Ted Kennedy is dead.

Bambi’s bunny-friend Thumper’s mama once said, ‘If you can’t say anything nice…’ You beachcombers know the rest.

I suppose I have something, at least, quasi-nice to say – which is that I may now have empathy. To wit, when Ronald Reagan died, some of my liberal friends were nearly gleeful over it. Not being a Reagan worshiper, but not a hater either, I didn’t quite understand the smug happiness they felt over his passing. Then Senator Kennedy passed, and my empathy for my liberal friends surfaced. While I can’t say I completely understand the Reagan-death-love, I think I can sort of empathize with it. As Mike said on last night’s America’s Debate Radio, Ted Kennedy was “what’s wrong with America.” I can’t sum it up better than that.

Without remorse, I write to share that we have four winners in the Death Pool 2009 because of Senator Kennedy’s passing. Congrats and kudos to DaffyGrl (her 2nd), Eeyore (his 4th – scary!), and to Ted and Mike for scoring their first hits. I’m kicking myself for not going with the obvious choice. I guess they’re always obvious after they’re dead. Congrats, all.