Ted Kennedy: Liberal to the End

On August 25th Senator Ted Kennedy died of a brain tumor. As a Senator from Massachusetts who served from 1962-2009, Kennedy was the third-longest serving member of the Senate in American history. No one should ever personally attack a politician of either party when they die, but the political legacy of Ted Kennedy is important for conservatives to remember because during his time in the Senate Kennedy pushed and enacted hundreds of laws that have had disastrous consequences for America.

For instance, in 1965 Kennedy sponsored the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 which set the stage for a flood of illegal immigrants coming to America. The bill loosened immigration laws, making it much easier for would be illegals to come and stay in America. Today, it is estimated that over 20 million illegal immigrants are in the United States.

In 2001 Senator Kennedy joined with President George W. Bush to enact the "No Child Left Behind" law that greatly expanded the federal government's role in the oversight of American public education. Not only that, but even though the bill has resulted in a 20% increase in federal education spending, American test scores have continued to plummet. As with most things, the more the federal government has become involved with education the worse education has become.

Senator Kennedy was also a rabid supporter of universal health care in the form of a government takeover of the health care system. Yet where did he go for treatment for his condition? Not Cuba, England, Canada or France; all countries whose health care systems he praised at one time or another. No, he got the best treatment available in America and it prolonged his life for over a year. If he was simply an ordinary man, under the government systems in other countries, he would have had to wait for months for any substantive treatment. In America he was treated right away.

Also of note, Senator Kennedy's presidential aspirations were dashed when, in 1969, Kennedy, vacationing on Chappaquiddick Island in Massachusetts, got into a car with Mary Jo Kopechne as a passenger. Kennedy was drunk at the time and he drove his car off a bridge. Kennedy swam to safety, but did not notify the police until hours after the incident, when the car was discovered. Kopechne drowned. The District Attorney, a political ally of Kennedy, did not pursue manslaughter charges. Then the people of Massachusetts, in their infinite wisdom, went on to re-elect Kennedy eight more times.

Ted Kennedy's political legacy will be that of hard-core liberalism. No one should wish another ill will. However, from a political perspective, the liberal ideals that Ted Kennedy championed in the United States Senate will not be missed.

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~The Conservative Guy