Flags flying at half staff today on Cap Hill

With the passing of Edward (Ted) Kennedy today, Cap Hill has placed flags at half staff.
 
 
 

Back in the 60's i was vice Presidant of the Mass "Teen Dems" and had the priveledge of working with Ted Kennedy and Sloan Ochincloss during JFK's campaign for president. He was a a "party animal",yes--but he was also a tireless worker and really truly believed in America. No one in this country has worked harder for health care reform then Ted Kennedy. He will be missed. I am deeply saddened by this news and my condolences are with the family of this great guy who overcame his own flaws to become one of the most influential senators in US history. RIP Ted.

Hello All,
Teddy is dead... the last Prince of America.
Much can be said and will be about his goodness and his sins.
I think he was a human...a rich human...who embraced life
with a vision of goodness and love, while battling against
the inner demons that war against the weaknesses each individual
has.  What a wonderful thing was that he continued to grow and
became wiser and expressed his gifts better as he grew older, losing
his ambitions and the shadowy illusions of grandeur. 
I will miss his witness of what is possible.
Take Care,
Fieldthistle

He was one of the most effective movers and shakers of legislation in the Senate of modern history.  As much as some members of the GOP demonized him, whenever they needed bipartisanship support to get something through, they went to Ted Kennedy.  And as many Republicans have said on the news this morning, when Ted Kennedy gave you a promise, there was never any trust issues there of him keeping it or not.  He always kept a promise, it was iron clad.

Does Cap Hill place flags at half mast whenever a senator dies, or are some more equal than others?

President Eisenhower decreed that any Senator or Representative who dies while in office will be honored with the flags at half - staff.

plb


Does Cap Hill place flags at half mast whenever a senator dies, or are some more equal than others?

Federal mandate is for the flag to be flown at half-staff (there is no mast on Capitol Hill) on the day of death and the day following death for any member of Congress.  The President, may, at his discretion, proclaim that the flag be flown at half-staff for a longer period.

I think this is an interesting article about the federal and presidential mandates.

http://www.helium.com/ite...-us-flag-at-half-staff

half-staff.

'tis what I get for posting anything before I've had the morning caffeine jolt.

in any event, they fly the flag half-staff a lot around here. I don't think Sen Kennedy is getting some sort of special notice not afforded to other Senators.

I meant half - staff, so I edited my post to say so. Hopefully some people read the link so they will know that there isn't any inequity. 

Chappaquiddick.

And your point is?

May God bless you Sen. Kennedy. Faults and mistakes may be, but America needs in a bad way some more like you. RIP Sir.

saps


Chappaquiddick.

i wondered who "cast the first stone"---speaking ill of the dead can come back to haunt one--especially if one does happen to live in a glass house---and --dont we ALL!?  Did he do that?----------
yep and drinking and partying and immaturity in his youth---and who learned from his mistakes
and  rose above it all to remarry a wonderful woman and went on to sponser to almost every major piece of social legislation for the past 40 years and over 15000 votes cast in the US Senate making him with a record that means he has accomplished more politically then ANY president in the last half century with friends on BOTH side of the great divide that is now rampant in Washington. This man WILL be missed.

Right on. TIKI!

Cheers, John 

Thank you, Tiki!

It blows me away that he voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  That's a lot of institutional memory in one person right there.

tiki

saps


Chappaquiddick.

i wondered who "cast the first stone"---speaking ill of the dead can come back to haunt one--especially if one does happen to live in a glass house---and --dont we ALL!?  Did he do that?----------
yep and drinking and partying and immaturity in his youth---and who learned from his mistakes
and  rose above it all to remarry a wonderful woman and went on to sponser to almost every major piece of social legislation for the past 40 years and over 15000 votes cast in the US Senate making him with a record that means he has accomplished more politically then ANY president in the last half century with friends on BOTH side of the great divide that is now rampant in Washington. This man WILL be missed.

Except by the Kopechne family.  It was a bit more than just a "youthful mistake".

Well this is the way it is  so  one has to live with it.

Federal mandate is for the flag to be flown at half-staff  on the day of death and the day following death for any member of Congress.

Well said, Mr. Fieldthistle and tiki - that pretty much says it all.

Greymo


Well this is the way it is  so  one has to live with it.

 
Or die with it, in the case of Mary Jo Kopechne.
 
It was her family that had to live with it.