Casting a Long Shadow

Aug. 26, 2009 | By David Lazarus

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The passing of Sen. Ted Kennedy was a momentous occasion, so we spent the entire first hour looking at the man, his issues and his legacy. Sen. Barbara Boxer and Rep. Xavier Becerra provided insights about what it was like working with Kennedy, and the long shadow he cast over both houses of Congress. NPR political editor Ken Rudin offered perspective on how Kennedy's death will affect the legislative agenda. And we even had an official Senate historian on hand to help define Kennedy's impact after almost a half-century in the chamber. But the best part for me was taking your calls and hearing the recollections of people who met or knew Kennedy. He was a flawed man, to be sure. But he was also a great politician. We could use more like him.

I'm glad we were able to examine both sides in the L.A. School Board's decision to turn over as many as 250 campuses to charter schools or other outside interests. Mayor Villaraigosa made the case for why this is a good thing. The head of the teachers' union took an opposing stance. And Superintendent Ray Cortines landed somewhere in the middle as he explained how the transition could work. As a parent with a child in the public school system, I can only hope this marks a turning point for the system. And I hope that all players in this equation remember that it's not about special interests -- it's about the kids.

Speaking of which, I very much enjoyed our chat with Alison Gopnik about her book on how babies think. Such a mysterious landscape, but I thought she did a good job of deciphering what the research tells us. And I agree with her core finding: Babies are a lot smarter than most people realize. They just have a hard time telling anyone.

See you tomorrow.

-- David Lazarus

David
6 months, 2 weeks ago

A long shadow that wiped out the life of Mary Jo (and ruined that of her family), and has contributed mightily to the failed policies of socialism in the U.S. for the last 50 years?! And all the while taking money from people who work, are productive--- and subsidizing, promoting the birth and coddling of people who aren't productive and don"t work?!

HOW MUCH, IF ANY, OF TED "THE SWIMMER" KENNEDY'S PERSONAL WEALTH WILL BE CONTRIBUTED TO "THE PEOPLE" VS. HOW MUCH HE HAS CAUSED GUVMENT TO TAKE FROM "THE PEOPLE"?!

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