Meet Paul Kirk

Gov. Deval Patrick has named the former DNC head to an interim appointment to fill Ted Kennedy's seat, and will not seek election in January.

Kirk will fill the U.S. Senate seat left empty by the death of former Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. Patrick said Kirk will begin serving immediately.

Primaries to fill the seat for the remaining three years of Kennedy's six-year term are set for December 8, while the general election will take place on January 19.

Kirk will not seek the open seat, Patrick said Thursday.

Kirk was a longtime senior aide to Kennedy and served as chairman of the national Democratic Party in the late 1980s.

Two Kennedy family associates told CNN on Wednesday that Kirk was the family's favorite to fill his vacant Senate seat. One source said Kennedy's widow, Vicki Kennedy, was among the family members supporting a Kirk appointment.

Looks like the GOP is in fact not going to fight this, and I can't see how it would be anything but lose-lose for them. On the other hand, this means Kirk is the 60th Democrat in the Senate.

Time to get to work.