Reply #22: It's protocol. Don't go throwing Ted into the Lieberman pile. [View All]

[jobycom]

That's political protocol. You say nice things you don't mean. Watch the British Parliament sometimes. "The right and honorable gentleman from Surrey is a stupid pig!"

And you don't burn bridges when you are standing on them. Neither Kennedy nor Bush want to make enemies they might need favors from sometime later. And from the president, everyone needs favors. Read Kennedy's speeches on the invasion, see if he likes Bush then.

And keep in mind, too, that these are people that work together. Do you like all your co-workers? Don't you try to get along with the ones you don't like? Don't you even sometimes find yourself complimenting them, or even enjoying a laugh with them? It's about being a grownup as much as about politics.

Kennedy's on our side, he's made that plain, and the Bushes know it. Protocol doesn't change that, it just helps things go more smoothly at times.