I first heard this last night during a "breaking news" update on NBC...so very sad

Also, I watched Obama & Biden's speeches on CNN this morning regarding the senators passing and was very touched and almost brought to tears by the very personal nature of the speeches.

Rest In Peace Senator Kennedy

Wow so very sad, RIP Senator Kennedy

RIP.

It's a very American story, isn't it?

The guy worked his whole life to overcome challenges ranging from gross personal misfortune to gross negligence on his part to a lingering (and generally unfair, save with regard to the previous two items) specter of nepotism and favoritism for the rich. Per the reactions here, it looks like he did - there's definitely some good in showing that sort of redemptive quality for a guy who stayed amazingly steadfast in his beliefs and political goals for well over five decades, even during times when they weren't particularly popular.

I'm struggling with this one. I don't even know what to say...

This makes me feel far older and far more grown up than I ever wanted to feel. :( R.I.P., Senator.

You know, I have barely been around long enough to truly know everything Senator Kennedy did, however, he was such an inspiration.

This is very difficult for me and I do not entirely understand why.

RIP

Actually, there's a pretty solid argument to be made that it's almost exactly the same thing - a complete white-washing of anything negative in the historical record resulting in an overwhelmingly positive public response based solely in part of the man's legacy.

Kennedy did many respectable things in his life, worked hard for his causes and saw much more than his fair share of misfortune. But it's disingenuous to pretend he didn't profit, personally and professionally, from those misfortunes, and use those causes to serve his own ends - and especially in his early years, the man was far less than a saint. Have we forgotten Roger Mudd so easily?

That's what is the most interesting thing to me - Teddy was a deeply flawed man, one who ran the gamut from doing absolutely amazing things (literally the best Senator in history at going across the aisle and forging compromise) to positively dastardly (killing a woman and getting off without so much as a slap on the wrist).

I had the fortune of working in the US Senate and working with his staff, many of whom became my good friends. Senator Kennedy, who, like all of us, had his failings, was a wonderful public servant who cared deeply about his family, staff and friends. It was an honor to have met him and I am sad for my friends who are so sad today. We have all benefitted in some way from legislation he helped enact, and we should be thankful for what he's done for us. It's a sad day.

I was going to say "I love Roger Mudd!! What did he do??" So I wikied it. I really did live in a Republican household, because I have no recollection of this interview and I'm old enough to remember it. (By that I mean the 'rents weren't even paying attention because they were already on the Reagan train.)

When people say it is hitting them, I think they mean the whole passing of the concept of a family dynasty like the Kennedys - who we have never had anything else like in the US - rather than anything EMK did (or didn't do) in general. My mom was a mess when Jackie died, and I didn't understand it at all. Now I do.

I haven't checked the site in a few weeks due to other stuff going on in my life, and when i come here, I see a screenname I use for almost every place but here!

But to this, I was very sad to hear about Senator Kennedy's passing this morning, even though I've been expecting it for months. And it's so tough with it this soon after Eunice's passing. I know myself and many other people thought of the Kennedy's as Massachusetts form of royalty. The family was so involved with so much that went on in this state.

My company had our "holiday party" at the JFK Library this year. it was the first time I had been there in a long time, but it's still just so amazing to watch the videos they have and see all that they have on display about the family.

I totally teared up again a little while ago at the ceremony the Sox had before the game.

Whoops, sorry about that :o

Hey! What do you know? So did Laura Bush!

Don't start with this - first, it's not worth engaging buck1 in this type of debate, he/she is just trying to get a rise out of people. Second, the Bush and Kennedy situations were different in a number of ways.

So, please don't even start with that type of discussion. Thanks.

For those who are interested - CNN is airing the Kennedy documentary right now (it started at 7). It originally aired on HBO.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/08/...nedy.kunhardt/