The Kennedy clan has always been a fascinating study to conservatives; we just can't figure how they continue to get elected. Senator Larry Craig is battling for his political life for copping to a misdemeanor charge that is specious at best. Ted Kennedy allowed a woman who was not his wife drown in his mothers vehicle while he slept it off and didn't contact the police. In fact, the first person he contacted was his lawyer and yet he remains in office nearly four decades later.

It's amazing that through the Mary-Jo Kopechne issue, expulsion from Harvard for cheating, sex scandals and various other unsavory issues, the one issue that has turned liberals against Kennedy is an environmental one:

The source of unhappiness is Kennedy's efforts to kill an offshore wind farm on Nantucket Sound. Cape Wind was to be the first such project in the United States and a source of pride to environmentally minded New Englanders. Polls show 84 percent of Massachusetts residents in favor. But now it appears that America's first offshore wind farm will be near Galveston, Texas.

Proposed the month before Sept. 11, 2001, Cape Wind remains in limbo. It's been frustrated at every turn by a handful of yachtsmen, Kennedy included, who don't want to see windmills from their verandas. Many millions have been spent spreading disinformation and smearing the wind farm's supporters.

It says something about liberals that you can be responsible for a death and not be forced to resign but go against the environmentalists and you're despised immediately. Heaven help him if he ever votes against an abortion clinic being built in Hyannisport.

The cash flow was nice while he could do it but Rudy Giuliani has not withdrawn from the speaking circuit that gave him a free meal plus $100,000 for his thoughts. This is a far cry from the old saying "a penny for your thoughts." The reason for giving up this easy money? Rudy is running for president. It's official. And since he is ahead in almost every poll, the time is right. The masses are crying out for Rudy to save the Republican Party. Warning Rudy, ask Ted Kennedy about how the loyal masses support you after one finally announces for president.

Long ago, in 1980, Ted Kennedy responded to his loyal followers by saying that he would run for president against the Democratic incumbent, Jimmy Carter. Nobody wanted Jimmy to run the country anymore. There were American hostages in Iran and that was in the news every night. Tip O'Neill had said "If Kennedy were to run, Carter wouldn't get the nomination." Turns out Tip was wrong. In the end, Kennedy won ten primaries, Carter won 24 and Reagan won it all.

Giuliani has confirmed he is running for president, and who can blame him? Everybody loves him... now. His closet door has been open for a long time. He has been married three times. One was annulled because you can't marry your cousin. His next wife (does that make her the second or the first) took over the mayor's mansion when they separated. It is hard to believe that there are any secrets left in that closet and yet... Rudy is still ahead in the polls. However, he should give Teddy a call. Senator Kennedy had been convinced that Chappaquiddick didn't really matter when it came to electing a person who could run the country better. Boy, was he wrong. In the end, Kennedy was singing the song, "I Had A Bad Day."

Good luck Rudy, the worst is yet to come.

It's been coming for some time, we just didn't know when. In 2000 it was mostly not of his own doing, but this cycle, he's 100% to blame. John McCain's campaign is effectively over:

The late-night vote was on an amendment that would require illegal aliens who get legal status to have a minimum level of health insurance. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, the Massachusetts Democrat who is the chamber's most liberal member, was - not surprisingly - opposed.

Writes Mr. Dinan: "Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and John McCain of Arizona both went to check with Mr. Kennedy before casting their votes to match his. Soon after, (Arizona Republican Sen. Jon) Kyl also switched his vote to match Mr. Kennedy's."

This is a reliable source saying that John McCain and Lindsey Graham wanted to vote like Teddy Kennedy. Think about that -- this immigration issue has sunk to the point that GOP leaders are making sure they match the senior senator from Taxachussetts.

Republicans may accept if a presidential candidate votes along with Hillary Clinton even Barack Obama, but Ted Kennedy? Hell no. McCain has staked his campaign on this issue and it's a loser. Ironically, he is in concert with the President and it seems as though McCain will once again be beaten by Bush, this time when he's on the same side,

It gets worse though, McCain's supporters are jumping ship because they know this issue is a loser for their candidate and his political tin ear is destroying his campaign. I suspect that Fred Thompson will take a large chunk of the McCain backers.

I've served in the U.S. Navy, started my own company that keeps a nice income coming to my employees and pays my taxes. I volunteer as a coach for youth baseball and vote in every election. I'm a simple person living the American dream of raising my kids in a nice house and a town with great schools.

In other words, I'm the typical American, proud of our country, our ideals and our military. But alas, according to a member of the dysfunctional family that claims American royalty, I'm a traitor:

...it was nonmusicians at this concert who made the most passionate pleas about demanding action for the environment. "Get rid of all these rotten politicians that we have in Washington, who are nothing more than corporate toadies," said Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the environmentalist author, president of Waterkeeper Alliance and Robert F. Kennedy's son, who grew hoarse from shouting. "This is treason. And we need to start treating them as traitors."

Hmm, what is the penalty for treason? In some cases, it's death. Is that what Kennedy is saying, that those who don't believe him and actually have read the facts and formed their own opinions are as bad as the Rosenbergs, John Lindh and Aldrich Ames? Does Kennedy actually believe that questioning the conventional wisdom is akin to selling state secrets to our enemies or taking up arms against ones nation? Sadly (especially in the case of selling secrets to the commies), I believe he does.

Our country was formed on the U.S. Constitution, not the Kyoto Protocols. The left is always big on saying "dissent is patriotic", except in this case my friends, except in this case. How dare Kennedy, Jr. call me a traitor based on his stunted understanding of junk science. How dare he question me when, given the chance to help the environment, he sided with uncle Teddy and shot down a good idea because it would have personally inconvenienced him to a small degree. No hypocrisy there because he's a Kennedy.

For many years, Senator Ted Kennedy has been the Democrat that Republicans love to hate. However, throughout his 45 year career, he has been willing to work together with top Republicans to pass laws that are in the best interest of this country. Recently, Trent Lott complimented Ted Kennedy for his involvement in domestic legislation. This was done before a meeting in Mississippi where the Kennedy name is hated. The comments made say a lot about Senator Lott and Senator Kennedy. They are on the opposite ends of the political spectrum but they are willing to work together for what they think is in the best interests of the United States of America.

Most recently, Kennedy has worked with President Bush and John McCain on the immigration bill. As the Republicans attack him for his efforts, one should note that Senator Kennedy is also being attacked by unions for his support for the same bill. The Senator has made a decision that he is not beholden to any one group, which is a sign of good leadership.

Edward Kennedy will be in Belmar, NJ in support of Robert Menendez. According to the press release, Kennedy is the "distinguished guest".

When did we get to the point that a man who let a woman drown in his car, then sleeps, and contacts his lawyer before contacting police is considered a "distinguished" anything? Politics used to have people who exhibited shame, instead we have a Democratic party that has as its elder statesmen Kennedy and a man who started a local KKK group in West Virginia.

Well, I guess when one of the highest ranking members of your party is a man who started a local KKK chapter, Kennedy seems rational. Here's some insight for Teddy:

Vietnam War

A war that was essentially started and escalated by Teddy's brother in which we were attempting to stem the flow of an ideology that killed tens of millions. Senator Kennedy's brother approved an assassination on Ngo Dinh Diem. The enemy was a uniformed army led by a leader who followed the Communist ideology and was supported by the Soviets. The US military was largely a conscript one with personnel who neither wanted to be nor should've been in uniform.

Iraq War

A war against a dictator who killed his own people in horrendous ways, ruled through rape, torture and murder, and started two wars in the region that killed a million people. The preceding President and most members of Congress agreed that he did in fact have chemical weapons, but now back away even though their statements are readily available. Fought by a military that has no conscripts and that is winning battle after battle. A continuation of a policy that was developed in the wake of an attack within American borders in which 3,000 fellow citizens were incinerated without warning. Fought against non-uniformed insurgents who intentionally attack women and children for political gain

Yeah Teddy, I see these two are exactly the same. Perhaps if you didn't have other issues on your mind back during the war, you'd have paid more attention. Video here if you can stand to watch it.

Shays Invokes Chappaquiddick

This is NOT about the person Mark Foley -- homosexual transmuted into a alcohol soused Internet stalker. It's NOT about Gary Hart. Or Wild Bill Clinton. And it's certainly NOT about Sen. Ted Kennedy, contrary to GOP Rep. Christopher Shays' malicious miscast of Kennedy's tragedy at Chappaquiddick.

It's about this: Shays is facing the loss of his congressional seat to Democrat Diane Farrell.

The USS John F. Kennedy is back in Boston for the last leg of its farewell tour. Boston ... well, Brookline ... was the birthplace of its namesake. The aircraft carrier, which served the nation for 40 years, will be in Boston until Monday. It will be decommissioned on March 23.

JFK's brother, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, gave a speech on Friday as a group of 300 immigrants became US citizens aboard the carrier. Nice symbolism!

Upon the smack-down today of the shamnesty bill, President Bush officially became a lame duck not only to Democrats but Republicans as well. We stuck with the man through Harriet Miers, the prescription drug boondoggle and the the education bill hijinks he perpetrated in cahoots with Teddy Kennedy. Today, we officially booted him.

Most lame-duck presidents enjoy support from the base during the last eighteen or so months and kind of put it in cruise control or tackle issues that will aid their self important legacy. Bill Clinton did that with his attempts to foster peace between Israel and the Palestinians (it failed spectacularly but that's a story for another day). This immigration bill was Bush's shot at a domestic policy legacy and he failed miserably.

Perhaps Bush has learned that the country wants the borders sealed, pronto. If he wants a true legacy, it should be one of security for our nation. We have not been attacked since 9/11 thanks to our security services such as TSA. It's only a matter of time before an OTM comes through Juarez or Tecate and explodes a bomb in L.A. or Phoenix. If the he came through our unprotected southern border, Bush would have himself a legacy he never expected.

Today is a good day for democracy and a good day for conservatism. We slayed the dragon that was amnesty and embarrassed Senators Specter, Kennedy, McCain and many others who don't give a damn about our national security and only care about their political careers. Good job to all who made noise and got it done.

The alliance of talk radio, blogs and grassroots efforts was a winner when it came to defeating the "shamnesty" bill. Conservatives were enraged and showed just how much power we possess:

A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of 15,000 adults in June found that just 32.0% now say they're Republicans. That's up more than a full percentage point from a month ago and is within a tenth-of-a-point of the GOP's best showing in ten months.

This is purely because of the efforts put forth to defeat a bill that would've rewarded those who broke our laws. The Bush administration suffered its worst legislative defeat because of the actions of fellow Republicans.

This is interesting as it shows that immigration is an important issue and it shows that President Bush, Ted Kennedy and John McCain were on the absolute wrong side of it. The Democrats actually stayed out of the fray for the most part and the media portrayed it for what it was; a major disagreement between conservatives and the president. The president lost, conservatives won and the public went against the president. That should be telling to the Bush administration.

Note also that the people who identified themselves as Democrats decreased. That is telling as well since the Dems were associated with this bill largely by the presence of Teddy Kennedy.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: McCain lost the election on this issue and candidates such as Fred Thompson and Tom Tancredo stuck to their guns and ended up on the side of the American people. Others such as Lindsey Graham and Sam Brownback came out looking like fools and severely misjudged the public reaction to illegal immigration.

This morning my wife told me that she just heard for the first time that Ted Kennedy was running for Senate re-elction. I knew but I had forgotten. She then tested me and I didn't know the name of his opponent. For trivia buffs, his name is Ken Chase. It is safe to say, this race is all-but uncontested.

As high ranking Republican senators are fighting to keep their seats, Sen. Kennedy is spending very little money and is not worried. He has been the perpetual target of the right. His name has been used to raise money for the Republican party. He was one of two senators who stood tall and voted against the Iraq invasion. His vote was cast despite the fact that most Americans wanted to bomb Iraq back to the stone age at the time.

When asked to comment about Senator Kerry's most recent slip, Kennedy said, "I wish the Bush administration brought as much energy and focus to trying to correct their mistakes in Iraq as it did in going after John Kerry."

Tomorrow, Kennedy will be re-elected senator by a wide margin. He will begin his 45th year representing Massachusetts. He will continue to be the target of the right and he will also be the third longest serving U.S. senator ever.

The Lousiana GOP is reporting a huge pickup for 2008. They have convinced John Kennedy to switch parties. The big news is that he ran unsuccessfully for the Senate seat now held by David Vitter in 2004. The speculation is that he will be gunning for Mary Landrieu in 2008.

Senator Landrieu barely won her seat in 2002 and since then the largest part of her voting base in New Orleans has disappeared due to acts of God. She's a long shot, but up to this point, the LA GOP has not recruited a good challenger for her. John Kennedy could be the guy. From Nola.com:

In an email message to supporters, Kennedy cited "certain fixed, bedrock principles" that he believes are more in line with the Republican Party than the Democrats, and said GOP officials have been more responsive to his proposals in recent years.

"For the past several years, it has increasingly been the case that those public servants who have embraced my ideas and my philosophy of trying new approaches are primarily Republicans," Kennedy wrote.

2008 is shaping up to be a horrible year for the Republicans Senate Committee, they must win in Louisiana to make up for losses elsewhere.

Gallup conducted their annual poll of Americans' confidence in major institutions last week. The institution that America has the lowest confidence in? Congress at 14 percent. The institution that Americans have the most confidence in? The military at 69 percent.

The general pattern of confidence in institutions has remained similar in recent years. There are three institutions tested this year in which a majority of Americans express a great deal or quite a lot of confidence: the military, small business, and the police. Two institutions tested have confidence ratings in the 40% range -- the church/organized religion and banks. All other institutions generate a great deal or quite a lot of confidence from less than 40% of the American population. The five institutions at the bottom of the list -- each with confidence ratings below 20% -- are the criminal justice system, organized labor, big business, HMOs, and Congress.

For the record, the presidency, even with the incessant attacks on President Bush from the mainstream media and the Democrats, still polls higher than Congress, television news, newspapers, organized labor, big business, and HMOs (Teddy Kennedy's creation).

Oh, and Congress polls lower this year under Democratic control than it did last year under Republican control.

The GOP looked like a bunch of idiots anyway for not wanting to appear at the upcoming CNN/YouTube Republican debate. No one gave a credible answer as to why and after the Dems appeared and answered the queries, how could the Republicans not?

According to the Washington Times, several are already in:

Initially, only two of the 10 declared Republican candidates agreed to participate: Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Rep. Ron Paul of Texas.

The number is now at four and, the sources said, the full field could be announced as early as this week. The debate now likely will take place in November or December.

"The Democratic CNN/YouTube debate was a success, and we have equally high expectations for the Republican CNN/YouTube debate," added a YouTube spokesman. "We remain confident that all of the Republican campaigns will participate."

Kudos to those who were in from the beginning, but it wouldn't be much of a debate with John McCain, whose campaign died when he posed with Teddy Kennedy pushing the amnesty bill and Ron Paul who has zero shot and is polling at <1% and is predicted to finish with zero votes in the Iowa Straw Poll (second item)..