Tim McGraw Admired Sen. Ted Kennedy's Strength
They unfortunately shared a bond no one wants to have. Tim McGraw's late father, Tug McGraw, and Sen. Edward Kennedy both suffered from brain cancer. So when Kennedy passed away earlier this week, Tim took to the Tug McGraw Foundation's Web site to send his condolences to the Kennedy family and to make readers aware of Kennedy's strong commitment to making sure no American would ever be denied medical treatment. Calling him a dedicated public servant and a longtime champion of universal health care, McGraw says that Sen. Kennedy was "a model of strength and courage during his year-long battle with brain cancer." Then he quotes a Newsweek article that said Kennedy was fighting his cancer at the same time he was fighting to create a healthcare system that would never turn anyone away. There's a special place in heaven for people like that, I think.
Photo credit: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
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Melanie says:
Awwwww.Tim uses another opportunity to raise awareness of his new album coming out.
Joe says:
Wow melanie it doesn’t mention one word about his new album.
Unless you been through what Tim and Teddy family have gone through just don’t comment.
It’s great that Tim has a charity for Brain Cancer, and one of my highschool art teachers who allowed seniors to make mosaics in the school hallways died of brain cancer.
It’s sad to see people die from cancer.
Blake says:
I agree with Melanie. Tim always shows up at the right time to promote another worthless album.
D says:
You people that say this of Tim are rediculous, disrespectful, and innapropriate. Grow up.
Joe says:
Blake it’s not Teddy’s fault that he died right before Tim’s album is coming out.
I bet he would of made a comment long after his death…
You guys are bashing on Tim for no reason…Again where does it say anything about his album….
And are you guys supporting brain cancer patients and their families?
Get a life you two
janetgijoenurse says:
Tim gives with his heart all the time album or no album. Do you even know how involved Tim is with the Tug foundation, didn’t think so. There is events going on all the time, marthons, he has been involved with the Hunter foundation for years and every year helps with their event to raise money. He hasn’t had a album of new music come out for over 2/1/2 years so guess all the events and things he has done in the last two years were promoting that album. Such idiots and hateful people, what do you do to GIVE back?
Every year Tim and Faith are part of an event to raise money to help patients with brain cancer.
star wars says:
Don’t worry about these evil bloggers they will get thiers in the end!
trink says:
Great article Alison thanks for posting. May they both rest in peace.
janetgijoenurse says:
Just for you rude posters the only place Tim posted this piece on Ted Kennedy was the homepage of HIS site and Tug Mcgraw Foundation site, NOWHERE else. It was not a news item for the general public, it was the author of this blog that chose to take that private info Tim had on HIS site and Tug’s site and post it on CMT. So you want to blame someone blame her.
D says:
I agree with Melanie, he is just tryin to act like a hot shot again
Carol says:
I like Tim, hate his politics!!! I mean Ted Kennedy, God Rest His Soul, was not exactly a man of honor in many situations. For those of you to young to remember, Google ‘Mary Jo Kopechne’ and ‘Chappaquiddick’. He was not to worried about helping others then. I don’t mean to talk badly about someone who is passed, and I wish his family all the best, but lets not make Ted Kennedy into something he wasn’t just because he is gone.
janetgijoenurse says:
Ted Kennedy just might of been the greatest senator we ever had. Guess you have not seen any of the coverage since he died. Across the board from both parties they praised him like I’ve not heard them praise anybody in recent years and that includes the Presidents that have died this decade.
Maybe you need to show some respect and be informed before opening your mouth. BTW John McCain is a speaker at his funeral and called him not only the best senator we have ever had, one of his best friends.
Tell that to the thousands and thousands and thousands that have stood in line for hours and hours to pass by his coffin. Ted was a champion for the poor, the working man, the black, white and all in between. We lost a voice that was needed and are moral compasses.
janetgijoenurse says:
And I’m old enough to remember I was born in the 50’s.
janetgijoenurse says:
What don’t some of you understand Tim had this posted on his homepage, the site for his fans that were already going to buy the album. He did NOT release this in a press release. the person that started this blog went to an ARTIST SITE OR TUG MCGRAW’s SITE and posted it here.
catherine says:
Nice of Tim to honor Ted Kennedy, but most rich and powerful people like Ted Kennedy and Tim McGraw are for universal health care because they will have the money to pay for the extra medical care that they will need in a timely manner, that the commoners won’t get through universal health care - or will get too late for it to help.
peppersprout says:
Kudos to you, Ms. Bonaguro, for a very worthwhile blog … :)
Carol says:
janetgijoenurse… Last time I looked, people were allowed their own opinions. You may not agree with mine, but don’t you dare lecture me on the politics of Ted Kennedy. If you want to get upset because I questioned his personal life, then so be it, but in this Great Country of ours, we all have different political beliefs, thankfully. It would be a scary Country if we all believed exactly the same thing. No, I don’t see Kennedy as someone who fought for a lot of my beliefs. I am sure that there are many people who felt Ronald Reagan did not represent them, and that does not make them wrong either. I am sure there are thousands of people who are greatly upset, as am I when someone passes and leaves behind loved ones, but that still does not mean I have to think what he did in political career good or right for the Country. Furthermore, I do not think there was any reason for you to be so rude and go on a what, three comment tirade. I did not say anything that was untrue in my comment. I pointed out something that was an ugly part of Mr Kennedys history, that is all. He may have been a wonderful human being, that still does not justify some of the personal things that took place in his life. That was the thing, as I said, I took issue with. Calling him a man who fought for all people, some of us may disagree, welcome to the USA!!! By the way, of course they praised him, they are friends who have worked with him for years, including John McCain that is the way they should act toward each other. That happens when ever someone in politics dies. That does not make me any difference, that is the nature of the game in Washington. One day you are bitter enemies, they next day you are best friends. As I SAID BEFORE, my heart goes out to his family, and I will add, I hope he is in a better place now.
myra robinson says:
the only thing I wish to comment on is the fact that people seem to think Tim has an agenda and that is why he and his family made this condolence to the Kennedy family. Tim’s new album coming out has nothing whatsoever to do with his true feelings about Senator Kennedy. i am appauled that anyone would think so low of Tim Mcgraw. he is a man of humility. Tim thought about how his father passed and he continues to help others with his charity. there are many who will miss our great Senator.
Why do people have to bring up a reason of any kind to start trouble. Tim makes a condolence letter about a man many people will miss and someone immediatly thinks he is doing it for other reasons. Tim doesnt need to have a reason other than what he did. he truly means what he says.Tim Mcgraw has a heart,unlike others.
myra robinson says:
there is another thing.someone mentioned how there will always be money available for the Mcgraw family and the Senator,even though they both helped people they dont know how others feel.in case you dont know this,Kennedys have always had money, but Tim Mcgraw was raised poorly,his mother had to work two jobs to support 3 children. he knows personaly how it feels to be poor,so he has helped many people since he has become so famous.he started out very poor.he and his wife have had many charity events and raised money on their own to help others.
Leeann says:
Actually. I doubt that McGraw speaking well of Senator Keneddy could be some sort of agenda to get publicity for his upcoming album. Not only is that just an unclassy thing to suggest in the first place, but why would saying complimentary things of a prominent liberal senator help him in anyway with a predominantly conservative audience who clearly don’t have much patience for artists who dare admit anything other than conservative ideology? Take recent blogs on this site regarding Dierks Bently and Brad Paisley saying nice things about Obama (not even saying that they agree with his politics) and the subsequent personal attacks against them in the comments.
So, it’s likely more safe to assume that McGraw wrote something that he truly believes rather than trying to grab the spotlight, since saying nice things about Ted Kennedy isn’t exactly acceptable with the audience that McGraw’s supposedly pandering to. If people weren’t so blinded by their hatred toward the other party, they wouldn’t have assumed such a thing on a practical level.
mcanj says:
I don’t think Tim has an agenda. I feel he was speaking from the heart. There are so many people that are just plain hateful and it doesn’t matter what anyone says they are the ones that always find the negative in anything. I just think these types of people have miserable lives and are just unhappy no matter what.
I like Tim Mcgraw and I think he is a good public servant who cares about America and gives a helping hand to people in need.
If you don’t like his politics that is fine, but to judge him because you don’t like his politics, and think everything he does has an agenda is plain stupid. He does things because he cares.
janet says:
lay off tim, you guys. he has been nothing but supportive, whether it be abuse or health issues. he is a great guy, who doesn’t need to toot his own horn, we fans can take of that for him.
Charlotte says:
I am not a big fan of Tim’s,but to make rude comments about him when he was offering his best to the Kennedy family is so rude.I recently watched the mother of my two step-children fight lung cancer that later became brain cancer and lost her battle with cancer a month ago.I can relate to Tim for wanting to offer his best.Cancer his a very awful thing to watch a love-one deal with.I should know I lost my mother to colon cancer that transfered to the liver.So please do not be so rude when someone is offering their best to a family that is going through a very stressful time of losing a love-one.Everyone should offer their best to any family that loses a love one.Come on people we should all pull together and offer our best reguardless who that person is.I do wish the Kennedy family the best during this time.How you feel about the Kennedy’s should not be the subject and how you feel about Tim should not be a problem.I praise Tim for offering his best to the Kennedy family.And shame on all of you who have turned this into a ugly post.I wish every family the best who deals with the lost of a love-one.
Tom Degan says:
Watching George W. Bush at the funeral of Teddy Kennedy on Saturday was, to say the very least, amusing. It’s always great fun to witness the members of the vast right wing conspiracy confronted head-on with the theological flaws that are inherent in their philosophy. Watching that event with my pal, Kevin Swanwick, we both were mesmerized and just slightly overjoyed to be reminded yet again that the basic tenets of Liberalism are in perfect harmony with our Christianity - our Catholicism: feed the hungry, shelter the poor and clothe the naked. Oh, how I wish the camera would have cut to Bush’s face the moment he was confronted with the most famous line (and justly so) from the Gospel according to Matthew:
“I tell you this: whatever you did to the least of these brothers of mine, you did to me.”
Jesus of Nazareth
One can only imagine how uncomfortable that passage from the scriptures must have made him feel. Or how about the Sermon on the Mount?
“Blessed are the peace makers
For they shall be called Sons of God.”
I imagine being confronted with the words of Jesus Christ might make old George just a tad uneasy. The prayers that were offered up by the youngest members of the Kennedy clan, in Teddy’s own words, were the most touching part of the entire day:
“That human beings be measured not by what they cannot do. That quality health care becomes a fundamental right and not a privilege. That old policies of race and gender die away. That newcomers be accepted, no matter their color or place of birth. That the nation stand united against violence, hate and war. That the work begins anew, and the dream lives on. We pray to the Lord.”
Lord hear our prayer.
After the mass had ended, and Kevin and I headed into town to get a cup of coffee, I was almost stunned by the good cheer I felt. Ted Kennedy’s funeral was truly a joyous event. Truth be told, it was damned-near therapeutic! The politics of joy as opposed to the politics of fear. There ain’t nothin’ like it in the world, Baby!
The stark contrasts between the ideals of the Progressive movement and the right wing’s backwards and greedy ideology were out in public Saturday for all to compare and contrast at Our Lady of Perpetual Comfort Church in Boston. The differences were so obvious, you could not have missed them had you tried.
(http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com)
Tom Degan
Goshen, NY
Alison Bonaguro says:
Janet, once McGraw posted his condolences on the Internet it ceased to be private.
morgan says:
Tim looks like he has brain cancer.
logan0103 says:
There are plenty of people who have died from brain cancer. The one Tim chose to give condolences to happens to be a KENNEDY. Makes you wonder!
goldie says:
tim and faith do alot for charity brain cancer is just one of them!! if all the rich or people that are well off did this their would be alot cancer’s that maybe would not be!!
kathy says:
to say that tim uses the death of a politician to bring publicity to his upcoming cd is just irresponsible and ignorant of the artist and man, tim mcgraw. don’t speak of things you obviously know nothing about.(sorry to end that statement with a preposition, but consider the intended reader.)
Bridget says:
i totally agree, i very well doubt Tim needs any help with any of his albums, so he didn’t make those comments for that reasons, he made them because it was for the very reason , because he did know someone who suffered from cancer and died from it, and unless u have seen someone dieing from it, u just don’t know what that is like, i do, my own father died 19 yrs ago, and wow , i still can’t believe it was that long ago, actually it was about 17 yrs. ago, when i was 29 yrs. old, but he was told he only had about 6 mos to live, and he lived about exactly that amount of time, and than the cancer pretty much , well, it was awful to see him go from a 6′0 - 6”1 man to wither away…. very sad so really alot of rude comments from people that are not needed, u may not agree with some peoples opinions, but oh well, that is what makes the world go round, and i saw Tim and Faith in concert a few yrs ago, and what a concert, he is sexy and they are sexy together, and put on a GREAT show!!!!!!!!!!!