Senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy, the longtime leading voice of liberalism in the United States Senate, died late Tuesday of brain cancer at age 77. Kennedy was noted both for his fierce advocacy of liberal causes and his skill in working the system to forge coalitions, even across party lines, to actually pass desired legislation.
Kennedy had been largely absent in recent weeks from Washington despite the ongoing controversy over health care reform, raising all the obvious concerns about his health. He issued a letter several days before his death calling for the Massachusetts legislature to allow the governor (a Democrat) to appoint his replacement in the interim before a special election. At this point, the law remains unchanged.
----
Though Ted Kennedy was already a prominent senator and leading political family icon during my own youth, my own initial memories of Kennedy were forged not throughout the Senate but through the radio. In the era before C-SPAN televised the Senate, Senator Kennedy broadcast daily commentaries on the issues of the day in a point counterpoint format with leading conservatives.
At the time of my youth, I virtually always agreed with the man. My views tended to moderate as an adult though I still agreed with him more times than not. The one thing that could always be respected about Kennedy was his sincerity, his genuine belief in the issues that he fought for all those decades. He will be truly missed.Labels: politics, ted kennedy, u.s. senate
