Senator Edward Kennedy 1932 - 2009

Regardless of how you felt about Sen. Edward Kennedy you almost have to experience a sense of sadness today over the death of the powerful political figure because it truly is the end of an era. The third-longest-serving senator in history died at his home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts at the age of 77 after a long battle with a brain tumor.

Many will remember Kennedy as a liberal lightning rod in Washington but to portray him simply as a liberal would not do him justice. He made a career out of being a senator and worked hard at it….authoring more pieces of major legislation than anyone else. You may not have liked his politics but he was a voice for many who could not get anyone to listen to their problems. First elected to Washington in 1962 he was the last surviving son of what was America’s version of royalty….the Kennedys.

Depending on your age what you might remember most about Ted Kennedy is that he was often the family spokesman after tragedies and he offered eulogies and comfort to widows, nieces and nephews with all the world watching. He was only 31 when his brother President John Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas and less than five years later another assassin’s bullet claimed the life of his brother Bobby as he sought the Democratic presidential nomination. At his best during tragedy he witnessed another just ten years ago when John F. Kennedy Jr. was killed in a plane crash. As always he found the right words when they were needed the most.

Of course he had his own problems to deal with and never really overcame the shame and questions surrounding an accident on Chappaquiddick Island in the summer of 1969 that claimed the life of a woman who was in the back seat of his car when it left a bridge and went into a pond. That incident probably ended any real hopes that he would be President some day although he did run in the 1980 primary against incumbent Jimmy Carter before bowing out gracefully during the convention.

After that he would be content to spend the rest of his life as a respected Senator and he captured the national stage from time to time. He was popular among Democrats and the target of many Republicans but there was never a doubt about his effectiveness. And now the last light of America’s royal family has been extinguished.