Ted Kennedy Dies of Brain Cancer at Age 77

[Jay]

Sen. Ted Kennedy died shortly before midnight Tuesday at his home in Hyannis Port, Mass., at age 77.

The man known as the "liberal lion of the Senate" had fought a more than year-long battle with brain cancer, and according to his son had lived longer with the disease than his doctors expected him to.

"We've lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism, and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever," the Kennedy family said in a statement. "He loved this country and devoted his life to serving it."

Sen. Edward Moore Kennedy, the youngest Kennedy brother who was left to head the family's political dynasty after his brothers President John F. Kennedy and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated.

Kennedy championed health care reform, working wages and equal rights in his storied career. In August, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom -- the nation's highest civilian honor -- by President Obama. His daughter, Kara Kennedy, accepted the award on his behalf.

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, known as Ted or Teddy, was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in May 2008 and underwent a successful brain surgery soon after that. But his health continued to deteriorate, and Kennedy suffered a seizure while attending the luncheon following President Barack Obama's inauguration.

For Kennedy, the ascension of Obama was an important step toward realizing his goal of health care reform.

At the Democratic National Convention in August 2008, the Massachusetts Democrat promised, "I pledge to you that I will be there next January on the floor of the United States Senate when we begin the great test."

Sen. Kennedy made good on that pledge, but ultimately lost his battle with cancer.

Kennedy was first elected to the Senate in 1962, at the age of 30, and his tenure there would span four decades.

.....

abcnews.go.com/Politics/TedKennedy/story?id=6692022

[Tsavodiner]

Rest in Peace at last, Mary Jo.

[cadillacdude1975]

yet another political figure that stayed immersed in controversy most of his career.

[Felix]

tsavodiner:

Rest in Peace at last, Mary Jo.

I suspect that the spirit of Mary Jo Kopechne has been at rest, and beyond bitterness, long since.

Death has a way of leveling all our karmas, and freeing us from the frailties of life.

But....Carry On.

[gridbug]

So does this prove that being a liberal causes brain cancer?

Godspeed Ted! The Senate has lost a colorful character and the people have lost a representative that actually gave a flip about them. Whether or not you liked him or agreed with him, the world is just a shade grayer this morning.

[osrb]

the world is just a shade grayer this morning.

Looks brighter to me. At least he did not get his wish on reversing the way his successor is elected. Now the people of Mass will be able to choose who is next. Not that much will change though.

[snarkalicious]

Ted Kennedy has always remined me of my father-they looked alike, and both died of a brain tumor.

And my father was a staunch Republican, so no, you don't have to be a Democrat to get brain cancer. My father's was diagnosed at age 54 and he died 8 months later- a very, VERY nasty way to die <sigh>.

Shannon

[JC]

A funny comment from another forum:

"Ted Kennedy's brain tumor has killed more people then my gun"

[LimitedRecourse]

He was DEFINATELY liberal-minded, but he DID show, occasionally, that he could work with those across the aisle. He hasn't really been all that "powerful" politically for a few years, now.

[goomba]

the end of an era, thankfully.

[vanstheman]

You know, I despised Nixon,didn't agree much with Reagan,but I could lay politics and personal differences aside when they died,and give them the respect they deserved.Some of you people are just horrible human beings...really,you are.

[daworm]

As bad as his little car accident affected one family, his political legacy is enough to make every family in America weep. I feel for his family who have lost a loved one, but if seeing him out of politics and being glad of it makes me a bad person, so be it. Wish he could have just retired, oh, 40 years ago, and then no one would be offended.

[dvc]

Well.....Bye.

[BlackFox]

R.I.P

[rstewart]

Not glad he's dead but definitely glad he is no longer a Senator.

[Tookie]

I'm not happy anyone has lost a family member or friend. However, I'm glad he's out of the Senate. Hopefully the Kennedyfest will soon be over.

[TNBear]

If all of you that have expressed your non-regrets that Senator Kennedy has died had together done one percent of the good that he did in his life I would care about your opinions.

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

Senator Kennedy was at least able to admit that he was not perfect, something that a few of you seem to have trouble with.

[JC]

If all of you that have expressed your non-regrets that Senator Kennedy has died had together done one percent of the good that he did in his life I would care about your opinions.
[\quote]

Its not hard to do 1 percent of nothing

[el Gusano]

Aug 27, 2009 19:53:48 GMT -5 JC said:

Its not hard to do 1 percent of nothing

No it's not! There! Just did it. Did it again!

[osrb]

Senator Kennedy was at least able to admit that he was not perfect, something that a few of you seem to have trouble with.

Then why did he not admit and pay the price for killing Mary Jo? If he had been just an average joe with no connections they would have gone to jail. Him and his fake tears were enough for the sycophants. The ONLY thing that bothered him was the because of it he would never be prez. That is what he was really sorry for.

[TNBear]

I do not say the man was a saint. He did not claim to be a saint. He was a human being with all the frailities that go with that.

Glad to know that so many of you are above all that.

[Tsavodiner]

What happened to the "higher standard" I hear so many of you talking about?

Was Edward Moore Kennedy not a "servant of the people"?

Do you REALLY think his $200. fine TWO WEEKS after the Kopechne incident, designed to do nothing more than invoke double jeopardy before the Massachusetts State Police finished their investigation, expiated this man from the righteous indignation of justice-minded people?

My friend Felix, who once lauded me for condemning super-longevity in elected Office: Is this man not the same sterling example of Elected Royalty, the same as Strom Thurmond, serving the venal interests of the cloistered few, in this case the Kennedys themselves? Were his many ignored peccadilloes not worthy of the same attentions for which his wife Joan eventually tired of forgiving? Should he have not suffered the same fate of Mark Sanford, his own Party calling for his political head?

No, I do not deify the Kennedys, whose epitaphs at Arlington should perhaps read:

"Behind every great Fortune, there is a Crime".

[goomba]

I would also like to know why he is being buried in Arlington. is it just to be next to his brother? or is that another case of royal american privileges that a Kennedy gets.

[daworm]

Glad to know that so many of you are above all that.

Who claimed to be above it? But since you asked, I've never killed anyone, and I've not helped bring about the downfall of the country, either. Oh, not every bill he sponsored or supported was bad, but even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then.

Oh, and the cartoon in the paper the other day with the sail boat needed a few windmills in it. Then it would have been funny.

[osrb]

Glad to know that so many of you are above all that.

Never claimed that either. But he should have paid for his crime. If that had almost anybody else they would have gone to jail. He never paid for the crime in the least. The ONLY thing that it cost him he was not able to become prez. He and his buds made a fortune off the big dig. With cost overruns spotty work and inferior materials that have already killed people. He prevented any investigation or audit of the work or companies.

Ted killed more people with his car then any of my guns.

[Bryan Stone]

fuck Goober,... you've even got a problem with where the guy is buried?

[goomba]

Aug 31, 2009 0:18:46 GMT -5 Bryan Stone said:

fuck Goober,... you've even got a problem with where the guy is buried?

re read my post

the last information I heard, the only your getting buried at Arlington National Cemetery is if you have won the CMH or a dead president.

I asked a question, plain and simple.

[gridbug]

Aaaah, what a breath of fresh air to start the week to get to bask in the warm glow of compassionate conservatism ;D

[rstewart]

Grid,

I don't believe G.W. Bush is interacting in this rorum. He's the only one I know who says he's a compassionate conservative.

[Warkitty]

So you admit that conservatives lack compassion?