Byrd wants health bill renamed for Kennedy

[BlueJessamine]

Source: The Hill

Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), the only senator to have served longer than the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), mourned his friend Wednesday, saying his "heart and soul weeps."

Byrd said he hoped healthcare reform legislation in the Senate would be renamed in memoriam of Kennedy.

"I had hoped and prayed that this day would never come," Byrd said in a statement. "My heart and soul weeps at the lost of my best friend in the Senate, my beloved friend, Ted Kennedy."

Byrd's wistful statement focused on the work accomplished with Kennedy during decades together in the Senate, and called on the healthcare bill before Congress to be renamed in honor of Kennedy.

"In his honor and as a tribute to his commitment to his ideals, let us stop the shouting and name calling and have a civilized debate on health care reform which I hope, when legislation has been signed into law, will bear his name for his commitment to insuring the health of every American," Byrd said.


Read more: http://briefingroom.thehill.com/2009/08/26/byrd-wants-health-bill-renamed-for-kennedy/

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Only if it is a good Healthcare bill name it after Teddy.

[bejamin wood]

1. I agree with your comment

Make sure the bill matches the man's vision ...or else.

[Delphinus]

2. You took the words right out of my head.

I just was coming over to post that comment. If it's renamed for Ted Kennedy, it had better be a bill worthy of his name.

[dflprincess]

5. Exactly.

The mental health parity bill wasn't passed until 6 years after Wellstone died (a bill he had worked on) but when it did pass it was worthy of his name.

The same must be true of any health care bill that carries Ted Kennedy's name.

I'm scared to death they'll slap his name on some piece of crap, "save the insurance companies bill", that everyone will vote for because it "honors" him.

[Beavker]

6. I too have had the words taken out of my mouth by your comment

Good Call. Don't besmirch his good name by putting his name on some shit Co-op dung pile bill.

[BlueJessamine]

8. ...

:fistbump:

[Myrina]

10. Indeed.

:patriot:

[BlueJessamine]

7. ...

:fistbump:

[tularetom]

3. Don't try to put lipstick on a pig

By passing some piece a crap bill and thinking we'll all love it because its named for Ted Kennedy.

[Ghost of Tom Joad]

4. yes

The Edward M. Kennedy Universal Heathcare Bill of 2009

[izquierdista]

9. Being pedantic

I'm sure that was not what Byrd said. I'm sure that when he said it, it came out grammatically correct with the plural subject taking the plural of the verb "to weep" and the noun "loss" instead of some errant past participle. I know the media is no longer objective, but haz they not gots grammar no more?

[WriteDown]

11. This is AN excellent idea, BUT makes me think of this.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=8249248

If they're going to do this, make it Single Payer.

[No Elephants]

12. We need to contact our Senators and Rep with your comment. No sense making the poor man

roll over in his grave. He's had enough trouble.

[CreekDog]

13. Then make it good enough to have Kennedy's name on it

:hi:

[Libertas1776]

14. It would

be a great honor if the bill was named in honor of the late senator, but only if it matches the greatness of the man. I really hope they don't trod out some huge porker boon for the insurance cos and slap on the Kennedy name just to get it passed. What I really fear is the other side derailing our chance at pushing through a strong bill without "bipartisanship" by claiming that Kennedy was the grand daddy of "reaching across the aisle" and "He would have wanted bipartisanship" and "we must work together." People like that do not give a rats ass about Kennedy's legacy and his lifelong fight for health care. They would rather use his legacy to stall true reform in the name of "bipartisanship." It is we that must invoke his true legacy and continue the fight that he spent most of his political career battling. We mustn't let the other side's praises and platitudes lull us back into bipartisan gridlock and lies about "working together."

[grahamhgreen]

15. Ted Kennedy Medicare for All Act. Or QUICK - rename HR676 before the blue dogs do it to a crap bill

[glinda]

19. Agreed.

[LibDemAlways]

16. If they try to associate his name with some POS bill, I hope the

Kennedy family protests loud and long. Unless it is true reform that insures everybody he no doubt wouldn't want his name on it anyway.

[Wizard777]

17. I think it's a fitting tribute to a man who cared about ALL Americans.

Not just a select few with special interests represented by deep pocketed lobbyists. Ted Kennedy really understood the WE in We The People in a really big way. Ted understood that even though democracy comes with associated costs. It's not really something you can put a price tag on. Believe me when I say, Ted understood those associated costs of democracy very well, very deeply and very personally.

So yes, if they are going to attach Ted Kennedy's good name to a health care bill. It's going to have to ensure health care for ALL. Not just a select few with special interests represented by deep pocketed lobbyists.

[Rob Gregory Browne]

18. I have a strong feeling that the Kennedy Healthcare Bill would pass fairly easily. NT

[winyanstaz]

20. As long as its a good one...and is single payer....

then I would love to see his name on it.

[Doctor_J]

21. Your last line is +1

If the bill ends up being a disaster, don't smear Ted's legacy with it

[disndat]

22. As a commentator observed this morning,

Sen. Ted Kennedy was not able to get his health reform bill while alive, may get it passed in his death. Amen to that.

[Posteritatis]

23. I'm uncomfortable with naming legislation at all for the most part. (nt)

[Oregone]

24. Good. First, change it to the Single-Payer bill he introduced in the 70's

[choie]

25. Do you remember Senator Byrd

sobbing on the floor of the Senate upon learning of Ted Kennedy's cancer diagnosis? It was heartbreaking...

[MellowDem]

26. I think only Byrd...

had the seniority and presence to propse this without coming across as insensitive or being overtly political.

[wordpix]

27. +4

[InvisibleTouch]

28. I agree, that would be fitting. n/t

[burrowowl]

29. Only if the Bill

Has Universal Health Care or at least a strong Public Option!

[lib_wit_it]

30. Name it The Kennedy Single Payer Universal Health Care Bill. Congress needs to honor him by passing

true reform.

Edumicate your family and friends on single payer:

http://www.grahamazon.com/sp/whatissinglepayer.php
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dv4Aos-TBH8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jng4TnKqy6A

And check out this action group:
http://www.madashelldoctors.com/
same group on facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=115217378490

Support Senator Kennedy's vision.