Why is Ted Kennedy's Illness So important?

I am frustrated again with the news media. There are over 50,000 lives lost in the Chinese Earthquake, and another 30,000 or more lost in Burma, as well as millions of people displaced in both area's.

Yet, our wonderful news outlets, are spending money and time reporting about a Senator who has been indicted more times than most, has consistently did whatever it took to make his policies into law, and is your basic rich kid who became a politician because he couldn't do anything else.

Mr. Kennedy is an alcoholic, sexual predator, and overall sleaze bag. After the trial of his nephew, he has tried to clean up his act by pushing through with helping President Bush's No Child Left Behind legislation, by settling down his party ways, and becoming an AA member. (in my opinion he needs a legacy and had to work with a powerful President to secure that legacy).

My memory of his 'work' was when he was questioning a future Supreme Court Justice. It was Justice Clarence Thomas. He was clearly inebriated and not sufficiently prepared, as he asked prepared questions, but still lost his place in the middle of them.

I went back and reread the questions and answers, the lines indicate when he was fumbling for words. Here is one example of what I mean. The first line was his reiteration of what Senator Biden (the chairmen of the committee), gave as rules.

SEN. KENNEDY:
Thank you very much. We'll follow a ten-minute rule for the questions.

Some people argue that, despite Judge Thomas's record of hostility on civil rights, that we should trust that if he is confirmed to the Supreme Court, he'll be sensitive on -- on civil rights. Given both his -- the -- his past record, statements, positions, actions, statements before the committee, what's -- what kind of weight should we give that kind of advice or guidance? Mr. Days?

It was during this question and answer period of Justice Thomas when I became a Republican.

It wasn't only Ted Kennedy that was inebriated, Senator Metzenbaum also had way too much of something. Both of these supposed honorable men had no idea what to ask but kept returning to the Roe v Wade decision to make sure everyone knew they were pro choice. It wasn't about Clarence Thomas, but Abortion, which is something that shouldn't have been stressed over and over.

Senator Kennedy is, I understand, a respected public figure in some quarters. But I think most people only see a man who runs on the coattails of his last name. Without it, I doubt he would have been a Senator, let alone someone who got around the clock coverage because he is taken to the hospital.

My only wish with the coverage, is they would stress things which are important, like China and Burma, and report only the basics of what isn't.

Like this story of Ted Kennedy. I was sickened by the people each News channel paraded out as friends of Mr. Kennedy. These 'friends' would say how wonderful he was, or how impassioned he was, for this cause of that cause. I wanted to scream to these five minute fame people that he is still alive.

The reporters were even worse as they would try to use their best dramatic voice when describing his airlift to the hospital. It struck me as interesting that these people would spend so much time talking about a man who is sick, rather than two countries which are in complete upheavals.

That's all I have to rant about today. Hopefully some people share my frustrations.