Ted Kennedy, 77.
The New York Times obituary does a very solid job of summarizing the triumphs and the tragedies in the life of the legendary Edward Kennedy.
Fox News called Kennedy a “Senate lion and a liberal champion,” and that’s a fair label.
Like just about every columnist and blogger and commentator in the world, I’ll have more to say about Mr. Kennedy tomorrow and in the days to come. For now, prayers to his family.
August 26th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
During debate on the Senate floor, Kennedy, speaking of the effects of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, said, “First, our cities will not be flooded with a million immigrants annually. Under the proposed bill, the present level of immigration remains substantially the same…. Secondly, the ethnic mix of this country will not be upset…. Contrary to the charges in some quarters, [the bill] will not inundate America with immigrants from any one country or area, or the most populated and deprived nations of Africa and Asia…. In the final analysis, the ethnic pattern of immigration under the proposed measure is not expected to change as sharply as the critics seem to think…. The bill will not flood our cities with immigrants. It will not upset the ethnic mix of our society. It will not relax the standards of admission. It will not cause American workers to lose their jobs.”[2] The act’s supporters not only claimed the law would not change America’s ethnic makeup, but that such a change was not desirable.[1]
By equalizing immigration policies, the Act resulted in a flood of new immigration from non-European nations that changed the ethnic make-up of the United States.[3] Immigration doubled between 1965 and 1970 and doubled again between 1970 and 1990.[
August 27th, 2009 at 11:20 pm
I have a tough time with this. In other online discussions I’ve eschewed attacks directed at Ted Kennedy because I thought at the time of his death they really only hurt his family but after a couple days the idea that he stayed in power after the Mary Jo Kopechne death sticks in my craw.
Particularly considering his personal behavior long after since it’s clear he never owned up to what he did.
August 29th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
@ Sean,
Well George W. Bush stayed in power after an illegal war and the deaths of countless innocents, so, yeah, that’s politics for you.