The Hub of Politics

If one is going to gleefully take-on a seemingly hopeless cause - to tilt at windmills, as it were - could there possibly be a more noble, a more honorable, a more worthy cause than to challenge for the United States Senate seat in Massachusetts currently held by one Edward Moore Kennedy? Could there be a higher calling in this day and age than to challenge the senior Blowhard from the Commonwealth, the legend of Chappaquiddick - last seen busting a gasket on the floor of the most deliberately arrogant body over the impending confirmation of Samuel Alito to the SCOTUS? Is there possibly a more delicious prospect than that of seeing said windbag being sent packing, after 44-years on the public dole, into a long-overdue retirement?

I, for one, think not.

Which is why I am excited to hear that a very serious person, a former congressman and director of the Massachusetts Port Authority (MassPort) is very seriously considering accepting the role as a modern-day Don Quixote. Peter Blute, a former US Representative (1993-1997), is seriously considering a challenge to Ted Kennedy. And while taking on anyone in Massachusetts with the last name "Kennedy" almost certainly commits one to an uphill battle - particularly considering the $8M Teddy has in his campaign account - Mr. Blute's entry into the race will almost certainly make the race, at a minimum, competitive.

Congressman Blute demonstrated during his 4-years in the US House a relatively high propensity to vote the GOP position on the issues and would, if elected to the Senate, certainly vote well to the right of the incumbent.

I can see the bumper stickers now:

Give Teddy The Boot! Vote BLUTE!!

Hey, at least no one died on the Nauticus!

There is of course speculation that this has a great deal more to do with 2008 than 2006, when it is widely expected that our junior Blowhard, John Forbes Kerry (D-Paris), will don his own visage of Quixote and challenge for the White House again thereby leaving his Senate seat open. That is certainly part of the equation. Peter Blute, who spent much of the last few years as a popular morning drive-time talk-show host on WRKO, has been out of politics for some time (though not entirely out of the public eye) and a run against Kennedy carries little downside as few people seriously give anyone a chance in such a race.

Further, a Kennedy-Blute race would give the challenger the opportunity to knock the rust off his campaign legs, re-build his name recognition, and - perhaps most importantly - provide a great service to his Party and his Nation by keeping Teddy here in the Commonwealth. Finally, Blute's candidacy would certainly help energize a (rather small) Republican base here in Massachusetts and cannot but help the candidacy of Lt. Governor Kerry Healey in her long-shot bid to keep the Beacon Hill corner office in GOP hands for another 4-years.

And if he were ever to pull-off the upset ...

It boggles the mind.

Mr. Blute, I am only one small voice in the vast political wilderness that is the Commonwealth, but I would like to say as loudly as I am able - RUN! PETER! RUN!