Some random thoughts on the passing of Senator Ted Kennedy.

1) Now we are probably aware of the reason for the desire for the passage of health care reform before the August recess for Congress. Those in the know knew Kennedy's time was short and there was a desire to present him with the accomplishment while he was still alive.

2) As I was saying to Thom Bierdtz today on Car Concerns (quoting Mary Tyler Moore), money and fame does not shield your life from human tragedy.

3) As has been noted by others, how different would this country be had Robert Kennedy not been assassinated in 1968 and gone on to the Democratic nomination and the defeat of Richard Nixon. We would have had no Watergate, Vietnam would have ended and the damage to our economy would have been lessened, and Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan would have been less likely to ascend to the Presidency. Ted Kennedy may not have felt the pressure to follow the legacy of his fallen brothers and Chappaquidick may never have happened.

4)  I noted with interest commentary in today's Omaha World Herald by former Senator Chuck Hagel that Kennedy in person was nowhere near the evil caricature painted by conservatives. This reinforces what I wrote recently in my Ezine about dehumanizing individuals by certain types of individuals in order to protect their own self esteem.

My condolences go to the entire Kennedy family.