July 19th is International Swimmers' Day

THIS DAY IN HISTORY (from the People's™ Archives)

• Chappaquiddick Triangle Claims Another Victim
  
• Black Water (Ted Kennedy and Doobie Brothers)
  
• Swimming Home Alone (a Pantomime)
  

In a world where one should not fear the path of truth for the lack of people walking on it, one man is driving on it... the wrong way!

TEDDY: The Man, The Myth, The Backstroke

(Karakter off) Since we're talking of Chappaquiddick. . .

I was wondering...When did Orrin Hatch become a member of the cube??? I saw this the other day... This is a joke, Right??

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/artic ... dy/?page=1

Across the aisle, a ballad to KennedyGOP's Hatch pens tribute


WASHINGTON - Senator Orrin Hatch, the conservative Utah Republican, has written hundreds of songs on patriotic themes - with such titles as "Freedom's Light" and "I Love Old Glory" - as a way of paying tribute to his country.



But his latest trip down Tin Pan Alley had an even more personal resonance: Hatch said he was asked by several colleagues to put down his feelings about a very close friend who is facing a serious illness. The friend is the legendary liberal Ted Kennedy, and the colleagues are Democrats who envision having the song played as a tribute to Kennedy at next month's Democratic convention - and as a living example of a brotherhood that transcends party lines.

The result, "Headed Home," is a lilting ballad that even its author can't repeat without tearing up. The lyrics, he said, refer to Kennedy's heroic return to the Senate where Kennedy has served for almost 46 years and Hatch for 32.

Sailing home, sailing home. America, America, we're headed home at last
"He's a special person to me. I want to honor him this way," Hatch said in an interview, his eyes welling up slightly as he listened to a demo tape of jazz and soul singer Tony Middleton perform the song in his signature deep baritone.

"Just honor him, honor him, and every fear will be a thing of the past," Middleton croons in the demo tape, which Hatch played for the Globe.

The gesture - extremely unusual in a Congress that has become increasingly polarized along party lines - reflects the close relationship between the two veteran lawmakers, whose friendship and alliance on healthcare issues has baffled and maddened activists in both parties. The 76-year-old Kennedy, said the 74-year-old Hatch, "is like a brother to me."
And despite the unorthodox notion of a Republican senator's song being played at the Democratic convention, colleagues said they were very moved at Hatch's effort.

"It's a wonderful thing," Senator John F. Kerry, the junior Democratic senator from Massachusetts, said when told of Hatch's composition. "I think it's entirely appropriate" to play it at the convention, Kerry said, because it would send a message of unity.

House majority leader Steny H. Hoyer, Democrat of Maryland, called the song "a testament to the deep affection that Senator Hatch and Senator Kennedy have for one another. Both share a deep love for this country. I think that's what the song reflects," Hoyer said. He confirmed that the song is under consideration for use at the convention.

Hatch has long maintained that he ran for the Senate "to fight Ted Kennedy" - not just Kennedy's policies, but the man himself. Both men sat on what was then called the Labor and Human Resources Committee, and soon realized that they needed each other to get any bills passed.

What began as a relationship of political expediency developed into a deep friendship, as they counseled each other through personal setbacks and attended the funerals of the other's parents.



After Kennedy's illness was disclosed, Hatch said, he was approached at a fund-raiser by several prominent Democrats, whom he would not name.
"One said, 'Why don't you write a song for the convention for Teddy?' So I did," Hatch said. He said he had talked to high-ranking Democrats about having the song performed at the convention with a montage of pictures of the Massachusetts senator, but "I don't know if they'll do it," Hatch said, waving his hand modestly.

Kennedy spokeswoman Melissa Wagoner said the senator, who has no current plans to attend the convention, because he will be undergoing treatment, "is appreciative of the kind words and sentiment from his friend Senator Hatch and looks forward to hearing [the song] when he returns to the Senate in September."

Politicians have crossed party lines before to make dramatic convention appearances or endorsements, but usually with political motives. Former Georgia Democratic senator Zell Miller spoke at the Republican National Convention in 2004, and Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman, an Independent who caucuses with the Democrats, has endorsed Arizona Senator John McCain, the GOP presumptive nominee, for president.

But the idea of a conservative Republican writing a convention song for Kennedy drew plaudits yesterday on Capitol Hill, where many senators in both parties tell stories about how Kennedy showed them compassion or support during a personal problem.

"I think it's great if they do it," said Senator George Voinovich, Republican of Ohio. While he and Kennedy have their disagreements, Voinovich said, the Massachusetts senator "speaks from the soul." And even though Republicans want to keep the White House in GOP hands, playing Hatch's song will "show what somebody from the other party - a big conservative - thinks of him," Voinovich said.

The lyrics are a tribute to Kennedy and a call for fortitude as the senator battles a brain tumor. "Through the darkness, we can find a pathway, that will take us halfway to the stars," the song goes. "Shoo the shadows and doubts away, and touch the legacy that is ours, yours and mine."

The "sailing home" line is a reference, Hatch said, to the Bay State Democrat's love of boating off Cape Cod.

The lyrics mean "he's going to make it," Hatch said, and that Kennedy is "headed home" to a Senate eager for his return.

"I pray for him several times a day," Hatch said. "A lot of Republicans are praying for him."

I find this sickening, pathetic and juvenile. I find it absolutely ridiculous that they are going to perform this song at the Donkey Convention, but not at all surprised. We should take bets on who will be shedding tears.

I wonder how Google should dress up their logo in honor of this day?

Sea-Bass wrote:We should take bets on who will be shedding tears.

Incorrect. The Party shall appoint certain members who will have the high honor of "conspicuous grieving." They and only they shall display liquid discharge from the eyes. We are the Party of regulated compassion. We will not allow emotions to run out of control, even if anyone should be so unbalanced as to actually cry over this ridiculous matter.

If you wish you can take bets as to who is going to be appointed. But you should also remember that the only gambling the Party approves of is the one that brings us tax revenue.

Commissarka Pinkie wrote:I wonder how Google should dress up their logo in honor of this day?

Google shall become Gurgle!

Mr. Red Cube, this picture is funny.

That's Comrade Red Cube to you, mister!

(whistling "No more comrade nice guy" by Alexey Kooperov).

Red Square wrote:That's Comrade Red Cube to you, mister!

(whistling "No more comrade nice guy" by Alexey Kooperov).

Yes sir.

"Headed Home" eh?
I think they could have done without the word HEAD for a Teddy tribute song.

Why not, 'He's got a heavy head... you know, with the massive tumor and all."

I think it should be a nice snappy tune... like a beer barrel polka.

Didn't Ted already have a theme song?
Wasn't it Time In A Bottle? Bridge Over Troubled Waters?
I admit I also cried when he came back to the senate, but for entirely different reasons.

What a wonderful useful idiot comrade Kennedy was for us. Years of stopping the progress of liberty for little more the price of a bottle of ripple will be lost when the massive tumor finally removes Chappaquiddick Fats from our planet. He has served us well through many a tough time. When Aldrich Ames gave us the names of the traitors amongst us, it was Chappaquiddick Fats who drunkenly stepped into the camera to misdirect the American public using the socialist media industrial complex. Without him we never would have been able to hurriedly carry out hundreds of executions without being noticed. Without our drunken red boob's help someone may have noticed when then Rosenberg's committed treason. My big fur hat will truly be at half mast and I will be shedding red tears when the massive garbage barge finally comes to drag his fat bloated body back to Valhalla.

Love your post, but there is one thing I must point out. Don't rain on my parade. I'm looking forward to seeing his cancer riddled body sapped of it's fatness.
We, for a brief few weeks, might get a glimpse of what Bobby or Jack might have looked like had they lived (and not gotten horribly gin blossomed and obese.)
The time for the garbage barge to cart him away was 40 years ago.
I'm pretty sure if his tumor doesn't spring a leak, and it is allowed to metastasize, in the end the barge won't be needed. We can make due with an incinerator chute-
festooned with all the appropriate regalia, of course.

Let's all have a people's toast or 2 or 3 or maybe 4 or 5 to Comrade Ted's health here on this International Swimmer's Day of 2009!

I lost count on my toast, let me start over again.

Random thoughts:

Why is everyone so surprised that Kennedy's car ended up "in the drink"?

Given that fermentation produces CO2, I wonder what Ted Kennedy's carbon footprint look like?

Leave Kennedy alone. There are great works ahead for him. Who better, for example, to pass Government Health Care than Ol' Iron Liver?

Everybody knows the 1967 Olds Delmont 88 had an affinity for water and tended to pull to the right while crossing bridges.

Ah, the heyday of Oldsmobile, when people actually bought their cars.

I'd love to hear the OnStar conversation when Ted and Mary Jo went swimming. Anyone?

It's totally unfair that we hold our esteemed leaders to such high standards. These people are under constant strain and should be allowed the occasional completely unavoidable incident that wasn't their fault and could not be helped.

Wasn't there a Mythbusters episode commemorating this event?

I told you they were random.

Wasn't Comrade Teddy the first to prove that Scotch could be used as an alternative fuel for cars?

--
ZB

Comrades,
I realize that yesterday was intern'tal swimmers day, and I should have left a toast for everyone here on that day, but doggonit, I was driving home after tying on a few and wouldn't you know it but my car went off the bridge! I mean off the frickin' bridge! LOL. Anyway, I heroically hauled myself out of the sinking car, dragged my cold tired body about 2 miles to the nearest hotel where I heroically fell asleep for a day (or was it two?). So here I am now lifting my proverbial glass to all those great comrades out there who love to swim. And this little song comes to mind when I do this:

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/n_Av0rDRLnw&h ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

This is also good...
<br>and this too...

Citizens

A few of my personal favorites!



<img width="570" src="https://homepage.mac.com/mr_bingley/.Pi ... wsmall.jpg">


Alway's a pleasure to see the "Liberal Lyin' ", back on the water with another victim, err....... female friend!


Publius

Enough with the pictures of a beached whale. Get back to using pics of Comrade Teddy.

OH WAIT! That is Comrade Ted!

nevermind.

--
ZB

Paul Linnmann reporting on Ted Kennedy, found asleep on the beach...

The reading of books is good. Yah?

AbecedariusRex wrote:Paul Linnmann reporting on Ted Kennedy, found asleep on the beach...

And just why is the carcus of the Exploding Teddy still roaming the earth?

Fifth Column wrote:
It's totally unfair that we hold our esteemed leaders to such high standards. These people are under constant strain and should be allowed the occasional completely unavoidable incident that wasn't their fault and could not be helped.

Oh, the deja vudoo of this one almost knocked me off my half of the party-supplied computer chair I share with the family in the next room! If my (and when I say "my", of course I mean "our") memory serves me (and when I say "me", of course I mean "the Party") correctly, I do believe this is the very thing said by the New Orleans Police Kommissar when many of his well-trained and humble stormtroopers stomped the crap out of (and when I say "stomped the crap out of" of course I mean "kindly re-educated") a retired school teacher on Bourbon Street shortly after Hurricane Katrina (and when I say "Hurricane Katrina" of course I mean "the heartless destruction of an antagonistic god who doesn't exist").

I am so happy to see that the fair city of New Orleans (and when I say "New Orleans", of course I mean "Carvillegrad") has contributed to the wisdom of the Party Mind such a noble and selfless philosophy, proving it is more than just a place where our comrades can enjoy the exposed breasts of young Ministry of Hope and Change initiates, Capitalist hate-fests, and cheap booze.