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Revision as of 06:56, 19 June 2007 view sourceBlaxthos (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers16,596 edits →Energy policy: rm - this has been covered in the past. single incidents don't belong in an overview← Previous edit Revision as of 08:42, 19 June 2007 view source 70.59.230.126 (talk) ←Redirected page to AntichristNext edit →
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:{{Otherpersons|Ted Kennedy}}
{{Infobox Officeholder
| name = Edward Moore Kennedy |
| nationality = American |
| image name = Ted_Kennedy.jpg |
| jr/sr = Senior Senator |
| state = ] |
| party = ] |
| term_start = ], ] |
| alongside = John Kerry |
| preceded = ] |
| succeeded = Incumbent (2013) |
| date of birth = {{birth date and age|1932|02|22}} |
| place of birth = ] |
| date of death = |
| place of death = |
| law school = |
| spouse = (1) ] (married 1958 – divorced 1982) <br /> (2) Victoria Reggie Kennedy (married 1992–Present)
| occupation = ], ]
| alma_mater = ] |
| religion = ] |
}}
'''Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy''' (born ], ]) is the ] ] from ] and a member of the ].<ref name="KennedyPage">http://kennedy.senate.gov/senator/index.cfm</ref> In office since November 1962, Kennedy is presently the ] member of the Senate, after ] of ].<ref name="KennedyPage"/><ref>http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/resources/pdf/chronlist.pdf</ref> The most prominent living member of the ], he is the younger brother of ] ] and Senator ], both of whom were ] in the ]. He is also the father of Congressman ].

Ted Kennedy is a staunch advocate of ] principles, and is one of the most influential and enduring icons of his party. He is known for being a skillful backroom negotiator who occasionally works with ] legislators and presidents to reach an acceptable compromise.

== Family and youth ==
Kennedy is the youngest of nine children of ] and ], a prominent Irish-American family. He attended the ], and later ] and entered ] in 1950, where he resided in ]. Kennedy was also a member of the Owl Club. He was expelled from Harvard in May 1951 after he was caught cheating on an examination. Kennedy entered the ] for two years and was assigned to the ] headquarters in ]. He eventually re-entered Harvard, graduating in June 1956. In the 1955 ] (] won 21-7), Kennedy caught Harvard's only touchdown pass.<ref name="KennedyPage"/> In 1958, he attended the ]. He earned his law degree from the ] and was admitted to the Massachusetts bar in 1959. While he was in law school, he managed his brother ]'s ] Senate re-election campaign.

His home is in ], where he lives with his second wife, Victoria Reggie Kennedy — a ] lawyer and the daughter of a ] judge — and her children, Curran and Caroline. Victoria is president and co-founder of Common Sense about Kids and Guns, an advocacy group that seeks to reduce gun deaths and injuries to children in the United States. He has three grown children from his first marriage with ], whom he met while delivering a speech at ]: ] (born in 1960), ] (born in 1961) and ] (born in 1967), and five grandchildren. After his brothers John and Robert were assassinated (in 1963 and 1968 respectively), he took on the role of surrogate father for his brothers' 13 children.<ref>Chris Black et al., , ], ], ]. Accessed online ], ].</ref>

In 1962, Kennedy was elected to the Senate from Massachusetts in a ] to fill the seat left vacant by his oldest surviving brother, John, upon the latter's election as ]. He was elected to a full six-year term in ] and was reelected in ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].

== Early career ==
]
Kennedy is the Chairman of the ]. He also serves on the ], where he is the Chairman of the ] and the ], where he is the Chairman of the ]. He is also a member of the ], a founder of the ] and a trustee of the ] in ]

Kennedy's career in the Senate has frequently attracted national attention. The year after he was first elected to the Senate his brother ].

In 1964, Kennedy was in a plane crash in which the pilot and one of Kennedy's aides were killed. He was pulled from the wreckage by fellow senator ] (D-]), and spent weeks in a hospital recovering from a severe back injury, a punctured ], broken ribs and internal bleeding.

], ] and Edward Kennedy circa 1960]]
In 1968, his last surviving brother, Robert, was assassinated as well during his bid to be nominated as the Democratic candidate for the presidency. Kennedy delivered a very emotional ] at Robert's funeral. After the shock from this event wore off, Kennedy was looked upon as a likely future presidential candidate. For about a year, the Democratic establishment began to focus attention on him as the new "carrier of the torch" for the Kennedys and the party. The 1993 book ''The Last Brother'' by ] portrayed Kennedy as particularly devastated by the death of Robert, in that Ted was closer to Robert than any other member of the Kennedy family.

In January 1969, Kennedy defeated ] Senator ] to become ]. He would serve as Whip until January 1971, when he was defeated by Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia.

==Chappaquiddick incident==
{{Main|Ted Kennedy Chappaquiddick incident}}
''The Chappaquiddick incident'' refers to the circumstances surrounding the 1969 death of ], a campaign worker for Senator Kennedy. Kopechne was killed when the Senator drove his mother's vehicle off of a bridge and into a channel after a party at ], ]. Due to the circumstances of the incident and the way in which it was handled, it quickly became a national scandal.

== Presidential bid ==
Kennedy deflected supporters who urged him to run for President in 1972 and 1976 by citing family concerns, in light of the fact of his brothers' assassinations. He finally threw his hat into the ring for the Democratic nomination in the ] by launching an unusual, insurgent campaign against the sitting president, ], a member of his own party. Despite much early support, his bid was ultimately unsuccessful. Carter was highly unpopular at the time of Kennedy's announcement, and Kennedy could have expected to do well against the incumbent president. But the Iran hostage crisis gave President Carter a large boost in the polls that lasted for several months. The upswing in Carter's popularity knocked the wind out of Kennedy's candidacy, which was predicated on dislodging an unpopular president. In addition, the Chappaquiddick incident still dogged the senator, and his opponents often invoked the highly recognizable melody of ]'s 1970 hit song "]" to remind voters of the tragedy and scandal. Kennedy's campaign received substantial negative press from what pundits criticized as a rambling response to the question "Why do you want to be President?"<ref>, NNDB</ref><!--very weak citation: NNDB is as open as Misplaced Pages itself--> Kennedy won 10 presidential primaries against Carter, who won 24. Eventually, he bowed out of the race, but delivered a rousing speech before the ] in ] that many consider to be one of his finest moments.<ref></ref>

== Democratic Party icon ==
]
Since his presidential bid, Kennedy has become one of the most recognizable and influential members of the party. In 2004, Kennedy was involved in the failed presidential bid of his fellow Massachusetts Senator ], speaking for Kerry multiple times and lending his chief of staff, ], to the Kerry campaign. Kennedy stated that he would have supported Kerry should he have chosen to run for president in 2008.

In April 2006, Kennedy was selected by '']'' as one of "America's 10 Best Senators"; the magazine noted that he had "amassed a titanic record of legislation affecting the lives of virtually every man, woman and child in the country" and that "by the late ], the liberal icon had become such a prodigious cross-aisle dealer that Republican leaders began pressuring party colleagues not to sponsor bills with him".<ref>, Time, ], ]. Accessed online ], ].</ref>

As of 2006, Kennedy is the second-longest serving current senator, only behind ]. Kennedy won an eighth full term (and ninth overall term) in ]. If he serves out his full six-year term, he will have served in the U.S. Senate for fifty years.

Currently, Senator Kennedy is the chairman of the ]. As chairman, he raised the ] by $2.10 to $7.25 on ], ]. The bill also included some controversial tax cuts for small businesses and higher taxes for many $1 million-plus executives. Kennedy was quoted as saying, "Passing this wage hike represents a small, but necessary step to help lift America's working poor out of the ditches of poverty and onto the road toward economic prosperity."<ref>, ], ], ]. Accessed online ], ].</ref>

In 2006, Kennedy released a children's book '']''.<ref>, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, ], ]. Accessed online ], ].</ref> Also in 2006, Kennedy released a political history entitled '']''<ref>, NPR, ], ]. Accessed online ], ].</ref>

==Political views==
=== No Child Left Behind ===
]]]
Kennedy was a major player in the bipartisan team that wrote the controversial ] of 2001, which, according to both Kennedy and President Bush, was a compromise. He then worked to get it passed in a ] controlled Congress, despite the opposition of members from both parties.

=== Right to abortion ===
Although he has been a staunch advocate of ] for the past 30 years, Kennedy only adopted this position after '']'' became the law of the land. Prior to that, he held a ] position. A letter to a constituent, dated ], ] opposes "the legalization of abortion on demand" saying that it "is not in accordance with the value which our civilization places on human life".<ref>, World NetDaily, August 3, 2005. Accessed online 26 December 2006.</ref> Kennedy's reversal on this issue after ''Roe v. Wade'' became a source of continuing dispute between him and the ] to which he belongs. In 1987, Kennedy delivered an impassioned speech condemning ] nominee ] as a "] extremist" and warning that "Robert Bork's America" would be one marked by back alley abortions and other backward practices. Kennedy's strong opposition to Bork's nomination is commonly seen as a prominent factor in the Senate's rejection of Bork's candidacy. Similar concerns have been raised in more recent Supreme Court nominations, as well; it is possible that Kennedy's opposition to Bork set a precedent. In recent years, he has argued that much of the debate over abortion is a false dichotomy. Speaking at the ] in 2005, he remarked, "Surely, we can all agree that abortion should be rare, and that we should do all we can to help women avoid the need to face that decision."<ref>] , '']'', January 14, 2005; Page A19.</ref>

=== Immigration policy ===
Ted Kennedy was a strong supporter of the ] — signed into law by ] ] — which dramatically changed US immigration policy.<ref>, Center for Immigration Studies, September 1995. Accessed online ], ].</ref> "The bill will not flood our cities with immigrants. It will not upset the ethnic mix of our society. It will not relax the standards of admission. It will not cause American workers to lose their jobs."<ref>U.S. Senate, Subcommittee on Immigration and Naturalization of the Committee on the Judiciary, Washington, D.C., ], ], pp. 1–3.</ref> Kennedy is now the chair of the United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Citizenship, and remains a strong advocate for immigrants, both documented and undocumented.

This legislation replaced the ], which favored immigrants from northern and western Europe. Proponents of the 1965 bill argued that immigration laws and quotas were discriminatory, and that American immigration policy should accept people not on the basis of their nationality. This also abolished the ].

Kennedy subsequently took a lead role in several other would-be immigration measures, including the ] ("McCain-Kennedy") in 2005 and the ] (an elaborate but controversial bipartisan compromise worked out with President ]).

=== Gun politics ===
Ted Kennedy has been a staunch supporter of ] initiatives. He was one of the 16 senators who voted against the ].

=== Energy policy ===
Ted Kennedy has generally maintained a record in favor of alternative energy sources and against additional Alaska oil drilling, as seen in his voting record on energy policy.

=== War on Terrorism ===
]]]
Though a supporter of the ] of the ] in ], Kennedy has been a vocal critic of the American-led 2003 invasion and subsequent occupation of ]. He has also been a harsh critic of the way the invasion of ] was planned and conducted by the ]. Kennedy also has said that the best vote he had ever cast in the Senate was his vote against giving President Bush the authority to use force against Iraq.{{Fact|date=March 2007}}

On ], ], Kennedy made a speech on the Senate floor regarding the war in Iraq, just prior to the ].<ref>. Originally on the home page of kennedy.senate.gov, archived on the ] 17 January 2006.</ref>{{Wikisourcepar|Senator Edward M. Kennedy floor remarks on Iraq}}

In early 2007, just prior to President Bush's announcement that he would initiate a troop surge in Iraq, Senator Kennedy made a speech at the National Press Club opposing it.<ref>, YouTube.com, January 9, 2007. Accessed online 22 February 2007.</ref> Kennedy was the first Senator in the 110th Congress to propose legislation opposing the President's troop surge.

===Northern Ireland===
Kennedy has been outspoken in his views about Northern Ireland's constitutional question. In October 1971, he called for the withdrawal of ] troops from ], and for all political participants there to begin talks on creating a ].{{fact|date=April 2007}}

In the Spring of 2005 however, Kennedy publicly snubbed ] by cancelling a previously-arranged meeting. This decision was a direct result of the ] in December 2004, and the murder of ] the following month.<ref>{{cite news |first=Garry |last=Kelly |title=Senator Kennedy snubs Adams as US recoils at IRA crime |url=http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/ulster/article6113.ece |publisher=] |date=2005-03-14 |accessdate=2007-04-23}}</ref>, citing the IRA's "ongoing criminal activity and contempt for the rule of law."

===Judicial appointments===
From ] to ], Kennedy led a forty-five member all Democrat Senate ] to block the appointment of former assistant ] ] to the ]. When Estrada withdrew his nomination, Kennedy proclaimed it was a "a victory for the Constitution".<ref>http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/09/04/estrada.withdraws/</ref>

===Same-sex marriage===
Kennedy is one of only five senators who have publicly announced support for ]. Kennedy's home state of Massachusetts is the only state in the United States within which same-sex marriage is legal.

==Electoral history==
{{Election box begin | title=]<ref name="2006results"> ''Boston.com'' as of 2:47 PM EST ]]</ref>}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Democratic Party (US)
|candidate = ] (])
|votes = 1,497,304
|percentage = 69.46%
|change = -3.15%<ref name="cnn2000"> from ]</ref>
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Republican Party (US)
|candidate = ]
|votes = 658,374
|percentage = 30.54%
|change = +17.66%<ref name="cnn2000" />
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes = 838,930
|percentage = 38.92%
|change = -20.81%
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes =
|percentage =
|change =
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
|winner = Democratic Party (US)
|swing =
}}
{{Election box end}}


'''2000 Massachusetts United States Senatorial Election'''
{|
|'''Ted Kennedy''' (D) (inc.) 73%
|-
|Jack E. Robinson III (R) 13%
|-
|] (Lib.) 11.9%
|}

'''1994 Massachusetts United States Senatorial Election'''
{|
|'''Ted Kennedy''' (D) (inc.) 58%
|-
|] (R) 41%
|}

'''1988 Massachusetts United States Senatorial Election'''
{|
|'''Ted Kennedy''' (D) (inc.) 65.6%
|-
|Joseph D. Malone (R) 34.4%
|}

'''1982 Massachusetts United States Senatorial Election'''
{|
|'''Ted Kennedy''' (D) (inc.) 60.8%
|-
|Raymond Shamie (R) 38.3%
|}

'''1976 Massachusetts United States Senatorial Election'''
{|
|'''Ted Kennedy''' (D) (inc.) 69.3%
|-
|Michael Robertson (R) 29%
|}

'''1970 Massachusetts United States Senatorial Election'''
{|
|'''Ted Kennedy''' (D) (inc.) 61.2%
|-
|Josiah A. Spaulding (R) 37%
|}

'''1964 Massachusetts United States Senatorial Election'''
{|
|'''Ted Kennedy''' (D) (inc.) 74.3%
|-
|Howard Whitmore, Jr. (R) 25.4%
|}

==External links==
{{Commonscat|Ted Kennedy}}
{{Wikisource author}}
{{Wikiquote}}

===Official sites===
*
*
* PAC founded by Kennedy to support and expand the Democratic majority in the Senate and House of Representatives
* {{CongBio2|K000105}}

===Kennedy in his own words===
* : audio
* ], ] National Press Club event, via NPR]: provides corroboration for his 2006 re-election run
*
* : Kennedy on the Iraq War, which he describes as "George Bush's ]"

===Nonpartisan information===
*
* campaign finance reports and data
* collected news and commentary
* issue positions and quotes
* campaign contributions
* profile
* {{VoteSmart|S0410103}}

===Other links providing info===
*
* , via George Bush Foundation
* {{nndb name|id=623/000023554|name=Ted Kennedy}}

==Further reading==
* Bly, Nellie. (1996). ''The Kennedy Men: Three Generations of Sex, Scandal and Secrets''. ISBN 1-57566-106-3.
* Burke, Richard E. (1993). ''The Senator: My Ten Years With Ted Kennedy''. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-95133-7.
* Clymer, Adam (1999). ''Edward M. Kennedy: A Biography''. Wm. Morrow & Company. ISBN 0-688-14285-0.
* Damore, Leo. (1988). ''Senatorial Privilege: The Chappaquiddick Cover-Up''. ISBN 0-89526-564-8.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==See also==
* ]
* ]
* ]

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Revision as of 08:42, 19 June 2007

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