RIP: Senator Edward M. Kennedy, 1932-2009

August 26, 2009 at 9:05 am | Posted in Obituary, senate | Leave a comment
Tags: Edward M. Kennedy, Obituary

Edward Moore Kennedy, ca. 1968. Yousuf Karsh, photographer (Library of Congress)

“For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.”

– Senator Edward M. Kennedy, August 1980

The office of Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) is asking the public to, in lieu of flowers, donate money to the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, a new project of the University of Massachusetts that will be located next to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library.

AKM informs us:

Senator Kennedy’s last wish, which he wrote to the Massachusetts Legislature recently was that the Governor be allowed to appoint a temporary senator to fill his seat when he passed. Keeping a strong progressive voice in that Massachusetts Senate seat will be critical to the health care debate, and there are those who will seek to put roadblocks up and keep the seat vacant for the next five months. Please click HERE and sign a petition to the Massachusetts Legislature asking them to fulfill the Senator’s last wish.

I absolutely agree that the Governor should be able to appoint a temporary senator. In fact, this morning I phoned my state rep, state senator and the Governor’s office to let them know exactly that. I was informed that the Legislature plans on screwing around until some time in September. If you are a Massachusetts resident, sign the petition and phone and/or write your state rep and senator. It is important that Senator Kennedy’s legacy not be squandered because the United States Senate is short one strong voice.