Edward Moore Kennedy-R.I.P.

Edward Moore Kennedy: 1932 - 2009

Sen. Ted Kennedy died at 77 from brain cancer at his home in Hyannis Port, Mass., and was buried Saturday at Arlington National Cemetery, close to the grave sites of his slain brothers, President John F. Kennedy and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy (D-N.Y.). At the time of his death, he had come to be viewed as the "voice" and "conscience" of American progressivism.

The Washington Post told his story:

As heir, through tragedy, to his accomplished brothers, Edward Kennedy became the patriarch of his clan and a towering figure in the U.S. Senate to a degree that neither John nor Robert Kennedy had achieved.

He served in the Senate through five of the most dramatic decades in the nation's history, becoming a lawmaker whose achievements, authority and collegiality invited comparisons to Daniel Webster, Henry Clay and other titans. But he was also beset by personal frailties and family misfortunes that became the stuff of tabloid headlines.

Instead of president, Edward Kennedy became a major presence in the Senate, to which he was elected largely on the basis of his name in 1962 and where he wore proudly the label of liberal.

For decades, Sen. Kennedy helped to shape the national debate. Defending the poor and politically disadvantaged, he staked out his party's positions on health care, education, civil rights, campaign finance reform and labor law. He also came to oppose the war in Vietnam, and, from the beginning, was an outspoken opponent of the war in Iraq.

With his death, America lost a vigorous supporter of clean energy and the environment. Ted Kennedy played a key role in passing numerous critical bills on behalf of environmental and clean energy causes, including measures on fuel economy, brownfields cleanup and revitalization, and home energy efficiency assistance for families of modest means.

The cause of his life, however, became health care -- changing the unacknowledged system of rationing under which we apportion care according to an individual's ability to pay. There are those who believe that if Kennedy had not been ailing, President Obama's attempt at health-care reform might be further along. But we sorely miss Kennedy's leadership on healthcare issues. He believed our nation has the responsibility to ensure that every American has the right to affordable health care.

Shortly before Senator Kennedy's death, President Barack Obama selected him as a 2009recipient of the Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor.

I'll always be encouraged by his words.

"The cause endures, the hope still lives and the dream shall never die."

Rest in peace. Teddy.

Sources: Washington Post, Reuters, The Fix Blog