Patrick Appoints Kirk Interim Senator

Today, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick appointed Kennedy confidante and former DNC Chair Paul Kirk, Jr. to take over the seat held by Ted Kennedy on an interim basis.

A few days ago, the Massachusetts legislature amended the law so that Governor Patrick could make the interim appointment.

All things considered I don't have a problem with Governor Patrick making this appointment. This is the way such things are done in most states. Where I have a problem is the double standard the Massachusetts legislature applies to Democratic and Republican Governors. This situation would never have come to pass had Ted Kennedy let sleeping dogs lie. After all, if not for Kennedy's overconfidence in John Kerry he would not have seen fit to get the Massachusetts legislature to have changed the law in the first place. Had Kerry been elected President in 2004 then Mitt Romney would have made an interim appointment and presumably would have appointed a Republican. Neither Kennedy nor the Democratic controlled Massachusetts legislature could permit such an intolerable development.

Of course, the Kerry Administration never came to pass. But when death came knocking on Kennedy's door he did a 180. Now that Deval Patrick sat in the corner office it was O.K. for him to appoint his successor. Such a thing was also now acceptable because after all President Obama needed 60 Democratic Senators to get Obamacare passed come hell or high water. And after Kennedy passed on, President Obama saw to it that Patrick and the Massachusetts legislature would say how high when he told them to jump.

I just hope if Massachusetts elects another Republican Governor that he or she will be allowed to make such appointments should they arise without interference from Washington.