Ted Kennedy - Dead At 77

TED KENNEDY once said that his own legislative record was one he'd love to run against. A number of people tried, of course, and lost. But then, they weren't Ted Kennedy. Mr. Kennedy spent 46 years in the Senate hewing pretty steadily to his course while others trimmed or just plain bailed out.

He remained committed to a brand of New Deal and postwar liberalism that, even when it had lost some of its luster and had run up against a conservative tide in politics, still had much to offer the country. Mr. Kennedy knew that he was one legislator who could take the stands he did and not worry about reelection. More important, he advanced his causes with passion and energy, and, because he was able not only to work with colleagues all across the political spectrum but also endear himself to many of them, he became a major force in the Senate and the country. Such was his authority that many people this spring and summer believed health care reform would have advanced much further through Congress had Mr. Kennedy been healthy enough to assume his customary shepherding role. More on The Washington Post

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