In the run up to the 2004 presidential elections, Ted Kennedy was concerned that his fellow Massachusetts senator John Kerry could win leaving an open seat in the senate.  Kennedy’s concern was that Massachusetts law stated that when a senator’s position became open, the Govenor of the state would appoint a replacement for the rest of the current term.

Being that Republican Governor Mitt Romney would almost certainly appoint a republican, Kennedy pushed for the law to be changed to require a special vote within 5 months to elect a replacement, taking the choice of the replacement out of the hands of the governor.

Now that Kennedy is gravely ill, he is imploring the Massachusetts government to change the law back to allow the governor to pick.  Kennedy is declaring that “…it is vital for this commonwealth to have two voices speaking for the needs of its citizens and two votes in the Senate during the approximately five months between a vacancy and an election.”

Odd that he feels this way now that there is a Democrat in the Massachusetts governor’s mansion.  Apparently, the need for representation is only imperative if he can guarantee that a Democrat fills the seat.  He most likely is concerned that if a republican fills the seat, it will be one less vote for nationalized health care.

The Constitution reserves the right to determine how senators are choosen to the states, but it seems wrong to change the law every few years depending upon the circumstances.  The fact that “we the people” stand for such lack of principles in our representatives is an indicator of the sad state of the political environment.

Ted Kennedy’s over 40 years in congress is a shining example of why term limits are necessary.