August 26, 2009 at 11:22am
There hasn't been anyone like Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy.
And, to Democrats, there probably never will be.
Kennedy was a champion of liberal causes that span decades of service under 10 presidents. His loss leaves a remarkable void.
His name alone became synonymous with liberal ideology to the degree that conservatives used the label "Kennedy Democrat" as a smear.
It emboldened him.
It's no surprise that he was instrumental in the election of America's first black president.
Civil rights, education, same-sex marriage, and health-care reform are just a short list of his many issues.
Kennedy was not terribly active in the Senate in recent months due to his illness. Passing a meaningful health-care bill will become that much more difficult without his behind-the-scenes advocacy.
And to a young president facing so many serious challenges, it's a bit foreboding to know that Barack Obama has lost such an important ally and mentor.
The Kennedy clan has embodied something akin to royalty for many Americans.
The wealth, scandals, and regular doses of gut-wrenching tragedy have, in some ways, become chronicles of our own lives.
Survivors have the unseemly benefit of knowing just how tough life can get.
And Ted Kennedy was a survivor in every sense.
It just might have been the source of his immense compassion.
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Comments for "MACALUSO: Senator Edward Kennedy, 1932-2009" (1)
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Tom said on Aug. 27, 2009 at 7:00pm
My personal story about Ted Kennedy happened on a cold day in February (I think) 2004, just a short time before the NY State Presidential primary. The local Democrats had planned an event that was supposed to be a rally for ALL Democrats, no matter who individuals were supporting. But that seemed to have changed overnight. The morning of the rally, the event was being called a "Kerry rally".
Friends and I attended wearing our Howard Dean sweatshirts or John Edwards gear. Because of what we were wearing we were not allowed inside the union hall. We did what any true activists would do. We stood across the street from the union hall with signs of the candidates we were supporting.
Just when the rally was about to begin and almost everyone had already gone inside, a minivan drove slowly down the street toward the union hall parking lot. As it slowed to turn into the parking lot, the passenger side window went down and a man stuck his head out. It was Ted Kennedy! He invited us to follow him inside and made it clear he wanted us to be a part of the rally. Sadly, when we crossed the street to the union hall, the goons guarding the parking lot would not allow us access to the building. We told the guys that Ted Kennedy wanted us to come in side. The response we got was that Ted Kennedy didn't own the building.
It is because of events like that and men like Ted Kennedy that activists remain strong and focused on the important issues facing us. Thanks Ted for you many years of outstanding service to the United States.
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