Whether helping provide children with health insurance or liftingfamilies out of poverty, the late Senator Edward Kennedy made it hislife work to aid the disadvantaged. Friends and colleagues of theMassachusetts lawmaker, who died of brain cancer Wednesday at the ageof 77, say he had an impact that went beyond that of his famousbrothers, John and Robert.
"It is the glory and greatness of our tradition to speak for those that have no voice," said Kennedy.
Asthe third-longest serving senator in U.S. history, Edward Kennedy oftenstood up for the disadvantaged, sponsoring hundreds of pieces oflegislation in his nearly half century in office, all with the hope ofbettering people's lives. Kennedy biographer Adam Clymer notes hisimpact.
"If your parents of someone you know gets benefits frommeals on wheels, that is Kennedy," he said. "They go to a neighborhoodhealth center, that is Kennedy. He played a leading role in ending the[US military] draft. There has been no civil rights bill since he gotto the Senate that he has not played a significant role."
Followingthe assassination of his brother, President John F. Kennedy, TedKennedy picked up the torch, helping to push forward the Civil RightsAct of 1964, which made discrimination in public and at work illegal.
Hewent on to champion a number of other causes, including access toaffordable health care, fair housing, and voting rights. Kennedy,whose son lost a leg to bone cancer, also worked to end discriminationagainst those with mental and physical handicaps, with the enactment ofthe 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act.
As president of the American Association of People With Disabilities, Andrew Imparato worked with Kennedy and his son.
"Ithink Senator Kennedy understood the idea that disability is a naturalpart of the human experience and that just because somebody has adisability, it does not mean they should not have the opportunitiesthat other people have, so if you are talking about a child, theyshould have the opportunity to go to school with their peers," he said.
Senateassociate historian Donald Ritchie says it was not just the number ofissues Kennedy fought for, but how he fought for them. Ritchie saysthe senator was well-liked and able to build alliances with adversariesto push legislation forward.
"He figured out that okay, we canagree to disagree, but where is the one point where we do agree, whereis the common ground, and that is what an effective legislators has todo, is look for the places where he can create national consensusaround the issue," said Ritchie.
With Edward Kennedy's deathlate Tuesday from brain cancer, America's most famous political dynastyis left without an obvious heir. But longtime Kennedy friend TedSorensen says while Ted Kennedy's passing marks an end of an era, thefamily legacy will move forward.
"Ted Kennedy himself would havetold you that the fulfillment of those Kennedy ideals is not dependenton one person, it is not even dependent on a Kennedy, it is dependenton all those who believe in that standard of opportunity and justice,"said Sorensen.
In backing Barack Obama's presidential bid,Edward Kennedy looked to pass his message of hope to a new generationwanting change.