Remembering Sen. Edward Kennedy

Coverage of Mr. Kennedy's death, at the age off 77 at around 1AM Eastern in his Massachusetts home, will likely be ongoing over the next few days as journalists and colleagues celebrate and mourn his life and death.

The New York times has the lede: "Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA, a son of of one of the most storied families in American politics, a man who knew triumph and tragedy in near-equal measure and who will be remembered as one of the most effective lawmakers in the history of the Senate, died late Tuesday night, he was 77. . ."

Other stories are here from TIME, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, and also a Statement from the Kennedy family.

In the early moments of his career he was at worst a joke to his critics, who contend that he was elected solely based on his last name, and the negativity surrounding his career culminated in the tragic Chappaquiddick incident in 1969 and the death of Mary Jo Kopechne. His face became synonomis with rampant liberalism and his image was used in hundreds of political attack ads. He carried on after that though and proved all of his critics wrong by becoming a champion not only of many Democratic causes, but arguably one of the greatest bipartisan dealmakers in the history of the Senate. Kennedy carried a hard-fought reputation as someone who could work side by side with the most dedicated liberals as well as the staunchest of conservatives. He had many, many friends on both sides of the aisle in the Senate, and although he called health care "the cause of [his] life," his own voice will not only be sorely missed in that debate (as much as it already has), but also in the many, many debates that will arise in the future.