Edward Moore Kennedy
Edward Moore Kennedy, Sr. (born the February 22nd 1932) is an American politician, member of the Democratic party and senator of the Massachusetts to the Congrès of the United States since 1962. Called Ted , it is a democratic idol, one of the most liberal politicians (on the left) of the country and the brother of the former president John F. Kennedy.
Youth, studies and family life
Ted Kennedy was born the February 22nd 1932, with Boston, Massachusetts. It is youngest of the nine children of Joseph Patrick Kennedy and Pink Fitzgerald Kennedy. He is in particular the young brother of John Fitzgerald and Robert Kennedy.
Raise with the academy of Milton, it enters to the college of Harvard in 1950 of which it is suspended in 1951 after being convinced to have made pass a Spanish examination of on its behalf through another pupil.
After two years in the US Army which it passes in station to Paris, it goes back to Harvard from which it is graduate in 1956.
In 1958, it is registered with the academy of $the Hague specialized in international law and takes part in the re-election campaign with the Senate of his/her John brother.
After having obtained its diploma of right of the University of Virginia, Ted Kennedy is allowed with the bar of Massachusetts in 1959.
Resident of Hyannis Port (Massachusetts), of origin irlando-catholic, he was married in first weddings with Virginia Joan Bennett of which he had three children, Kara, Edward Jr. and Patrick. The couple divorced in 1982.
Married in second weddings with Victoria Reggie Kennedy, they had two children, Curran and Caroline.
Ted Kennedy is also grandfather of 4 small children and tutor of 13 other children of his brothers John and Robert following their assassinations in 1963 and 1968.
Political career
Ted Kennedy is elected with the Sénat of the United States in 1962 with the vacant seat left by his/her John brother, elected President of the United States in November 1960. Ted was constantly re-elected senator of Massachusetts to the American Congress with the elections of 1964, 1970, 1976, 1982, 1988, 1994, 2000 and 2006 (69% of the voices compared with 31% with Kenneth Chase).
In 2005, he became the most former senator in function after Robert Byrd.
Ted Kennedy is or was member of several democratic commissions of which those on health, education, work and the pensions, the legal commission, commission of the armed forces…
He is the founder of the group of friendship of the congressmen with the Ireland.
A beginning of animated political career
Since the elections of 1962, the name of Ted Kennedy was coupled with stories of sex, corruption or deaths accidental. Since 1962, it is shown to be a beginner making use of his name and its fortune in order to be elected.
In 1964, Ted Kennedy survives an air crash whose pilot and his assistant are killed. It is then drawn from the remains of the apparatus by the senator Birch E. Bayh II.
In 1968, it pronounces the funeral praise of his/her Robert brother, assassinated. He also became the patriarch of the Kennedy family when that his/her father became invalid following an brain attack.
Democratic hope for the presidential election of 1972, the business of Chappaquiddick puts an end to it definitively
Chappaquiddick
The July 18th 1969, following one evening given on the island of Chappaquiddick, on board its Oldsmobile Delta 88, Ted Kennedy carried out an route exit with the height of Dike Bridge. Its car plunged in the river and ran.
Ted Kennedy was not alone on board but its momentary young person, Mary OJ Kopechne, died drowned. Ted Kennedy, which tried without success to save it, turned over to seek of the assistance to the place where the evening had been held. Kennedy spoke about the accident to many people including the parents about the victim and his lawyer before the police force was not prevented. It is a group of fishermen which found the car later the next morning then, the body of Kopechne was fished out.
It is only when the car was identified as pertaining to Ted Kennedy that this one was finally questioned by the police force.
The accident became a national scandal. Kennedy was criticized not to have known to come using Kopechne, not to have contacted the police force in first but his lawyer and to have waited the next morning to announce the accident.
Many allegations circulated and continue to circulate in particular according to which Ted Kennedy would have been drunk at the wheel of its car, that it would not have tried to save the young girl and that it would have tried to deceive her.
Kennedy pled guilty to have left the places of the accident. He was condemned to 2 months of suspended sentence.
The accident of Chappaquiddick will not cease haunting its political career whose presidential ambitions will be broken forever.
The following proverb was thus popularized in the mediums of its opponents pro-arm with fire: “the car of Ted Kennedy killed more people than my gun. ”
The reputation of Ted Kennedy was sullied and his immaturity and its weakness denounced by its opponents or its former partisans.
In 1980, it is presented to the democratic primary educations against the president Jimmy Carter but the scandal of Chappaquiddick arises opportunely and obliges it to give up this presidential ambition definitively.
In years 80-90, the Chappaquiddick business is arisen when, with one of its nephews, it is continued for a sexual harassment.
No Child Behind Left
Ted Kennedy is one of the joint authors of the law Bi-partisane " No Child Left Behind Act off 2001" written in collaboration with the president George W. Bush.
Abortion
Although it is of catholic origin, Ted Kennedy always supported the legislation on the abortion. The pope Benoît XVI declared that deserved an car-excommunication to him.
Political philosophy
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In 1971, Ted Kennedy is still adverse with IVG. But after the legalization of the Avortement by the Supreme court of the United States (business Roe v. Wade), it changes opinion after wall reflections and is a defender of the IVG today what in fact a target of choice of the catholic lobbies.
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democratic Icon, Ted Kennedy represents the liberal wing of the democratic party. With John Kerry, it is responsible for the reputation of liberalism of the Massachusetts, for worst and best.
- Kennedy is in favor of a controlled immigration and quotas.
- Ted Kennedy is a defender of alternative energies but refuses the establishment of wind mills near its residence.
- the cavernous voice of the senator Ted Kennedy rose, Tuesday, January 9, 2007, in the big room of the National Close Club. “Iraq is the Vietnam of George Bush, has he says. And as to Vietnam, the only rational solution is political, and not soldier. To inject more troops in a civil war will not change anything. ” Senator for forty-two years, Ted Kennedy had envisaged to hold a press conference on insurance-health. Since the democratic victory, it chairs the commission of the social affairs of the Senate.
Internal bond
List of the senators of the United States of America
External bond
- Biography of the Congress
- Site of countryside Campaign homepage
- Site of the political Senate
- Profile
- On Chappaquiddick
- Investigation of the FBI and the FOIA into Chappaquiddick
Simple: Ted Kennedy
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