The Kennedy Hangover

Massachusetts was the cradle of liberty, a cauldron of revolution against a king. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Massachusetts has descended into a petty primogeniture, handing out a US Senate seat, like a Harvard legacy, to some close relation of an alum. And manipulation of law for a partisan political purpose goes hand in hand with this Fidel to Raul Castro-like display. Just as New Jersey tailored law to permit Frank Lautenberg to replace Robert Toricelli, Massachusetts is about to alter a law passed to prevent Republican Governor Mitt Romney from replacing Senator John Kerry had he won the Presidency, to facilitate Democrat Governor Deval Patrick's rapidly supplanting Ted Kennedy to expedite the speedy passage of a universal care scheme. One set of rules that applies to everyone but elite Democrats, laws crafted to their benefit-Massachusetts has gone from revolution to revulsion.