Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy Dies at 77

All of my life there have been Kennedy's in public service, and though I too felt a distance in my faith in Ted after Chappaquiddick, I always fundamentally agreed with his politics, his passion, and his belief that we could be better - and should strive to be no matter what.

It is a loss for us all to lose such a great statesman, and a man that made a difference in so many positive ways for our country and our daily lives.

Yes I know exactly where I was when John Kennedy and Robert Kennedy were shot killed.  But I was never a fan of Ted.

I am appreciative of his years of dedicated public service.  And while I may not have agreed with his politics, I do believe he worked for the causes about which he felt a strong and driving passion. 

~B
House Overflowing ( http://www.houseoverflowing.com/ )

I found myself very teary trying to explain to my four year-old who that man was on the TV.

 "He was someone who really cared about people," I said. "He really loved kids and families and wanted to make sure we were all healthy and taken care of all the time. And now he's gone but we're lucky that he did so much for us while he was here"

She asked me to turn on the Iron Giant. 

Mom-101 ( http://mom-101.com )
( http://coolmompicks.com )

Cool Mom Picks.com ( http://coolmompicks.com )

This is a very sad day for the nation and is especially felt very deeply in Massachusetts.  I am sorry to see the Kennedy legacy end (perhaps Joe will return to politics).  I feel so sad for the family with the loss of two Kennedy siblings in two weeks.

Ted Kennedy worked tirelessly on behalf of causes he believed in that helped average people.  He was unabashedly liberal but also a collaborator.  We won't see the likes of him again.  He sponsored legislation that touched my life and the lives of my family and various neighborhoods.

Eternal peace.

http://blog.candelarisilva.com ( http://blog.candelarisilva.com/ )

Good and plenty!

This man has seen a lot. Everyone around him died in very sad ways as well. 47 years in the U.S. Senate is definitely something to be prowd of. RIP Teddy. :-(

I'm feeling really behind in knowing my history right now. That's really interesting

Politics & News Contributing Editor
Queen of Spain ( http://queenofspainblog.com/ )

I'm behind schedule already today. Instead, I'll just link this blog post about Ted Kennedy ( http://blog.sunlightfoundation.com/2009/08/26/reme... ) because I like it.

One day while working as a systems administrator in the office of Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy, Chris Casey dialed online to read the bulletin boards at Massachusetts universities. While finding answers to computer questions and downloading software to help in the office, Casey found himself reading threads about a variety of topics, including politics. The discovery of this online constituency led Casey to suggest that Kennedy reach out by creating his own online community and posting his press releases for public comment. Casey worked with Jonathan Gourd of North Shore Mac to set Kennedy up with a “conference” to connect with online constituents. Casey then went to sell the Senator’s office on the idea, eventually winning approval from Senator Kennedy himself, who, understanding the importance of constituent relations, told Casey, “If you can find a way for me to reach constituents using computer networks, do it.”

~Denise
BlogHer Community Manager

Flamingo House Happenings ( http://www.flamingohouse.net/ )

As a teen, before I could even vote, I worked on Ted Kennedy's presidential campaign. He was a flawed human but aren't all? We just know the contours of his flaws much better than most. His values and his commitment to causes and the American people were great. I believe this is why he was so beloved on both sides of the aisle.

I am sad for him that he did not live to see any health care reform. Selfishly, I am sad for us that we will not have his prodigious political talent at work for us to see that change actually happens. I fear there is no Senator left with his skill and touch.

I hope the close-knit bonds of the Kennedy family help see them through as they mourn the loss of their matriarch and patriarch so close together.

BlogHer Contributing Editor ( http://www.blogher.com/blog/maria-niles )
PopConsumer ( http://consumerpop.typepad.com/popconsumer )
Beyond Help ( http://mariax.vox.com/ )

There was so much about Kennedy I just didn't know. Bills he sponsored, etc.

Learning a lot through the coverage of his death.

Politics & News Contributing Editor
Queen of Spain ( http://queenofspainblog.com/ )

my college yearbook--there's a photo of me standing by him interviewing him. I'd love to look at it today. He fought for so many good things for Americans, particularly health care. If a decent bill to provide health care for all Americans gets passed this year, it should be named in his honor.

Virginia DeBolt
BlogHer CE ( http://www.blogher.com/blog/virginia-debolt )
Web Teacher ( http://www.webteacher.ws/ )
First 50 Words ( http://first50.wordpress.com/ )

 I rose from my own sick bed to write this, and it may need proofreading because my eyesight has not completely returned. My sadness for Ted Kennedy is not a reluctance to let go of Camelot, although I am definitely of the generation that grew up mourning the Kennedy brothers. I held Teddy at arm's length after Chappaquiddick, and I wondered whether he ran for the Democratic nomination in 1980 more out of some sense of entitlement than pricnicple. I understood when people snickered at him during the Thomas confirmation hearings. But I grew to respect him as I came to understand his effectiveness in Congress. In particular, I respected his long fight for universal health care - a cause he championed long before anyone else in Congress was talking about it. It saddens me that he did not live to see this dream fulfulled. I am inspired to redouble my own efforts to promote a sane and informed dialog on health care reform in his memory.

KimBlogHer Contributing Editor ( http://blogher.org/blog/kim-pearson )|Professor Kim ( http://professorkim.blogspot.com/ )|

As soon as I heard I got cracking on a post ( http://bigsole.blogspot.com/2009/08/sen-ted-kenned... ). Writing helps me handle strong emotions. I said it feels like the last great giant of a family of giants has died. Some younger people won't realize what this means to those of us who were alive when John F. Kennedy was shot and Robert Kennedy was assassinated later. I was young and yet I remember, and so the Kennedy family, in particular the brothers, has loomed over the nation's landscape in almost mythical form at times. They've been both sanctified and excommunicated at times. I saw a phrase at the NYT, "gifted and flawed." Ted Kennedy, after living the longest of his brothers and sticking it out in public service despite stiff opposition, has a legacy of service that we will be examining for years to come.

Thank you, Erin, for getting this post up so quickly. 

Nordette Adams ( http://www.bookotopia.com ) is a BlogHer CE ( http://www.blogher.com/haystackprofile/viewprofile... ) & you can find her other stuff through Her 411 ( http://her411.com ).

My husband and I, Baby Boomers who were horrified as young people by the tragic losses of John and Robert Kennedy, are grief stricken tonight. Though we knew his brain tumor was of a virulent cell type and that it would take the Senator quickly, one is never really prepared for the end.

More than anything, we are reluctant to let go of Camelot.  That has now also come to an end.

Thank you for this forum, Erin.

Grace Davis

Blogger, State of Grace ( http://gracedavis.typepad.com )  

Founder, More Women ( http://morewomen.ning.com/ )