The late senator had an unexpected cameo in the president’s speech in the form of a letter that, at Kennedy’s request, was delivered after his death. The White House has released the document, which says “at stake are not just the details of policy, but fundamental principles of social justice and the character of our country.” Read it after the jump. —PS
White House:
Below is the text of the letter from Senator Edward M. Kennedy referenced by the President in tonight’s address to a Joint Session of Congress.
May 12, 2009
Dear Mr. President,
I wanted to write a few final words to you to express my gratitude for your repeated personal kindnesses to me – and one last time, to salute your leadership in giving our country back its future and its truth.
On a personal level, you and Michelle reached out to Vicki, to our family and me in so many different ways. You helped to make these difficult months a happy time in my life.
You also made it a time of hope for me and for our country.
When I thought of all the years, all the battles, and all the memories of my long public life, I felt confident in these closing days that while I will not be there when it happens, you will be the President who at long last signs into law the health care reform that is the great unfinished business of our society. For me, this cause stretched across decades; it has been disappointed, but never finally defeated. It was the cause of my life. And in the past year, the prospect of victory sustained me-and the work of achieving it summoned my energy and determination.
There will be struggles – there always have been – and they are already underway again. But as we moved forward in these months, I learned that you will not yield to calls to retreat - that you will stay with the cause until it is won. I saw your conviction that the time is now and witnessed your unwavering commitment and understanding that health care is a decisive issue for our future prosperity. But you have also reminded all of us that it concerns more than material things; that what we face is above all a moral issue; that at stake are not just the details of policy, but fundamental principles of social justice and the character of our country.
And so because of your vision and resolve, I came to believe that soon, very soon, affordable health coverage will be available to all, in an America where the state of a family’s health will never again depend on the amount of a family’s wealth. And while I will not see the victory, I was able to look forward and know that we will – yes, we will – fulfill the promise of health care in America as a right and not a privilege.
In closing, let me say again how proud I was to be part of your campaign- and proud as well to play a part in the early months of a new era of high purpose and achievement. I entered public life with a young President who inspired a generation and the world. It gives me great hope that as I leave, another young President inspires another generation and once more on America’s behalf inspires the entire world.
So, I wrote this to thank you one last time as a friend- and to stand with you one last time for change and the America we can become.
At the Denver Convention where you were nominated, I said the dream lives on.
And I finished this letter with unshakable faith that the dream will be fulfilled for this generation, and preserved and enlarged for generations to come.
With deep respect and abiding affection,
[Ted]
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By ardee, September 11, 2009 at 4:17 am Link to this comment
Outraged, September 10 at 11:49 pm
For the last time, as you are simply unworthy of discussion.
What does this bullshit have to do with any political position? Do you not think all here see plainly that you are motivated only by a constant and stupid reaction to any and all who post a disagreement with your ‘writ large and in gold leaf’ political positions?
As I told that other useless piece of…. Virginia777, my work day begins at 5AM. I arise at 3AM, post while drinking coffee, and get off at 1:30PM , giving me plenty of time for further posts. What my posting schedule has to do with my political positions is a subject for the two of you, disturbed and childish as you both may be.
You are one sad little fellow, and your sobriquet here is the most accurate as well, all you have is anger.
Report thisBy Outraged, September 10, 2009 at 8:49 pm Link to this comment
Re: ardee
This is the way that comment actually went.
*****
“Your comment: “those who oppose the President from the left are decent well meaning citizens of this nation.
Firstly, I’d have to believe the bold print in your above comment and secondly, if by perhaps and perchance it were true, your other comment makes you look disoriented. (of course, this has been well established by your prior posts)
(your comment)“I am sorry that your intense partisanship forces such a silly position upon you”
BTW, Pres. Obama is a centrist.
*****
You do like to skew things don’t you, but “ardee the truck driver”, like I said… I think you are amazing, but I’ll say it again for good measure!
“Amazing how you can read ALL the articles, all the comments AND still keep your eyes on the road. You are AMAZING “ardee”. Night or day, rain or shine, “ardee’s” on it…... AND DRIVES A TRUCK TO BOOT! Amazing…., don’t you beat all? You certainly showed me….
I FORGOT….(“silly me”...oops that’s your line), you write comments also. Keep your eyes on the road ardee, what you’re doing sounds incredibly dangerous, especially with all that “double-clutchin’” you put out here.
Report thisBy MarthaA, September 10, 2009 at 1:26 pm Link to this comment
dihey,
You believe whatever you want to, but for me, Senator Kennedy working all his time in the Senate toward health care for the whole nation, and there is evidence to prove that through out his life in the Senate he did work toward having health care for all, and then just when health care for all citizens is about to happen, he dies and doesn’t get to see health care for all fulfilled. You may not think that is what happened to your Mozes, but that is what happened to Moses in the Old Testament. I didn’t say Senator Kennedy was Moses, I said what happened was like what happened to Moses, and I still think it was.
Report thisBy ardee, September 10, 2009 at 12:34 pm Link to this comment
Outraged, September 10 at 11:24 am #
Re: ardee
......and secondly, if by perhaps and perchance it were true, your other comment makes you look disoriented”. (of course, this has been well established by your prior posts)
......
You just cant do it, can you? Act like an adult I mean, it seems simply beyond your ability…sad for you. You must be alone most of the time I guess, being such an asshole and all.
Report thisBy dihey, September 10, 2009 at 11:23 am Link to this comment
MarthaA
1. I am a descendant of the tribe of Mozes. I can confidentially assure you that Senator Kennedy was no Mozes.
2. How precious of you to misinterpret my “how ghoulish” which had nothing to do with the content of Kennedy’s “letter from beyond the grave” but with the unbelievable chutzpah of Obama to inject it into his public address to the Congress in a craven attempt to bolster his sagging approval ratings.
Report thisBy MarthaA, September 10, 2009 at 9:39 am Link to this comment
In health care establishment for all citizens Senator Kennedy was like Moses, though Senator Kennedy led the way to get health care for all; our country has spent 40 years in the desert with only partial health care; Senator Kennedy was never able to bring health care for all into being, but he knew President Obama would.
Kennedy’s letter was not ghoulish, as dihey says, it was wonderfully thoughtful of others; when Senator Kennedy learned he wasn’t going to be alive to see his dream of health care for the whole nation come to pass, he knew President Obama could and would, and penned his thoughts in that regard to the president prior to his death to help President Obama; as he knew President Obama, like Josuha and Caleb, would be the one to see health care for all United States citizens come to pass in the United States, and in that regard Senator Kennedy’s dream was fulfilled.
http://www.bible-knowledge.com/Joshua-and-Caleb.html
http://www.keyway.ca/htm2001/20010105.htm
Report thisBy MarthaA, September 10, 2009 at 9:38 am Link to this comment
In health care establishment for all citizens Senator Kennedy was like Moses, though Senator Kennedy led the way to get health care for all; our country has spent 40 years in the desert with only partial health care; Senator Kennedy was never able to bring health care for all into being, but he knew President Obama would.
Kennedy’s letter was not goulish, as dihey says, it was wonderfully thoughtful of others; when Senator Kennedy learned he wasn’t going to be alive to see his dream of health care for the whole nation come to pass, he knew President Obama could and would, and penned his thoughts in that regard to the president prior to his death to help President Obama; as he knew President Obama, like Josuha and Caleb, would be the one to see health care for all United States citizens come to pass in the United States, and in that regard Senator Kennedy’s dream was fulfilled.
http://www.bible-knowledge.com/Joshua-and-Caleb.html
http://www.keyway.ca/htm2001/20010105.htm
Report thisBy tropicgirl, September 10, 2009 at 8:49 am Link to this comment
Liberals have good questions about the “plan”, just as many independents and
others. This is my take after the speech, which continued to raise concerns.
Here are some:
1. 600 Billion in cuts from Medicare. I heard this a.m. that Medicare Advantage
(the latest attempt to privatize Medicare) is only about 1 billion. If the rest is
waste, fraud and abuse, why hasn’t something been done already? And in the
same sentence of telling seniors not to “worry” about cuts, people like Weiner
say, rather casually, we might just ask people to leave the hospital a little early
and have home health care (which was also slated to be cut under Medicare).
Make sense? Not to me. I’d like to know exactly where the money is coming
from and going to. I suspect the insurance companies.
2. Limiting insurance companies from exclusions for conditions is fine but I
am not sure that they will not still be able to charge more and still make
people wait for coverage for pre-existing conditions. Imagine if homeowner
insurance companies were forced to take hurricane victims, after the storm?
Impossible. And I want to see the limitations of co-pays and deductibles. In all
honesty I don’t see how these for-profit insurance companies can still make a
profit this way (not that I care). Are taxpayer dollars going to subsidize
insurance companies? Sounds like it to me.
3. Mandates for carrying health insurance will simply force 40 million or so into
purchasing health insurance or have their tax returns adjusted to reflect a huge
penalty. I can almost understand this if there were a single payer option, but to
force people to cover themselves and pay a private company for this? This is
NOT like car insurance. I understand insurance companies have had a hard
time getting people to sign up recently. Of course, lower income people will be
subsidized but, again, the money is poured into private corporation’s pockets
(to be used poorly in bonuses and worse). And WHAT ABOUT PIP car insurance?
It looks like we will be charged twice for the same thing. Its a downright
festival of profit for the insurance companies.
4. None of this can possibly save money, which Obama keeps saying is
necessary, but we don’t know who he is saving money for. But it can’t. For gods
sake, if you just gave everyone the trillion dollars we could all pay for our own
health care without insurance companies. Or stop a war or two. This does NOT
make sense. And Obama now has a track record of shoveling trillions to big
business WHILE MAKING NO REFORMS AT ALL.
5. And there IS the issue of managed/rationed care. There is enough language
in the bill to warrant questions, despite all the de-bunking. Insurance
companies will be ENCOURAGED to do it, as the do now. That’s what they
wanted.
6. And what about American business? Wasn’t it Obama (and the rest of the
country) saying that insurance mandates are breaking the backs of American
jobs? So now we have MORE mandates? We know it adds about $3000 to the
price of a car. I really don’t get this.
IF you want to be a little objective, I think it is possible that Obama is closely
aligned to insurance companies (either himself or via Michelle and Axelrod to
name a few). I think he intended to subsidize insurance companies all along, as
they will balloon in size after this, and, at present can’t seem to get anyone to
sign up anymore. I think his attempt to demonize them is pretty slick. He is
their major supporter, as he was with the banks and AIG. But this might have
backfired for various reasons. I would LOVE to find out who masterminded this
whole PR mess. Really I would.
In short, the only way to do any of this fairly and least expensively is with single
Report thispayer. The whole world has looked at this issue and come to the same.
By Outraged, September 10, 2009 at 8:24 am Link to this comment
Re: ardee
Your comment: “those who oppose the President from the left are decent well meaning citizens of this nation.
Firstly, I’d have to believe the bold print in your above comment and secondly, if by perhaps and perchance it were true, your other comment makes you look disoriented”. (of course, this has been well established by your prior posts)
“I am sorry that your intense partisanship forces such a silly position upon you”
BTW, Pres. Obama is a centrist.
Report thisBy dihey, September 10, 2009 at 6:30 am Link to this comment
How ghoulish!
Report thisBy ardee, September 10, 2009 at 3:33 am Link to this comment
Outraged, September 10 at 2:11 am
I cannot fathom this position from you, frankly:
If you have ONE SHRED OF COMMON DECENCY left in your ignorant self-centered soul…....Back Pres. Obama.
Firstly, those who oppose the President from the left are decent well meaning citizens of this nation. They do not deserve such from you or anyone.
Secondly, this President is, in my opinion, incapable of governance, due at least in part to an abysmal lack of experience in national office. The evidence mounts almost daily that the only talent this man has is his ability to deliver speeches, and in a time when what is needed is action.
In order for me to back this President he must lead me where I think this nation needs to go, and he is certainly not doing so. According to you this means I am without ‘common decency’ and have an ‘ignorant self centered soul’.
I am sorry that your intense partisanship forces such a silly position upon you, but I am motivated by a desire to see my nation lead, to see my nation care for its citizens and not just its corporate wealth. Obama, to me, represents clearly that rule by money, not in the best interests of its citizenry.
We will see only cosmetic changes to our Health Care system I fear, changes that will still leave far too many of us outside the protection of said care, will leave profit as the driving force in said care, and will leave my country far down the list of nations providing said care to its people. If this makes me worthy of insult in your eyes then so be it, my love of country outweighs my desire to please your unique vision.
Report thisBy Outraged, September 9, 2009 at 11:11 pm Link to this comment
“And so because of your vision and resolve, I came to believe that soon, very soon, affordable health coverage will be available to all, in an America where the state of a family’s health will never again depend on the amount of a family’s wealth. And while I will not see the victory, I was able to look forward and know that we will – yes, we will – fulfill the promise of health care in America as a right and not a privilege.”
Sen. Kennedy without question understood. But others simply refuse to. To them, ALL legislators are assholes, even though Kennedy proves otherwise. All those years…. and all those NAYSAYERS who refuse to see a light at the end of this tunnel. Do they not recognize that they are being played… and become the unforgiving dupes of corporate interests? Why did Sen. Kennedy so clearly see, what others cannot? He fought, but he also UNDERSTOOD. Pres. Obama is fighting….. but some… ALL THEY SEE is the reflection of their own conceited unmerited selves staring back saying, “What did I do wrong”, or “How could I have made it better”? But they’ll receive no answer, because they don’t understand…... the first thing!
If you have ONE SHRED OF COMMON DECENCY left in your ignorant self-centered soul…....Back Pres. Obama. Some days I feel that Forrest Gump knows the world and others, better than the most.
“Stupid is, as stupid does.”
Report thisBy KDelphi, September 9, 2009 at 8:08 pm Link to this comment
mcthorogood—yes and most employer based “plans” dont cover half of what they used to. Most people dont know it until they get sick and have to try to “compete in the free mkt” and have no voice.
Expecting a person to “compete” when they are sick is barbaric.
Report thisBy mcthorogood, September 9, 2009 at 7:32 pm Link to this comment
Distinguished law scholar Elizabeth Warren showed how middle class households have changed from having a single wage earner to requiring multiple wage earners over the last 50 years. Today the minimum wage is less than the wage required for basic survival without the benefit of health care. Access to affordable health care in the U.S. should be a basic human right, not a birthright.
Report thisBy KDelphi, September 9, 2009 at 7:07 pm Link to this comment
If it is a basic human right, it should not be subject to the whims of the so-called ‘free mkt”.
That is the only argument worth having.
Everyone needs to have health care because the alternative is unbearable to a civilized society. Like the uS?
Think of it as a “keystone”—like the spotted owl is for de-forestation. It is emblamatic of a society’s civilization or lack thereof.
It is about human rights.
Report this