Ted Kennedy

I will make sure I pick up a copy of the late senator's memoir, which is to be published on September 14. He had a lot to say about his own life, including the infamous Chappaquiddick accident, and other things:

He offered apologies for the darker moments of his life, but he raged against the portrait of him in some tabloids, magazines, and books. He described some of those accounts as “totally false, bizarre, and evil theories.’’

Of his indulgences, Kennedy wrote: “I have enjoyed the company of women. I have enjoyed a stiff drink or two or three, and I’ve relished the smooth taste of a good wine. At times, I’ve enjoyed these pleasures too much. I’ve heard the tales about my exploits as a hell-raiser - some accurate, some with a wisp of truth to them, and some so outrageous that I can’t imagine how anyone could really believe them.’’

More Kennedy

It appears that despite the big age difference between the two, Ted and Vicki Kennedy were a good match.

Lord knows he needed some stability after all of the tragedies in his life, a few of them self-inflicted.

I wonder if Vicki will eventually embark on a political career of her own though right now she appears uninterested. She's just slightly older than I am.

Here is a Live Stream

of the Kennedy service:

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Also here:

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More Kennedy

Here are some links from the Washington Post to read at one's leisure:

Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy Dies at 77 After Cancer Battle

A Legislator Like No Other

Colleagues, Friends Mourn Senate Patriarch


Video of the scene at Hyannisport:

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Who Would Take Kennedy's Senate Seat?

If by chance Ted Kennedy cannot finish out his Senate term, which expires in 2012, who would be the person to take over the seat?

Kennedy himself is said to favor his second wife, Vicki, 54, a Washington attorney who founded an organization, Common Sense About Kids and Guns. In a way she would be an odd choice because she has kept a low profile in the sixteen years she has been married to Kennedy. On the other hand, she is from a well-known Louisiana political family, the Reggies, who knew and were friends with the Kennedy family for decades.

I hope nothing happens to force Ted Kennedy out of his job, but we will have to wait and see about this.

Aside from a brief period (1961-1963), a Kennedy has held that Senate seat since 1953.