News Ted Kennedy’s Brain Cancer: Good for the Gays?
posted by on May 21 at 10:32 AM
Uh… sorry about that headline. I’m also sorry about Ted Kennedy’s brain cancer. And Kennedy ain’t dead yet: the man just walked out of the hospital, smiling and waving to the cameras, and his doctors say that, while his cancer isn’t curable, it is treatable. That all by itself is good for the gays: Ted Kennedy is a passionate supporter of gay rights, one of our best advocates in the federal government, and the longer we’ve got him in the U.S. Senate, the better.
But when I heard the news—and when things looked a bit more dire than they do now—I recalled some stories written back in 2004 (here’s one) when John Kerry, the other U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, was running for president. If Kerry won the presidency—and it sure looked like he was going to for about ten minutes there—folks predicted that openly gay U.S. Rep. Barney Frank would run for, and was likely to win, Kerry’s seat.
I’d like to see an openly gay man in the U.S. Senate. But not at this price.
Not at this price and not for that politician.
elenchos could give Barney a run for his money as an advocate for LGBTs.
It's all about you, isn't it?
What an incredible asshole. Please take a few days off and spare us your baboon-level thinking.
Ya know, when you apologize for something you've *just* done (and, by-the-by, can still undo while you're typing that apology) well, it just comes off as a tad disengenous. If you're so sorry about that headline, why did you type it?
Too soon!
There isn't one single gay in the whole US Senate? That is depressing...
well, none that are out of the airport restroom closet...
@5,
There are, but they're all Republicans.
We talked about this yesterday, in a slightly less callous manner.
Frank has said multiple times that he has no interest in being in the Senate even if there were an opening.
He'd give up seniority, a seat that he's got a lock on for life, and a hell of a lot of clout.
Of course. Because being gay is the only thing interesting about a gay person.
@ 6 & 7: Ah, I see openly is the important owrd there...
Considering Frank running for Kennedy's seat is reasonable. The headline, however, is vile. Shame on you, Dan.
Don't apologize, Dan.
I don't understand why people see Ted's brain tumor as some sort of national tragedy. Everyone gets to die eventually, and of the billion or so ways to do it, that doesn't seem so bad.
He's 76 years old. He's already survived an ill-fated drive off of a bridge and a fucking plane crash! This is hardly a "before his time" story.
Besides, there's been a Kennedy in that Senate seat since 1953. New blood is good. It's Massachusetts not Mississippi, so it will be a liberal, gay or otherwise.
Every time you hear a bell, a Kennedy gets its wings.
As chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, BF has way more power and clout than he did in 2004, when he explored running for the Senate. And he likes it. I'd doubt he'd take up this offer, if it's extended to him.
Why? Everybody dies. Nobody is indespensible. Barney Frank would be great. But the Kennedy's think they own that seat and it will probably go to Ted's son.
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