'''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 legislature 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. His appointment is all the more significant because Senator Kirk could be the crucial 60th vote for government-run [[health care]] legislation that the [[Obama administration]] is proposing. Senator Kirk serves on the Armed Services Committee and the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
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'''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 legislature 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. His appointment was all the more significant because Senator Kirk could be the crucial 60th vote for government-run [[health care]] legislation that the [[Obama administration]] is proposing. Senator Kirk serves on the Armed Services Committee and the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
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Kirk is a graduate from [[Harvard]] Law School. Senator Kirk served on Ted Kennedy's staff from 1969 through 1977 and as chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1985 through 1989, during Massachusetts Governor [[Michael Dukakis]]' presidential campaign. As a super-delegate in the [[2008 Presidential Election]], Kirk endorsed [[Barack Obama]] in the Democratic primaries.
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Kirk is a graduate from [[Harvard]] Law School. Senator Kirk served on Ted Kennedy's staff from 1969 through 1977 and as chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1985 through 1989, during which Massachusetts Governor [[Michael Dukakis]] lost the presidency. As a super-delegate in the [[2008 Presidential Election]], Kirk endorsed [[Barack Obama]] in the Democratic primaries.