Senator Ted Kennedy has had personal weaknesses - and many strengths.
Like his brothers - all three of whom were killed serving the country, as he nearly was by John Hinkley who only went after Reagan when Kennedy was late showing up where Hinkley was waiting - he was raised to be a public servant by one of the wealthiest men in America. As the heir to the family fortune, and an indepndantly wealthy man, he could have easily enjoyed a lifestyle of private pleasure, but did not - and was not in public service for private gain.
Fourth of the sons, he was not the one chosen for top office - but the Senate was available with his family's power. And he has turned into one of our greatest Senators.
Even radical Republicans who almost never say a good word about Democrats have praised his work in the Senate. It's been widely said that he might have gotten more done in more bills than perhaps any other Senator as he was happy not to take credit and work behind the scenes to 'get things dne for the good of the country'.
All analysts I've seen say he was a much more effective Senator than his brothers, who were more comfortable leading the executive branch, short on Senate successes.
He shares one accomplishment with George Bush: turning around a problem with alchohol. However, while the left almost always acknowledges Bush's, the right almost never Ted's.
He has served in the Senate since 1962, a very long service, and his liberal policies have greatly helped Americans.
Those who are hypocrites about the tragedy of his negligent behavior killing one person while being apologists for 'their side's' presidents' intentional policies killing thousands, from Reagan's death squads killing and raping nuns to his and Bush 41's Contra terrorist army to the slaughter of Grenada people for the crime of being elected while left-wing among countless others, are despicable, but this is not the thread for elaborating on that point.
Kennedy has served the nation well at fighting for our policies to serve the people and not the few most wealthy, and this has made the nation greater.
IMO, it's the nation's loss not to have had him serve as president. So much went the wrong direction with the election of Reagan in 1980, when Kennedy ran - it was the beginning of the massive shift in income leaving the bottom and middle for the top, of the culture of corruption and de-regulation from the public interest restraining harmful activities, to the massive debt used to buy prosperity by stealing from taxpayers in years to come; a wasted opportunity for taking advantage of the end of the cold war.
In short, a continuation of the liberal side of US presidents that began with FDR and ended with Reagan - and within 25 short years has led the nation again to the point of crisis.
and no i won't say who it was 
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