November 22, 2009
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In Midwest, Sen. Kennedy got a different reaction
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Rexie Planalp of St. Joseph visited Sen. Ted Kennedy's personal conference room on Capitol Hill in January 2009.
Tributes began pouring in Wednesday morning as people awoke to the news that Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy had died of brain cancer. Called the "liberal lion" of the Senate, Mr. Kennedy had a name that elicited different responses in the Midwest than it did on the national stage.
True, his Senate colleague Claire McCaskill said Mr. Kennedy was more than just an image.
“While his vision soared, the power of his personality and the magnet of his intellect drew his colleagues to the table of compromise," the Missouri senator said in a statement. "It was there he did his best work. His love for the little guy and his affection for the underdog influenced everything he did. And importantly, his sense of humor and contagious laughter made him real and approachable in spite of his power and privilege.”
A St. Joseph youth, Rexie Planalp, began a pen-pal relationship with the Massachusetts senator and visited his Capitol Hill office in January.
"The senator opened his heart and his doors to us. With heartfelt sadness, we mourn his death and offer condolences and prayers to his devoted wife, Vicki," the Planalp family said in a statement. "We remember his incredible life of service to our country, and we'll never forget him ... his legacy lives on."
Sen. Sam Brownback, the Republican from Kansas, extended his prayers to the Kennedy family.
“He fought for what he believed in and did so with passion," Mr. Brownback said in a statement. "I had the opportunity to work on several legislative issues with Sen. Kennedy and despite our political differences, he was professional, courteous, and thoughtful and always looked for ways to find common ground."
Despite the praise, many Missourians used the words "Ted Kennedy" as a term of derision over the years, especially during campaign seasons or when the talk turned to taxes. The senator became a symbol, fairly or unfairly, of free-spending government and East-Coast thinking out of touch with heartland values.
This newspaper's files include a 1998 reference to a Missouri politician calling an opponent a "Ted Kennedy wannabe." He didn't mean it in a flattering way. At a town-hall meeting on Monday, one attendee in the region used Mr. Kennedy's 47 years of service in the Senate as a reason for having term limits in Congress.
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Yes and that same power and privilege that Sen. McCaskill spoke of is what tried to sweep what happened at Chappaquiddick forty years ago to Mary Jo Kopechne under the rug. Come on. a girl was killed and the only thing Sen. Kennedy pleaded guilty to was leaving the scene of an accident! Adding insult to injury he was given a suspended sentence for that.
I wonder what Mary Jo will have to say to the "good" Senator.
America's perputual adolescent
Sorry he died...but he was nothing but a coward to leave that woman to drown to go call his attorney. Maybe people in the midwest have a longer memory.
We in the Midwest do remember almost everything that has happened in this country. So the politicians in Jeff City & Washington had better take NOTE!!!
Must not we forget that we shouldnt judge yet we be judged. And yes I agree that he should of called for help. But do not forget all the good things that he has done for the people. The Kennedy's are getting hit twice this month with the passing of his sister. May God be with his family.
Okay, so where was the Kopechne clan's outrage 40 years ago? They refused to allow Mary Jo's autopsy to be redone, saying "she's suffered enough, leave her in peace". btw, Kennedy pleaded guilty to misdemeanor- involuntary vehicular manslaughter- not just leaving an accident.
Besides, are you proud of EVERYTHING you were doing 40 years ago? Would you like your entire life to be judged based on any one night? didn't think so.
Tell that to all the people that are and have been , sitting in prison for causing someones death because they drove drunk. They got judged for "one night".
Just saw a sound bite of him stumping for Obama. He was giddy that they were going to restore America back to what it once was. Looking at what is going on right now...that is hilarious. If it wasn't so sad.
More tha being called the lion in the senate. A more accurate name would have been the weasil in the hen house.
What a bunch of sad little minds. I suppose you are the moral authority and are pure of malice. Your lives must revolve around unhappiness. I am trying to muster some pitty for you, which obviously is more than you are capable of. Always looking for what is wrong with America rather what could be better? Look in the mirror you believe you have a keener sight than your neighbor but in fact you are blind with ignorance.
Don't need your pity. He was a coward and responsible for that womans death and all he could think about was calling his attorney to prepare for damage control. And served not one day in jail. He led a full life and her?? Not any life.
Now I may not be the smartest of the bunch...but sending out 450,000.000 in stimulus checks to inmates is a prime example of people that should be looking in mirrors to see who is ignorant.
And you have waited 40 years to be able to say "goody goody, hope you burn in hell" sounds to me like you are bitter bitter people in my opinion! But what do I know, I wasn't even born yet!!
I was 9 years old and didn't know or care. I was younger when I saw his brother get his brains blown out on black and white TV. And remember the sadness my parents felt. He was a war hero that help save his badly burned crew...even swam over a mile out to signal for help. And all his worthless brother did was swim to shore and hurry home to call his lawyer.
you people are so funny what would you do if you had nothing to be bitter and unhappy about? I guess you would be left with doing something constructive. Oh but wait that would require a heart and a sense of community but judgeing from your input it is clear that you think the world revolves around your ideology; sorry to disappoint you as you are soooo wrong and sad. SO just sit there and complain about everything and do nothing to make anything better and pat yourself on the back for being that great American you think you are.
singlemom........sounds more like you were hatched.
By the way Kennedy isn't being judged on one night....he managed to screw up 1000s of nights and days for that matter.
Irony.....the countries leading promoter of abortion...as convenient birthcontrol, at government expense, is being provided a full blowin, first class catholic funeral. He's a hyprocrit right to the grave.
Growing up in Saint Joe we had a neighbor who, although by all appearances was a well-bred, modest, educated and intelligent woman, had a pathological hatred for the Kennedys.
She would scribble obscenities in the margins of newspaper and magazine articles about the President and his family. She was also a rock-ribbed Republican -- she loved to tell about how as a child her papa took her to see Teddy Roosevelt speak -- and every night she prayed that God do something about that Irish Catholic playboy in the White House.
Her prayers were answered on Nov. 22, 1963 -- but she, in a sense, was also mortally wounded by Lee Harvey Oswald. She died of a heart attack within days of the assassination. Perhaps it was too much for her to bear that her terrible wish had been granted in the most awful way.
For me it became a cautionary tale: hate is toxic. Let go of it or be consumed by it.
God have mercy on the small minded people who can not beleave in forgivness, No wonder st joe is in bad shape too many small minded people.
I admired the man, He still kept truckin on.
Without the Kennedy name, Teddy would have been selling shoes in Sears.