Kennedy Family Pick Paul Kirk Is New Massachusetts Senator

Kennedy Family Pick Paul Kirk Is New Massachusetts Senator
By John Nichols | The Nation

Rejecting prospects who had sought and won statewide office, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has selected a veteran political insider, former Democratic National Committee chairman Paul Kirk, to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the late Senator Edward Kennedy.

Kirk, a close Kennedy family friend who served as the former senator's special assistant during the challenging period from 1969 to 1977, is currently the chairman of the board of directors for the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.

Kirk, 71, was reportedly the pick of the Kennedy family.

That apparently settled matters for Patrick, and it means that Kirk will serve in the Senate until the Massachusetts seat is filled by a January 19 special election.

The Massachusetts legislature restructured state law to allow Patrick to appoint a temporary successor to Kennedy.

That was a victory for the Obama administration and congressional Democrats, who have wanted to fill the Massachusetts seat with a Democrat until a January special election chooses a senator to fill out the remainder of Kennedy's term.

But, while this might be a win for Democrats, this is not a win for democracy.

No one should serve in the Senate without first having been elected.

Kirk will join the Senate after having won precisely one vote: that of Patrick. Read more.