Ted and Niki: Key points

"We can't be interminably bickering with each other," said Senator Ted Kennedy during a WBZ Radio breakfast hosted two weeks ago yesterday at Boston's Westin Copley Hotel.

After listening to radio hosts Gary LaPierre and Dan Rea interview the 7-term senator for about an hour on a wealth of issues, Kennedy spoke about his hope for the future, arguing that youth voters today generally do not care for partisan politics and special interests.

Kennedy suggested that rather than Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama continuing to argue over health care, the Iraq war, education, and alternative energy, the two ought to come to a consensus of a common voice.

"When a political leader appeals to the people," Kennedy said, "I think the people respond."

Looking over my random notes, it's worth mentioning some takeaway points from Kennedy:

1. Considering 70% of school violence and unwanted pregnancies occur between 3 and 6 p.m., it's important for school systems to hold after-school programs, encourage parental support, fund English as a Second Language classes, better train teachers, and improve the No Child Left Behind law.

2. Citing 60% of medications have no effects, there needs to be more evidence-based medical research.

3. With coal power plants being 30% effective, siting of new plants should reflect the public interest. Kennedy said he supports alternative energy generation, such as wind, geothermal, and biofuel.

Four days after seeing and hearing Kennedy, I returned to Boston and saw Congresswoman Niki Tsongas talk to faculty members and various public officials at a much smaller gathering at Suffolk Law School.

I jotted down four key points from the freshman congresswoman:

1. Her first vote on record was to support children's health care.

2. Improvements in the domestic infrastructure (roads, buildings, etc.) should be a priority before undertaking betterments in the economy, education, and housing.

3. "Bring the troops home from Iraq," she insisted in a clear tone, referring to a recent visit she made to Iraq and noting that while the Air Force and Navy ranks are doing okay, the Army and Marines are "burnt out."

4. Clean energy is a priority of the House, but the Senate apparently has "lots of questions."

Tsongas also mentioned, which was news to me, that every member of Congress receives an annual budget of $1.3 million to hire 18 staff members.