"Power Corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely." This quote is attributed to John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, first Baron Acton (1834–1902) and is one we are all familiar with. It can apply to almost any setting in which one human or group of humans hold decision making power over others. With the passing of Senator Kennedy we are about to find out whether or not it applies (again) to the Massachusetts legislature.
Even as the papers and TV programs are filled with endless coverage of Kennedy, some offices are more concerned with who succeeds the "liberal lion" than with venerating him. In the old days the succession would have been simple as like most states, the governor had the appointing authority to fill the vacant post until the next regularly scheduled election.
That process however was deemed to be undemocratic back in 2004. In those heady days when Massachusetts democrats were polishing their resumes to send to president elect John Kerry in Washington, it was deemed unacceptable that then republican Governor Romney would have the authority to choose a successor.
In very short order and with Senator Kennedy's urging, the law was changed and lo and behold the voter was now going to be given the opportunity to choose a successor by special election. What could be a better solution than that?
Well we now find that there is a better solution according to a death bed letter from the same Senator Kennedy. According to the late senator it is imperative that we have two voices from Massachusetts as soon as possible. Apparently the 145 days necessary to hold a special election is far to long to have our senate seat vacant. No mention was made of the last 15 months when the same senator was absent from Washington.
Despite the obvious hypocrisy and blatant power grab, Governor Patrick in a Boston Globe story is now on record as supporting the change in the law. Of course, the Globe, ever the water boy for the party in power added this in an editorial, "Kennedy himself has offered state lawmakers an elegant solution: change the law to allow the governor to make a temporary appointment with the assurance of an “explicit personal commitment’’ that the appointee would not run for the office." An explicit personal commitment from a Massachusetts politician doesn't generate much confidence I am afraid.
Today's Globe Kennedy coverage on his passing as well as the succession issue is noteworthy because for the first time that I can recall not one of the stories allows any public comment. Is this event so sacred that it shouldn't be sullied by the opinion of the unwashed masses?
Unfortunately, as blatant and hypocritical as this action would be it appears as though it is gaining momentum under the guise of needing that extra vote in the senate as soon as possible so that the current health care proposal can be passed under the banner of 'win one for Teddy."
The political pendulum has not swung the other way for a longtime in Massachusetts but these types of shenanigans can only go on for so long before the average voter has had enough.
