Paul Kirk
From Conservapedia
| Paul Kirk | |
|---|---|
| |
| U.S. Senator from Massachusetts From: September 25, 2009-Present | |
| Predecessor | Ted Kennedy |
| Successor | Incumbent (no successor) |
| Information | |
| Party | Democrat |
| Spouse(s) | Gail Kirk |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Paul Grattan Kirk, Jr. (born January 18, 1938) is a lawyer and Democratic Party politician who is the junior United States Senator from Massachusetts after being appointed by Governor Deval Patrick to replace the late Ted Kennedy. He will temporally hold the seat until a special election scheduled for January 2010. His appointment caused controversy, after the Democratic super-majority in the state legislator had originally blocked the right of Republican Governor Mitt Romney to appoint an interim senator had John Kerry been elected President in the 2004 election. The legislator then changed Massachusetts law. His appoint is all the more significant, in that he could be the crucial 60th vote for government-run health care legislation that the Obama administration is demanding. Kirk serves on the Armed Services Committee and the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Paul Kirk served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1985 through 1989, during which Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis lost the presidency. Kirk is a graduate from Harvard Law School, and would go on to serve on Ted Kennedy's staff from 1969 through 1977. As a super-delegate in the 2008 Presidential Election, Kirk endorsed Barack Obama in the Democratic primaries.
