Who is Ted Kaufman?

Well, just when I thought that my home state of Delaware was rid of Joe Biden as U.S. Senator, one of his cronies is appointed to fill Biden’s Senate seat until a “special election” in 2010. Governor Ruth Ann Minner (who I still can’t figure out how she got elected to begin with) appointed Kaufman yesterday (11/24). I think it caught a lot of people off guard, especially John Carney who was the “favored” choice after Biden’s son, Attorney General Beau Biden, said he would refuse the job if selected so he could carry out his duties in the National Guard in Iraq (which I respect).

When Minner made her announcement, she proudly announced that “his political views are very close to Biden’s.” Also, Kaufman said his views closely match Biden’s and that Biden encouraged him to accept the position if asked. Kaufman said that he “couldn't think of anything he and Biden disagreed on and he was impressed by that even back in 1972 when Biden was first running for office.” “I was struck by how many things he believed that I also believed,” he said. That was all I needed to know. I have disagreed with Biden on virtually every issue since I moved to Delaware and was inflicted with him as our senator. There have been more instances than I can count that I either wrote or called Biden’s office over particular issues and his view was totally opposite mine (surprising, huh?)

Kaufman evidently has been a senior advisor to Biden during his presidential campaign and then during his vice presidential campaign. He also is member on an Obama Biden transition project advisory board. Kaufman “appears” to have no expectations of running for the office in an upcoming election. Many view this appointment by Minner is simply “holding the spot” for Biden’s son, Beau, when he returns from military service so that he will be able to fill the spot held by his father since 1972.

I think I need to study Delaware’s political policies a little bit more, but I just can’t understand why we have to wait until 2010 for a special election for an office such as U.S. Senator. Although Delaware has been a democratic voting state for as long as I can remember, and it is more than likely that a democrat will win in a special election, I still would like to have a voice in deciding who will serve. I can totally understand how there needs to be a “short” interim replacement, but why is the interim so long? This just proves once again the “boy’s club politics” in Delaware of politicians looking out for each other (rather than the state). Oh well…..