While
the rest of America might not be mourning the departure of the troubled
Patrick Kennedy from Congress, MSNBC on Tuesday lamented "the end of an
era" that saw at least one member of the Kennedy family serving in
Washington for 63 years. The network featured three segments on the
topic in the span of an hour.
Jansing and Co. Guest anchor Richard Lui wondered, "...Will we see a
family that will be able to take up the mantle here?" Talking to
Democratic strategist Karen Finney, he repeated talking points from the
Rhode Island Congressman: "...Patrick Kennedy
was saying, you know, a public service versus public office. It's about
public service."
Referring to his other guest, Michelle Bernard of the Independent Woman's Forum, Lui added, "
So,
when we take a look at that, Michelle, what more might we see going
forward in terms of a family that might, again, fill in this void that
we're now seeing?"
A follow-up segment by Contessa Brewer in the 12pm hour featured the
graphic, "An End of an Era." Brewer recited, "When the new Congress is
sworn in next week it will mark the end of an era for one of America's
most powerful and storied political families. For the first time in 63
years there will be no Kennedys serving in elected office in
Washington."
The
usually conservative Bernard offered an odd analysis of the Kennedy
legacy. She asserted of the President: "And so I think what we have to
ask ourselves today is by handing that mantle over to Obama and looking
at the type of President that President Obama is, one has to ask the
question, can the type of liberal that the Kennedy family historically
been actually be elected in Democratic politics in this era?"
Bernard continued, questioning Obama's liberalism: "And I think the
answer is probably no. President Obama has turned out to be a lot more
of a centrist and probably to the right of Senator Kennedy than many
members of the Kennedy family."
A third segment ran in the 11am hour and featured historian Alan
Lichtman. He highlighted the Kennedy family's "clarion call for
liberalism."
A transcript of the segment, which aired at 11:24am EST on December 28, follows:
RICHARD LUI: Karen and Michelle are back with us right now. Let's start with you, Karen, here. Will we see a company [sic], excuse me, will we see a family that will be able to take up the mantle here?
KAREN FINNEY (Democratic strategist): You know, at this point it
doesn't appear so. You know, the Kennedy legacy is such a unique part of
American history. The other thing, just to listen to Alan that we're
losing with this generation is that real sense that, you know, it is a
call to service. If you listen to the way, particularly the GOP, has
attacked, you know, public sector employees, that's how we talk about
people who go into government work instead of this idea that it is being
called a service, being called to serve one's country just as one might
serve in the military that this is another way to serve. And I think
part of what we lose in this transition is this idea that that's a part
of what being part of government is about. And I think we've, you
know, lost some of that and I don't see another family on the horizon
that has that same kind of heartfelt commitment to this country.
LUI: And you make a good point there, Karen, as you take a look at
this because Patrick Kennedy was saying, you know, a public service
versus public office. It's about public service. So, when we take a look
at that, Michelle, what more might we see going forward in terms of a
family that might, again, fill in this void that we're now seeing?
MICHELLE BERNARD (Independent Women's Forum): Well, Richard, you know, I
think if you take the pulse of most of the nation I don't think that
the American public is looking for what we saw with the Kennedys and,
frankly, even with the Bushes. If you really take a look at where the
American public is, I don't think that they're looking for that any
more. I think what the more interesting question is, frankly, what is
the future of the Democratic Party? If you go back to the 2008 election,
you know, Senator Kennedy was the lion of the Democratic Party and he
had a big decision to make. Was he going to endorse Barack Obama or was
he going to endorse then-Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. And by
endorsing Obama, I think he handed the mantle over of the Democratic
Party and of the Kennedy legacy to the President. And so I think what
we have to ask ourselves today is by handing that mantle over to Obama
and looking at the type of President that President Obama is, one has to
ask the question, can the type of liberal that the Kennedy family
historically been actually be elected in Democratic politics in this
era? And I think the answer is probably no. President Obama has turned
out to be a lot more of a centrist and probably to the right of Senator
Kennedy than many members of the Kennedy family.
LUI: Karen, Michelle, thank you for that. Many marking the moving on of Patrick Kennedy in different ways. Thank you, both, for your perspective on that.
- Scott Whitlock is a news analyst for the Media Research Center. Click here to follow him on Twitter.
