Senator Edward Kennedy Remembered

Washington, D.C.—Many are hailing him as the greatest United States Senator of our time.

President Barack Obama: “The extraordinary good that he did lives on…“

During his 46-year career in the Senate, landmark legislation from civil rights to health care to education had his fingerprints all over it.

Former President Jimmy Carter: “I don’t think there’s anybody who serves in the U.S. Congress, now, that could possibly be as missed by the American people as much as Ted Kennedy.“

Jon Meacham, ‘Newsweek’: “The essence of Kennedy’s legislative record is in fact he understood that life in the arena meant compromise.“

Condolences have poured in for the third longest-serving Senator, including from those who deeply respected him from across the aisle. Republicans Orrin Hatch and John McCain were among the first to extend their notes of sympathy to the Kennedy family, Wednesday morning.

Senator Kennedy authored more than 2,500 bills…more than 500 became law. He became a champion for health care, more than 40 years ago.

Senator Edward Kennedy: “This is the cause of my life, new hope that we will break the old gridlock and guarantee that every Americans, north, south, east, west, young, old will have decent quality health care as a fundamental right, and not a privilege.“

Despite his many successes, the scandal surrounding the drowning of Mary Jo Kopechne, a campaign worker, when he crashed his car at Chappaquiddick, looms.

Pat Tobey, Massachusetts resident: “He is the lion of the Left, and we’ll all miss him. He grew into the skin he was born in, took him a while, but…“

In a recent letter, the ailing Senator asked the governor of Massachusetts to change state law…creating a “temporary gubernatorial appointment” to replace him if he leaves office before the end of his term.

Linsey Davis, reporting: “It was his final way of making sure Democrats don’t fall one vote short, pass health care reform…in the event he wouldn’t be there to cast it himself.“

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