely you don't think Kennedy can get it "up" anymore.

[Charles Henrickson]

NO JUSTICES, NO PEACE!

[Quix]

Lord God, this Commie rebell against all that is righteous, good and sane in behalf of our Republic has been an evil obstructionist devil in fat, water-logged clothing quite long enough.

Please, Lord, God, as soon as fitting in your overall plan, PLEASE:

--REMOVE HIM FROM ALL PUBLIC POSITIONS, POWER, SPOKESPERSON ROLES ETC. Please do it by exposing the worst of his duplicity; deceptions; arrogance; corruption; evils on national prime-time TV.

--OR CHANGE HIM a la Saul on the Damascus road with full confession and 180* turns from all his Commie, evil positions and toward vigorous support of genuine Christianity and conservative principles.

--OR graduate him from any semblence of sanity or wholeness tolerable by any normal companions. Let him become a very wet and cold researcher in incidents of cars off bridges; of diseases from screwing around; a vivid public demonstration of what not to do while drinking alcohol; perhaps beam him to a planet of narrow bridges over deep waters; let all family members desert him and refuse to talk to him; Let all 9/11 family members spit at him when within range;

DITTO for Dashdull; Shrillary; Billdo; Byrd; Babs fartmouth; et al in unique ways tailor-made to their evils, corruptions, arrogance and duplicities.

In your Mighty Name, Amen.

[moodyskeptic]

oh, thanks, I just spit Guinness on my keyboard.

[Atchafalaya]

I beleive that is SSN OLDSMOBILE!

[Terry Mross]

Does this writer actually think the Republicans would do this to a dem appointment? Where has this guy been?

[Pontiac]

The liberal icon said he won't stand for a succession of conservative Bush appointments, fearing someday one might make it to the U.S. Supreme Court.

During Clintoon’s tenure he packed the Federal Courts with ultra left judges of pitifully low quality and highly suspect motives.

Leftist judges have built a huge power base in the courts and now the left’s greatest fear is that that same power will be turned against them and reverse the trend toward socialism.

[jwalsh07]

Not really but the Lowell/Lawrence area of Massachusetts is packed gull with hispanic immigrants and Americans of hispanic descent.

The Estrada issue is a politcal one, not a Constitutional one and the way to win it is on the political battlefield not in the courts.

This editorial is an indication that if the Repub Senate has the balls for the fight, they can win it.

[nickcarraway]

Ted Kennedy today would not even approve his own brother, Robert Kennedy, as attorney general, and no doubt would describe him as an extremist. Imagine if he was confronted by someone with the exact same record and opinions as his brother John. I can only imagine how we would hear about a far right extremist.

Is their anyway we could submit one of their records to him under another name, so he can embarrass himself by trashing them?

[Liz]

Teddy likes playing lifeguard, too, but not at Chappaquiddick.