America Has Lost More Than a Senator

Hello All:

Early this morning, our nation lost a great politician and man, Senator Ted
Kenedy of Massachusetts. Senator Kenedy has been in the United States
Senate longer than I've been on this earth; I'm a bit over 44 years old, and
Kenedy served in the Senate for over 46 years.

In the Senate, Kenedy was very liberal, and in the words of one reporter,
"partison to the core." He championed many, many causes during his time in
the Senate. He was a great friend to people with disabilities over the
years.

However, partison as he was, Senator Kenedy had a inique way of reaching
across the aisle and compromising wen he needed too. Unlike many
politicians on both sides of the aisle today, Kenedy realized that at times
the best legislation came from working together in a bipartison way.
Senator Kenedy worked with former President George W. Bush to pass Medicare
Prescription Drug coverage, and No Child Left Behind. He worked to pass the
Kenedy-Kassebaum bill with former Kansas Senator Nancy Kassebaum which was
to provie parity in insurance coverage for physical and mental ilnesses.

But Kenedy was more than a Senator. He represented the greatest political
family in our nation's history. He possibly came to his championing of
causes helping people with disabilities as his sister, Rosemary who was
developmentally disabled lived for a time at the St. Colletta's scool in
Jefferson, Wisconsin. When I attended the Wisconsin School for the Visually
Handicapped, we swam against the team from St. Colettas each year, but I do
not know if Rosemary was still living at that time.

Many of you know that when it comes to politics, I tend to be fiscally
conservative and socially moderate. In lite of that, I disagreed viamintly
with Senator Kenedy politically. However, no matter on which side of the
political spectrum you are, you have to respect what Senator Kenedy
accomplished in his long political career. I hope those in politics now,
and those planning to enter the world of politics will learn from Senator
Kenedy, because he knew how to get things done. We can learn from and
respect him, regardless of what side of the aisle you are on. May Senator
Kenedy rest in peace.

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