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Vicki, Ted Jr. react to Kirk appointment

E-mail|Link|Comments () September 24, 2009 02:24 PM

Vicki Kennedy, the late senator's widow

“This was absolutely the governor’s decision," Vicki Kennedy said after the announcement that Paul G. Kirk Jr. would serve as interim senator. "I certainly told him of the high esteem in which the whole Kennedy family held Paul Kirk, but this was always the governor’s decision. I think it was an outstanding one.”
Vicki Kennedy said she would have supported any other candidate and added that she was not interested in being a US senator.

“No, I’m definitely not running,” she said. “I feel like there’s one Senator Kennedy in our family.”

“Paul Kirk understands the issues, he’s a man of deep integrity, great intelligence," Vicki Kennedy said. "He understands how the Senate works, and he’ll hit the ground running. He’s an outstanding choice.”

Ted Kennedy Jr., one of the late senator's sons

“Paul is probably the most ethical person that I’ve ever met," said Ted Kennedy Jr. "And I think he really will be an excellent steward of my father’s seat in Congress. He knows my father, he knows my father's staff, he knows the people of Massachusetts. And I think you ask anyone, Democrat or Republican, and you’ll find out that there’s no one who’s more respected to do this job than Paul.”

Statement from the family of Senator Edward M. Kennedy

Today is a wonderful day for the people of Massachusetts and the country. We are enormously thankful to Governor Patrick, Senate President Murray, Speaker DeLeo, and all of the members of the Massachusetts Senate and House who worked to assure that the people of the Commonwealth have two senators during this interim period before the special election on Jan. 19, 2010.

Governor Patrick could not have selected a more outstanding person to serve as Massachusetts' interim senator than Paul Kirk.

Senator Kennedy always said that serving the people of Massachusetts in the United States Senate was the greatest honor of his life. He would be so pleased that Paul Kirk will also now have that honor. Senator Kennedy and Paul were close friends and they worked together for many years, starting with Paul's tenure on the senator's staff in Washington four decades ago. Side by side they fought many battles for progress and social justice, and nothing could be more fitting than for Paul now to carry on that fight. As the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee and the co-chair of the Commission on Presidential Debates, Paul is well-known and respected by the men and women who will be his new colleagues. When he is sworn in as the junior senator from Massachusetts, Paul will hit the ground running, and that's an enormous benefit for the people of Massachusetts.

With today’s appointment of Paul Kirk, the people of Massachusetts will once again have two voices and two votes in the United States Senate, fighting for them each and every day on the issues they care about.