Apparenty the new senator from MA wil be Mr. kirk, former big pharma lobbiest and weathy friend of the Kennedys. The reaction in the papers at least has been very negative. Wendell Potter has come out agaisnt this pick by Guv. Patrick. Kirk has deep ties to big pharma and the healthcare industry. And he wil be the 60th vote on reform? What kind of message does this send?
Patrick will make a quick announcement like this morning on his choice. This is done so fast that I think many folks o left wil and should be furious. Dukakis has been jilted it appears. Under the bus because the Kennedys demand Kirk take the seat. Does Patrick serve the people of MA or the dictates of the Kennedy clan? This guy ooks to me to be controversial as Potter says because of the seat he takes and the role he has on voting on healthcare and financial regulations. The Globe and Herald are all over this Kirk guy and his wamr business ties. Cant the dems do anything right anymore?
I hope this all turns out better than I think!
from Boston Herald on Kirk-
...The push for Kirk gained momentum yesterday after the late senator’s widow, Victoria Reggie Kennedy, and sons Patrick and Ted Jr. urged the governor to appoint Kirk to the temporary post, a source close to the Kennedys said. The governor confirmed hearing from Vicki Kennedy "multiple times" on the matter but declined to elaborate.
Kirk, 71, a retired lobbyist and lawyer who lives on Cape Cod, raked in a whopping $250,942 in salary and stock options as a board member for Hartford Financial Services, the umbrella for The Hartford, which sells health coverage to retirees.
Until a successor is elected in January, Kirk would wield a critical vote in health insurance and financial industry reforms, raising concerns about potential conflicts.
"Why in the world would they choose someone who has close ties to the insurance industry?" asked Wendell Potter, a former health insurance exec-turned-whistleblower. He noted the health insurance industry has much to gain in the current reform package, especially if coverage is mandated without competition from a government insurance option, as a bill now before the Senate finance committee proposes.
"This would represent an enormous new revenue stream for the insurance industry," Potter said, adding of Kirk, "On one hand, he certainly would be knowledgeable of insurance issues, and on the other hand . . . there are going to be questions about his objectivity."
http://www.bostonherald.com/...
Globe piece on Dukakis getting dumped
http://www.boston.com/...