The Reno Gazette-Journal has a sit-down with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who addresses the Ted Kennedy question in, um, an interesting way.Q: How will U.S. Sen. (Edward) Kennedy's death affect things?
A: I think it's going to help us. He hasn't been around for some time. We're going to have a new chairman of that committee, it'll be, I don't know for sure, but I think Sen. (Chris) Dodd, (D-Conn.). He has a right to take it. Either him or (U.S. Sen. Tom) Harkin, (D-Iowa), whichever one wants it can have it. I think he (Kennedy) will be a help. He's an inspiration for us. That was the issue of his life and he didn't get it done.
He didn't get a great many other things done that he'd intended to either, I'm sure. Given how angry the country is about this thing, I don't think even the sainted Kennedy name is enough to conjure with. That is to say, the Democrats may force passage of the bill by sheer weight of numbers, but they'll pay for it in spades next November. And what's been voted in can be voted out, if it hasn't yet become a tradition. |
|