I've never been particularly enamored with the Kennedy clan although I thought Bobby had some balls taking on the Mafia after they helped get his brother elected. Whatever good they seemed to be doing it always had that air of politcal opportunism associated with it. Just about everyone in the family had this pull to run for public office even though it was just about guaranteed to lower their longevity.

Finally one of them came along that seemed to not care about the political power and just aimed his life at making the world better - Robert Jr. Of course I cast a leery eye on him to ensure it wasn't just another ploy to get into the public eye for some future political gain but it apparently has been genuine. The times I've seen him interviewed he's really seemed authentic especially about the environment. In almost all cases he's presented his point well balanced with passion and a sense he didn't want to diss anyone including big business. He reminded me of people I've sat around a table with and been able to come to a consensus.

With that eye, I read the article Tom presented in a completely different context than he apparently did. The arguments Kennedy presented seemed well-researched and heart-felt. Why wouldn't he be upset about an area he grew up in if he saw alternatives to the methods proposed? It's almost as if Tom's saying that Kennedy is only looking out for his own best interests and ignoring the benefits of wind power. I truly doubt that's true knowing the compassion Kennedy has poured into making the world more evironmentally sound and his push for alternative methods of energy.

I've recently stepped back myself about the use of wind power after hearing the startling statistics of how many birds are dying in the blades. I don't see it as a deal-breaker (since it's hard to quantify the effects on bird populations from the increased fossil fuel burning that would have to happen were the turbines not there) but it's always important to keep your mind thinking about alternatives and fixes.

Maybe the offshore platforms don't help or aren't feasible in the long run but to dismiss Kennedy's message as tripe just because you can gain political advantage over an environmentalist by looking for ulterior motives seems a bit childish. So Tom, tell me, how many of Kennedy's other writings have you read? Something tells me this article would never have come under your eyes had some conservative blog not pointed it out to you.