Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy aspired to be like his brothers John and Robert. The three brothers ran for President on separate occasions, but the eldest of the trio, John, succeeded. Bobby was shot down while campaigning for the top office. And Ted himself had a run for the presidency in 1980- imagine what the world would have been like had he won and beat Ronald Wilson Reagan, the retired governor of California. Kennedy was the second most senior member of the Senate, after West Virginia Democrat Robert Byrd, and third longest serving- at nine terms- again, Byrd wins hands down at 50 years. At the time of his death, at 77, last night, Kennedy had served a total of 46 years (and 292 days).
Like his brothers, he had his share of scandal. 40 years ago last month, Kennedy drove off the Dike Bridge into the Poucha Pond inlet on Chappaquiddick Island on Martha's Vineyard. One of the members of the "Boiler Room Girls"- a group of women who were supporting Bobby Kennedy's run for the office- Mary Jo Kopechne was a passenger. She drowned, while Ted Kennedy swam to safety. Kennedy plead guilty days later to leaving the scene of an accident, and was sentenced to two months in jail. The sentence was suspended. Even so, he remained in Congress for another 40 years.
As many know, Kennedy wore his liberalism on his sleeve. One of the things that stand out, for me, at least, about Senator Kennedy is his battle to keep federal judge Robert Bork from being confirmed in the US Supreme Court. Now, a bit of personal back story, at the time, I was a flag-waving, "pro-life", Southern Baptist- and Republican. The church I went to, First Baptist Church of Atlanta, is the home of In Touch Ministries, in which the senior pastor Charles Frazier Stanley still presides today (he's been head pastor for 38 years). Pastor Stanley passionately wanted Bork in the Supreme Court. After all, Stanley believed that Bork would put "God back in the schools, etc." Senator Kennedy, however, believed that Bork would move back the clock on civil rights and the right to choose between abortion and carrying to full term. Needless to say, Bork was not confirmed to the court. It also affected how Washington did business with controversial nominees and/or candidates.
Last year, Kennedy was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, in which he had surgery for. He cut down his workload, but was able to attend President Obama's inauguration this year. However, he suffered a seizure that day, which was attributed to exhaustion.
Kennedy's death comes just two weeks after his sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver died at 88. Kennedy is survived by wife Victoria, sister Jean Kennedy Smith, and three children, Kara Anne Kennedy, Edward Moore Kennedy, Jr., and US Representative Patrick Joseph Kennedy II, who serves the 1st Congressional district of Rhode Island.
