RIP Ted Kennedy

If you didn't know better you would have thought the procession through Washington, D.C. was for the passing of a President not a Senator. But then again Ted Kennedy was no ordinary Senator. He was the most prominent living member of America's royal family. And for many years...46 of them in fact...he rung the bell for liberals on Capitol Hill. That's not to say he wasn't wrong, or terrible misguided on many issues. The "cause of his life" was universal healthcare and no doubt many democrats will use his death as political firewood to stir up more debate on this bankrupt endeavor. However, I saw Ted Kennedy as a very honest man and I think many of his downfalls were brought on by the way he was raised. His trouble with women became well documented in the press. Many could also never forgive him for fleeing the scene of a car wreck on Chappaquiddick Island. The passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, died that night and the incident damaged his chances of ever becoming President. But he owned up to his mistake by asking the Massachusetts electorate whether he should stay in office. We all know he did and he went on to pass more that 300 bills on immigration, AIDS reform, education, and civil rights. And though I supported the Republican resurgence in 96', it wouldn't have been anywhere near as interesting without Kennedy's vocal opposition. May the Lion of the Senate rest in peace...