SPITTING ON KENNEDY'S GRAVE -- GREAT CAREER MOVE, SCOTT

I think it tells us a lot about wingnuts that so many of them think it was an utterly brilliant move for Republican/teabagger pinup boy Scott Brown, in last night's Massachusetts Senate debate, to spit on Ted Kennedy's grave:

MODERATOR DAVID GERGEN: ... We know from the Clinton experience that if this bill fails, it could well be another fifteen years before we see health care reform efforts again in Washington. Are you willing under those circumstances to say, "I'm going to be the person -- I'm going to sit in Teddy Kennedy's seat and I'm going to be the person who's going to block it for another fifteen years"?

SCOTT BROWN: Well, with all due respect, it's not the Kennedy seat and it's not the Democrats' seat. It's the people's seat....

Sorry -- Kennedy was a giant and he's been dead only a few months. I know from my Boston boyhood that he wasn't as universally loved as some outsiders think, but really? Airily dismissing the deceased is going to improve your chances of victory? Sorry, I don't see it.

To the wingnut blogosphere, of course, it's sweet music. Smitty at Robert Stacy McCain's blog:

I Wonder If Gergen Realizes That Was The Election

Sister Toldjah:

Quote of the day.

Don Surber:

I cannot see where anyone, after hearing that, would not elect Scott Brown to the Senate.

(Surber also calls former Nixon, Ford, and Reagan adviser Gergen a "Democratic operative.")

Ann Althouse:

Scott Brown looks great here.

A commenter at Althouse's blog:

Brown to Gergan: Thanks for the opening I could drive my truck through, you Kennedy School of Government at Harvard meathead.

A commenter at Weasel Zippers:

Standing ovation. He shot it outta the park.

In fact, there was no audience reaction at all, to judge from the clip. I imagine the debate rules banned audience response, but that hasn't been an impediment at other debates when something genuinely crowd-pleasing has been said. This? Crickets.



Maybe I'd agree with these longtime Kennedy-haters if he'd said, "Yes, it's the Kennedy seat, but remember, it's also the people's seat." But -- despite Brown's protest -- this shows no respect, and no class.