| The Lion of the Senate has passed away. Apparently, he lost his long battle with brain cancer shortly before midnight tonight at his home in Hyannis Port, Mass.
Senator Edward Kennedy, 77, dies
U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy, a major figure in the Democratic Party who took the helm of one of America's most fabled political families after two older brothers were assassinated, died late on Tuesday, CNN said. He was 77.
One of the most influential and longest-serving senators in U.S. history -- a liberal standard-bearer who was also known as a consummate congressional dealmaker -- Kennedy had been battling brain cancer, which was diagnosed in May 2008.
Known as "Teddy," he was the brother of President John Kennedy, assassinated in 1963, Senator Robert Kennedy, fatally shot while campaigning for the 1968 Democratic presidential nomination, and Joe Kennedy, a pilot killed in World War Two.
I consider myself extremely fortunate to have been in the hall when Senator Kennedy gave his last major speech at the Democratic National Convention. I wrote it about it at the time, exactly a year ago today in Denver. He arrived in ambulance and refused to deliver his speech sitting down. There's video of that speech at the link and I strongly encourage you to give it a look. It was Teddy's last rodeo, and there wasn't anyone in the room who didn't know it. It's a hell of an address.
Godspeed, Senator Kennedy. |
