Gee, thanks Obama

Hey Deval Patrick - President Obama owes you big for forcing you to push for an interim senator. In the process, you have jacked up Republicans, ticked off Dukakis supporters (which is your base), and shown yourself to be weak and a lackey of the Kennedy's. If you lose in 2010, Obama owes you a mega hack job.

Anyway, Jay over at Hub Blog says it perfectly:

With an unerring instinct for political disaster, Deval Patrick looks like he's going with Paul Kirk -- and Patrick will look like a first-rate incompetent weenie as a result. He'll come across as having caved to the mildest criticism of Dukakis and the slightest hint a Dukakis appointment might be used as a campaign issue. He'll come across as having buckled to the wishes of the out-of-state Kennedy family and D.C. insiders. He should have cut his losses and just gone with the Duke. But now he'll take a triple hit: pissing off the Duke's Dem groupies across the state, tagging himself as a pushover for the Kennedys and Washington establishment, and reminding everyone why any appointment shouldn't have been made in the first place...

I keep scratching my head: How does a Paul Kirk appointment help Deval? He gets the gratitude of the Kennedy family, which gets to feel good that they've rewarded one of their own with the ultimate resumé-stuffer present. But what else does Deval get out of this back-room deal? Gratitude of voters that he appointed a long-time coat-holder insider and lobbyist? ... Well, he wanted to make this appointment. He's got it! ... BTW: Are Republicans going to take action on Deval's 'emergency' appointment? ...