Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has passed over the leading candidate, former governor and presidential candidate Mike Dukakis, and handed the vacant US Senate seat formerly held by Ted Kennedy to Paul Kirk instead. As the ship of state sailed into the treacherous straits of the health care financing debate, Kennedy had urged Patrick not to let his seat remain empty.
Perhaps it was because Vicki Kennedy was pushing him, but let’s see if the citizen-viewer can develop an alternate theory on why he was chosen over Dukakis. The smart money says he can.
“Kirk was registered as a lobbyist a decade ago. He was paid $35,000 to represent the pharmaceutical company Hoechst Marion Roussel on legislation before the US Senate in 1999, according to federal disclosure records. He is currently on the board of directors of the Hartford Insurance Group. …
The Globe article concludes:
“…Some Kennedy insiders who support Kirk’s appointment, though, have argued that Dukakis is too outspoken on health care issues, espousing liberal positions that could complicate Democrats’ attempts in Washington to moderate their approach on the legislation.”
And let’s not forget that Kirk, as co-chair of the Commission on Presidential Debates with his counterpart, former RNC chair Frank Fahrenkopf, led the successful effort to take control of the debates from the League of Women Voters, turn them over to corporate sponsorship and systematically exclude 3rd party candidates.
The Globe fawningly describes this as “an effort to bring civil discourse to national campaigns.”
Governor Patrick and President Obama are close. If we can look past the cover provided by Mrs. Kennedy, the fingerprints of the White House are surely all over this.