Monday, August 31, 2009

Fascinating politics when a senator dies

The Farewell to August weekend is now behind us. It had a very rainy beginning but a beautiful ending. Tropical depression Danny failed to develop any real problems for our immediate area in Southern Maine. It did give a little help to a low pressure system that came in from the west and Saturday began rainy. It rained all day, but by late evening it was out of here.

Sunny was a gorgeous day, even though it was just a little cool on the Gator homestead. We were able to accomplish one unscheduled task, at least unscheduled for last weekend. Gator Daughter was here and helped me power wash our deck and the back of that portion of the house to which the deck is attached. It’s a task we perform only once a year, and I must say, this year needed it desperately.

Today begins a long run of just the kind of weather Gator Wife and I really love. We’ll have sunshine and low humidity with temperatures in the low 70s at least into next weekend; and WCSH6-TV meteorologist Roger Griswold hinted last night that the fine weather could continue into mid-September. We could see a few passing showers along the way, but right now there are none in sight.

Ah, the complexity of Democrat politics. The Democrats will write and rewrite the rules in their favor to promote the Democrat way of life. Take the politics of Massachusetts, for example.

Massachusetts was like most states until 2004 in that if a Congress person left office for any reason, the governor of the state would appoint a replacement to complete the term. That created a problem situation in Massachusetts as the governor was Republican Mitt Romney. Sen. John Kerry had his eyes on the Presidency and he’s a Democrat.

You see, if Kerry had won the Presidency…he, of course, didn’t…Gov. Romney would most likely have appointed a Republican for Kerry’s Senate seat. The Dems couldn’t have that now, could they? So they changed the Massachusetts law. The new Massachusetts law would require the seat to remain vacant until a special election could be held in late January.

Sen. Edward Kennedy lost his battle with brain cancer last week leaving a Senate seat vacant. It is a critical time for the Democrats as they need that D vote to pass over Republican objection several measures now facing them in the Senate, including a health care bill. Massachusetts now does have a Democrat governor, Deval Patrick, and, except for that pesky new law which his own party caused to be changed, he no doubt would have appointed a Democrat. I’m not going to make any speculation here as to whom it might have been.

Sen. Kennedy had accepted his fate last week, and knowing his time was near, urged the Massachusetts legislature to change the law again so an appointment could be made immediately. He, of course, wanted to preserve the support President Obama has for that health care change.

Gov. Patrick favors a temporary change to allow an immediate appointment so the state will have two Democrat senators to preserve the absolute majority in the U.S. Senate. Without that vote, the Republican could form a filibuster to block any law proposals.

The proposed change in the law would only be temporary, though, as the Massachusetts Secretary of State is proposing a vote in late January as required by the present law.

Politics is a fascination. I’ll bet if the Republicans tried some similar shenanigans, there would be that proverbial Hell to pay. But control is absolute.

Farewell to Kennedy comment, I think it was Patrick Kennedy who said, “He even taught me to love…Republicans.”

News comment of the day: Brian Yocono, WCSH6 weekend anchor, reporting on lack of tourists in Old Orchard Beach yesterday: “Vacant parking lots were also empty.”

GiM

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