Centerfield

I was resisting posting that tidbit all morning, but since you went and did it....

Regardless of one's feelings about Kennedy, when he sobered up the next day he did the right thing. He sought treatment and assumed full responsibility for his actions. He deserves credit and respect for that. I wish him all the best in dealing with his personal problems.

As a Rhode Islander, I can say he was chosen for his family ties and because he is a Democrat - it is amazingly hard for a Repuulican to get elected to any office except Governor here.

I actually am quite suprised at this since his family, himself included, is notorious for using their power to squash indictments, including murders.

This is an interesting tale of two congressmen from the StarTribune last week.

Todd, I keep saying that all hope is not lost for our political parties, and I think the article you cite is good evidence that there is a lot of good left in the people and the system which is going on under the radar.

Well, he's a Democrat in the second most Democratic state in the country after Massachusetts.

Call me a skeptic, but would he have come this clean had there not been such an outcry against the long history of Kennedy privilege? Personally, I doubt it.

"Well, he's a Democrat in the second most Democratic state in the country after Massachusetts"

Well said Chris. Republicans in this state rarely even say they are republican! I actually had to ask "What party are you" of a guy running for town council and he told me that the party specifcally told him not to mention it unless asked directly. In in 6 page leaflet, he never even says he is a republican. Thier reasons? Well, in local and state elections, saying you are anything but Democrat reduces your chances of winning by over 50%! NUTS if you ask me. Especially since most of the people who vote Dem dont even know the positions of the candidates. Crazy stuff. So I ask theor positions and match them with the proper candidate. over 70% match Republican.

There's a lot of Republicans in my state, and yet I'm somehow not a Congressman. Is that his only qualification? He's a Democrat in a Democratic state?

LASunsett: You're probably right, but when before have we seen any Kennedy plead guilty to any actual wrongdoing as a result of public outcry? It's unusual enough that his doing it is worthy of giving him some credit. Not make him man of the year, by any stretch, but just a little credit for doing the right thing.

Pat: As far as I have seen from Patrick, he has 2 qualifications. He is a Democrat and a Kennedy. He actually has the Senate Seat originally reserved for Morton Downey Jr actually. They PLANNED this - he was told from a very young age that he would be a Senator in Rhode Island. Politics at its finest. New England is a fiefdom of the Dems, whoever they say is going to be the candidate is who gets elected, regardless of qualifications. Unless they pit them against a Chafee.

What Pat said. I can think of all kinds of possible reasons for Kennedy to do what he did after getting caught, and they're all speculative. But he did the right thing, and I'm not gonna run that down with speculation. You can bet your sweet ass that had he done the wrong thing, I'd be telling you about it loudly, and in detail.

Meh, there have always been pocket boroughs for certain families: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._political_families

The Roosevelts (who include Bill Weld), the Romneys, the du Ponts, and the Tafts (who include Lincoln Chafee) are among the families who have been able to simply "appoint" a child to political office on the basis of their influence.

"I'm still not sure what, other than his family, led Rhode Islanders to choose Rep. Kennedy as their Member of Congress, but his acceptance of responsibility today is to his credit."--Pat

I'll drink to that statement, Pat.

Perhaps he'll be an inspiration to his Uncle relative to taking responsibility for a wrong...and then his Uncle can drink too that.

Ah crud...sorry, I meant to write he can be an inspiration to his Father for owning up to a wrong...

When I wrote the above, I must have been think about RFK, JR., you know, the "enviromentalist" who knocks SUV owners while tooling around in a private jet to places where Delta can get him to just as easily...

Who and what exactly are we to blame for RI's electing a congressman Kennedy?

What party, given a choice, will nominate a garden-variety joe instead of a person from a prominent family with name recognition high enough to virtually guarantee winning the seat in a state that solid votes their party's way? I must have missed all the stories where the Kennedy machine was caught twisting the arms of the voters. :-)

It's simply NOT unreasonable to assume that a person raised in a family where solidly democratic public service is a tradition would be a solidly democratic representative committed to the virtue of public service. Like it or not, with such a candidate, you have to show a reason why they would NOT be a good choice, not just complain that it's unfair that such a person gets the benefit of the doubt.

And do you ever know how the heir will do? For every Pete Rose jr or Ziggy Marley there's a Barry Bonds or Payton Manning.

RI's choice is theirs to make.

For all the rest I have to say, see comment #1.