Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Sen. Kennedy Passes

Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy, the youngest of the four magnificent, yet terribly flawed Kennedy brothers, passed away last night.

Unlike his three older brothers, he managed to live through the 20th Century, and into the 21st. He served in the U.S. Senate six years longer than did Alaska's Ted Stevens.

Unlike Ted Stevens, Ted Kennedy became more powerful, more well-respected, more creative in his legislative accomplishments in a meaningful way, as his career developed. Indeed, Kennedy's iconic, struggling figure, looming over the health care debate, as he succumbed to a fatal brain tumor, stands in stark contrast to the waning days in the Senate of Stevens. Even before his arrest, trial, seeming conviction, narrow electoral defeat, and so-called exoneration (by some - more accurately, being "let off the hook" because of Bush-era DOJ screwups), Stevens' exit was the exact opposite to the denouement of Teddy Kennedy.

Alaska bloggers are already paying tribute to the man some called "The Lion of the Senate," for his raging speeches advocating one idea or another. Celtic Diva, in her tribute to Kennedy, posted this YouTube of Kennedy's speech, which she witnessed last year in Denver, at the 2008 Democratic National Convention:


Other Alaska blog tributes to Teddy Kennedy:

The Immoral Minority


Just a Girl from Homer

The Mudflats

image - Ted Kennedy addressing the 1968 Alaska Democratic Party Convention in Sitka (video available too!) from the Alaska State Library via Matt Browner Hamlin

4 comments:

Phil Jr said...

RIP Ted Kennedy...

And Phil,
Stop using "exonerate" and "Ted Stevens" in the same sentence. Exonerate and prosecutorial misconduct are different things.

Exonerate
to clear, as of an accusation; free from guilt or blame; exculpate: He was exonerated from the accusation of cheating.

Philip Munger said...

Phil Jr - fixed it!

InJuneau said...

Thank you for posting the link to the Alaska State Library's video of the speech. They're trying to let people know they have it.

Bones AK said...

his is perhaps the best “link” headline I have seen:
The U.S. Senate was the place where Ted Kennedy grew from callow and reckless to the most effective legislator in the history of the institution. By Jonathan Alter
http://www.newsweek.com/id/213702
I was not quite 1 yr. old when JPK, Jr. died in WWII. I was serving in the Army when RFK was killed. I was working in an ER in CA when RFK was killed. And now, I am retired as the last last of the 4 brothers has died.
This band of brothers has done so much for the country, I so little.
Their legacy will last a long, long time.
RIP Senator Kennedy you have done US ALL proud.