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U.S. Sen. Al Franken said today that the absence of the ailing Sen. Edward Kennedy was already “a major loss” to the Senate debate on health care reform, and now the Massachusetts Democrat’s death “just makes me more determined to get it done.”
“He was a man who fought for kids and for the disabled and for the poor and the sick and the disadvantaged,” Franken said. Health care reform “was the cause of his lifetime.”
Kennedy’s passing, Franken said, “just makes me more determined to get it done.”
Associated Press (via Star Tribune):
“His inspiration will be there, maybe in a bigger way,” [Franken] said. “Who knows, maybe it’ll be called the Kennedy bill.”
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6 Comments »
Comment posted August 26, 2009 @ 4:57 pm
I hope the bill is named for Kennedy. Looking at the classless comments from conservatives on articles regarding Kennedy, I wonder what fills them with such venom. In my own lesser moments, I want the bill named for Kennedy just so these same conservatives will have to hear about it for decades to come. Al won’t have Kennedy’s safe seat and he sure doesn’t have his seniority, but I think he’ll have the same political courage and tenacity.
Comment posted August 27, 2009 @ 8:18 am
I would love to have a real health care bill named after Ted Kennedy – but if the bill presented to the president is weak, watered down and only benefits big medical money, I think it would be the worst kind of insult and he deserves way better than that.
This was his big issue and anything that doesn’t offer real reform and relief is the worst kind of bad joke.
Al can do it – we need to stand behind him and let him know exactly what we expect of him. And I expect big things from Al Franken.
Comment posted August 29, 2009 @ 8:50 am
Kennedy famously said don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Look at how many times he brought a series of incremental changes to the floor that produced a significant change over time.
Let’s get what we can now. We can come back for stronger pharmaceutical legislation and single payer, or even the public option if it gets pulled.
Personally, I think that if the public option dies, it will hurt the Republicans far more than the democrats. They will own every uninsured American going forward. After all, Public Option is likely to fail over 6 or 7 Democrats in the senate which represent something like 12% of Democratic strength there, but a full 49 – 50 GOP votes which is 100% of Republicans.
I even think you might get a weak Public Option this time followed by Single Payer in about ten years.
Comment posted August 29, 2009 @ 3:46 pm
We must stay positive and demand nothing less than a Public Option in the bill. 70% of the American people want this. And Senator Kennedy would not settle for less either. And you can be sure any Democrat that says no will not be elected the next time.
Comment posted August 29, 2009 @ 5:02 pm
I’d like to name the Stem Cell Research after Reagan…. who could have saved some of his jellybeans with just a little more compassion——- AS FOR THE HEALTH CARE BILL…. I would name it after OXY-MORON-OREILLY…. you don’t think THAT would F up his day?>?????
Comment posted August 29, 2009 @ 10:40 pm
I would like to see a universal health care plan but NOT the one they are proposing now. It most definately should be named after the beloved Senator Edward M. Kennedy and I came up with the name, The Kennedy Cares Bill. Many told me they liked it, would like to know thoughts on that and other ways to fix what President Obama is proposing so far as that is not acceptable to many and needs to be changed.
God Bless you Sen Kennedy.. May you rest in peace and the dream of health care for all live on and be stronger than ever with all of our help! Amen.
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