I have been so sad since hearing of Senator Kennedy’s passing. He speaks so to the American experience, so full of pathos and promise, self-destruction and self-determination. Regardless of what one thought about his politics, you have to admire the way he overcame so much tragedy and so many self-inflicted wounds.
Simply, I miss him. We will all miss him.
The fact that we are so close to a vote on healthcare makes his passing all the more tragic. It would have been so wonderful to see him be able to vote his signature issue. My hope is that it can be accomplished in his honor.
And, I do have hope. People are focused on this. People are talking. The crazy people get a lot of airplay because they are good TV, shouting and yelling. Yet, the coverage they get seems more and more to put them in the context of the fringe. People are interested. The debate is pervasive. The Zeitgeist feels like we are heading toward healthcare – maybe not what we want, but something. This morning I saw this on HuffPost. Look at the counts. More people commented on the piece about using reconciliation to push through healthcare than about Miss Universe. That makes me hopeful.
Cog in the Wheel 
It is hard to imagine a world without Teddy. Love him or hate him he has been a senator for my entire life.
Unfortunately, it appears that the negative reviews are far outweighing the positives. It is sad that Teddy is remembered by most for Chappequiddick instead of the great words you just quoted.
That being said, he is still a person, a person who died. Politics aside that is always a sad thing. And like any person with a spirit for life, Teddy struggled to survive, using all the resources at his disposal to get the best possible care he could find; but in the end, although time is money, money could buy teddy no more time.
http://splashinthepacific.wordpress.com/2009/08/26/the-power-of-money-the-sands-of-time/