Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) spoke today before the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Election Laws, testifying in favor of the proposed law to empower Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick to appoint a Senator to Ted Kennedy’s seat until the special election in January.
“This is no time for the people of Massachusetts to not be represented fully in Washington. We need to be in the strongest position possible,” said Kerry. “Big decisions are being made now — not in five months. And important votes are coming now — not in five months. Massachusetts cannot and should not be underrepresented.”
There’s a certain irony in Kerry coming before the committee — the legislation that took away the power of governors to appoint Senators was passed by the state Democrats in 2004, when they thought that Kerry himself might get elected President while Republican Mitt Romney was Governor. The old law had provided for an appointment until the next regular general election, and legislators rejected the possibility of even having an appointment combined with an expedited special election.
During his testimony, Kerry acknowledged the role that Ted Kennedy had played in pushing for that very change to the laws back in 2004 — and said that Kennedy had made a mistake. In the weeks before his death, Kennedy wrote to the state’s leaders to change the law to allow for a temporary appointment.
“By writing the letter he wrote and putting himself on the line I think he acknowledged he made a mistake,” said Kerry.
Kerry said that if Kennedy asked for the change in the law, he would still support it regardless of who was governor: “It’s not about the party, it’s not about the labels, it’s about (Massachusetts’) best interest.”
