This morning, at around 2am, Ted Kennedy, last of the original Kennedy Dynasty, died. He was suffering from complications from a malignant brain tumor that was discovered after a stroke in late 2008. He served in the Senate for 47 years, having the ability to reach across the aisle to get some of the most important legislation passed. Even with his exemplary record of service, his career was haunted by his accident in Chappaquiddick and the constant personal attacks by his political opponents. But, at the time of his death, with the outpouring of sentiment comes from both sides of the aisle, we can learn tremendously from Sen. Kennedy’s life and from his work in the Senate.
1. Civil Rights and Education – In 1982, he extended the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and was a contributor to the Voting Civil Rights Act of 1991 which made it easier for minorities to win lawsuits against their employers for employment discrimination. He helped pass the Americans with Disabilities Act and was a contributor in some way to most of the educational reform bills that came out of the Senate in the 1960s. He also championed Maternity Leave and worked with President George W Bush on the No Child Left Behind Act. He was very much a legacy of his brother John, who, in his short tenure as president encouraged public service, volunteerism and educational reform.
2. Healthcare – Kennedy worked alongside Republican Senators in order to pass a healthcare reform bill that ensured Americans the right to buy healthcare, and limited denying claims based on pre-existing conditions. He was able to extend to the disabled the ability to keep Medicare for disabilities, even after they started working. He also championed access to healthcare for children, the elderly, the poor and the disabled.
3. Bipartisan Support – Kennedy’s title as the “lion” of the Senate was something he lived up to. While he was considered the liberal poster-child for attacks by conservatives, he was able to extend his hand and negotiation power to the other side of the aisle. He was able to work with Republican Senators on energy reform, healthcare, educational reform, taxes and the raising of the minimum wage. This section is the most important for today because we have seen recently the type of hindrance that comes from partisan politics. Kennedy, a champion of healthcare reform, was not able to be present in the Healthcare committee he was a part of because of his cancer. While the affect of his presence is all speculation, I believe that he could have been a unifying force. With uncompromising messages coming from the Republican party, and the inability of the President to unite factional sections of the Democrats in the House and Senate, both healthcare and energy reform look like they will fall plague to partisan politics. To make an issue partisan when it has implications that are beyond its political meaning is something that Kennedy tried to do when he reached out to Republicans. This is exemplified in the kind of sentimental outpouring that has come from Republicans like John McCain, Orrin Hatch, Mitch McConnell, Mitt Romney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Steele, Sarah Palin, George W Bush and Nancy Regan, just to name a few. These comforting messages were not just because his family was so influential, of or that it is courteous to comfort loved ones during loss, but they were more significant. Many of these messages emphasized Kennedy’s ability work alongside his political opponents and put the problems that he thought were most affecting America before his political leanings. This kind of ideal is present in Senators like John McCain who are willing, in his words, “to make concessions” when it comes down to negotiating for what is best for the country.
4. Work in Ireland – His international work made him a respected figure amongst both the Irish and British governments. He was able to use his Irish-Catholic background to negotiate a stable, united government in Northern Ireland that was wracked by civil strife between Protestants and Catholics. He was also able to help leaders of the Irish Republican Army gain some political recognition, when the British government branded them as terrorists. The outpouring of Sentiment from former Prime Minister Tony Blair, current Prime Minister Gordon Brown and leaders in Ireland have shown that his legacy is a lasting one overseas.
All of these examples are just a part of his political career and the difference he made in Congress in his 47 year tenure. The lessons we can learn from Kennedy’s life can be found squarely in his ability to work across the aisle in politics. The issues that have divided our country since Barak Obama was elected are issues of great importance, a majority of which transcend their political meanings. On many conservative blogs, many hateful people have commented that they were in delight in Kennedy’s passing, as he was an impediment to their personal or political beliefs. Ignoring the fact that these messages are blatantly rude and self serving, this kind of polarization with issues that affect all Americans is something that Kennedy worked at preventing. He worked tirelessly to solve the moral, social and political problems of his time with the mind of a progressive reformer first, and a liberal politician second. Hard line Republicans in the Senate, whose only compromise on the Healthcare bill is a resounding “NO” can learn from this mandate. Healthcare, something that Kennedy had championed for most of his tenure in the Senate, is a problem that should be worked on in a bipartisan basis. There have been some progress made with bipartisan groups, like the “gang of six,” but the grassroots protests and the inability to compromise on both sides of the aisle have seriously hurt the progress of healthcare reform. Senators and Representatives need to sit down, and as John McCain had said “make some concessions” for the greater good of American healthcare. That is something that Kennedy would have wanted.
No comments:
Post a Comment