Sep 24, 2009 6:38 pm US/Eastern
Paul Kirk Named Kennedy's Temporary Replacement
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
-
-
Paul Kirk answers a reporter's question at the State House, Sept. 24, 2009.
Darren McCollester/Getty Images
Gov. Deval Patrick signed legislation Thursday giving him the power to appoint Paul Kirk as a temporary replacement to the late Senator Ted Kennedy.
Patrick introduced Kirk, the former Democratic national chairman, at a late morning news conference at the State House.
Read: Who Is Paul Kirk?
Kennedy's widow, Vicki Kennedy; and his son, Edward Kennedy Jr. attended the private signing and the news conference.
EMERGENCY LETTER
To make the appointment, Patrick needed to sign legislation passed this week giving him the power to appoint an interim replacement.
Watch: Patrick on why this was an 'Emergency'
He also needed to sign an emergency letter to make the legislation go into effect immediately.
Kirk is 71. He is currently the chairman of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and a longtime friend of the Kennedy family.
He will serve in the post until voters pick a permanent replacement in a Jan. 19 special election.
Kirk said he will not be a candidate in the election.
Watch: Kirk on potential conflicts
WHITE HOUSE REACTION
The White House praised the selection in a statement:
"Paul Kirk is a distinguished leader, whose long collaboration with Senator Kennedy makes him an excellent, interim choice to carry on his work until the voters make their choice in January."
Caroline Kennedy, the senator's niece, called Kirk "a citizen-patriot" and a great friend.
Kennedy's family says he would have been pleased with the appointment.
NOT FOR KIRK
Not everyone agreed with Patrick's choice.
Senate Minority Leader Richard Tisei called it "disappointing" in a statement:
"I said all along that the only reason the Democrats were trying to change the law governing Senate vacancies was so they could have a rubber stamp in Washington to help pass President Obama's health care plan."
"You can't find a more partisan choice than the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee. I just hope he realizes that as a U.S. Senator, he now has to represent everyone in the state, and not just the Democratic Party."
GOP GOES TO COURT
The Massachusetts Republican Party filed an injunction in a Boston court Thursday seeking to block Kirk's appointment.
Laws approved in Massachusetts usually take 90 days to go into effect, but Gov. Patrick signed an emergency letter that he says allows the law to become effective immediately.
Republicans allege in their court filing that Patrick did not have the constitutional authority to do that.
Massachusetts Republican Party Chairman Jennifer Nassour said in a statement Thursday afternoon that they are focused on ensuring state laws are followed.
"We believe Governor Patrick has an obligation to follow the law as written. By immediately making an appointment, we believe the governor has overstepped his authority," she wrote.
But State Secretary William Galvin said Thursday the power to make the immediate appointment is "very clearly available" to Patrick.
Kirk is set to be sworn in Friday.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Comments