Talk to Sen. Edward Kennedy

We received hundreds of posts for Sen. Edward Kennedy (news, bio, voting record) in a very short time.

Thanks to Yahoo! users for your thoughts, and to Sen. Kennedy for agreeing to participate.

Sen. Kennedy, while widely considered one of the leading figures of the liberal wing of the Democratic party, has a history of working closely with conservative colleagues on a variety of issues, including immigration policy. He worked with Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record) on a bill that included a multistep path to citizenship and a temporary visa program for illegal immigrants.

On other issues, Sen. Kennedy has been a vocal supporter of an increase in the minimum wage. He supports universal health care and expanded prescription drug coverage under Medicare.

He has called for the beginnings of a troop withdrawal from

Iraq, arguing that our military presence has inflamed the insurgency. Iraq's government, he says, will need to make compromises to ensure the stability of the country. "It is abundantly clear that we need a new direction in Iraq," he said on Sunday.

In other international matters, he has criticized the Bush administration for its handling of

North Korea's nuclear arms buildup and called for direct talks with Pyongyang.

Readers' posts covered many of these issues and more.  Here are some highlights: 

On detainees policy

Several readers wrote in about the treatment of terrorism detainees, with comments coming both before and after the Senate approved new rules covering interrogation and trials of terrorism suspects. Sen. Kennedy was one of 34 senators voting against, and he blasted the passage as a political feint by the Republicans ahead of the midterm elections.

On the subject of detainee treatment, one reader wrote: "Do you think it is right to allow the

CIA to torture detained suspects?"

Another put it more strongly, saying, "I really am at a loss to express my shock and outrage at the passive response the Democratic [caucus] has demonstrated to the current bill being bullied and pushed through by the Bush White House and their GOP enablers.... Please explain why TORTURE in America is being written into Law and you and your colleagues are not completely flipping out and freezing all business in the Senate."

On energy policy

"I believe that the lack of a comprehensive energy policy (esp. w/respect to self-sufficiency and the environment) is at the root of many of the big problems our nation faces today. How do you feel about this, and what do you that we as a nation should do towards achieving these goals?"

On the economic divide

"I figure within about 5 years the pres, house, and senate will have thrown the constitution out and changed us from "United States of America" to "Medieval America". Our CEO's, Congressmen, Senators, Basketball players and movie stars will all ride around on chariots and wear little crowns. Isn't the problem obvious? You can't keep giving raises to the 'high end' and leaving the low end where it is or you promote what this country was founded to get away from: Monarchy. It's almost as if the english have worked their way back into running this country."

On gays in the military

"The government has spent over 350 million dollars enforcing the military policy of "dont ask dont tell." Since 92% of people aged 18-29 y/0 believe that gays should be able to serve in the military, and since this age group are the ones that fight the wars, isn't time that the

Senate Armed Services Committee revisit this flawed policy. Over 15,000 superior Americans have been turned away from serving their Country and been deemed second class citizens."

On pulling out of Iraq

"Do you not believe that we should support a democratically elected government? Could you sit with the freely elected government officials of Iraq and tell them they have to do it on their own because you have decided to pull out our supporting troops?"

On education

"You were a chief supporter of the No Child Left Behind Act, do you believe this bill to be a success or should the American education system be reformed once again?"

On Sudan

"Senator, are you aware of the dire situation of the people of Darfur? Will you push for a UN peacekeeping force and implement the Darfur Peace Agreement?"

On partisan fighting in Washington

"A famous presidential candidate once said that 'a house divided against itself cannot stand' - just as true today as when Lincoln spoke these words 146 years ago. Is there a way out of the partisan muck subsuming Washington politics? Or are we going to see the same divisive king-of-the-hill gamesmanship until the country is run into the ground?"

On health care

"What is being done about health care and the high cost of doctors and hospitals. It's getting to where my medical insurance doesn't pay nearly as much a percentage as it used to."

On immigration 

A number of readers asked about immigration in relation to other issues, including employment and healthcare. One wrote: "Do you really think it is responsible to promote amnesty for illegal immigrants when it is such a burden for our hospitals and other social services?"

One reader focused on guest workers, writing: "Why does the U.S. need a guest worker program? It seem that we already have 11 million uninvited guests. It appears that corporations are the beneficiaries of illegal immigration by being able to lower their wage costs. Is it a good idea for corporations to fund political campaigns? And could this be the reason that our politicians seemingly don't want to tackle this issue?"

On the budget deficit

"At the current rate, by 2040, the federal revenues will cover only the interest on the national debt, leaving no money for the military, social security, or anything. To me, immigration, gay marriage, and even the Iraq war pale in comparison to the strong possibility of insolvency. What is congress going to do about this."

The Democratic agenda

"Senator Kennedy: I'm a registered republican who is a moderate. Why should I vote for [the Democrats] in the general election? Can your party do a better job of protecting America and keeping taxes low and providing jobs for the unemployed?"

On partisan politics

"Sir, party line voting is eroding the confidence of the electorate in the two party system. What can the Democrats do to control the destructive force of partisan politics?"

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