Upon his defeat to Jimmy Carter for the Democratic Presidential candidacy in 1980, Senator Ted Kennedy (1931 - 2009) spoke these words:

For me, a few hours ago, this campaign came to an end. For all those whose cares have been our concern,
the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.

Moving words, especially considering he passed up running in 1972 and 1976, despite fervent appeals from supporters. He went back to work in the Senate, and continued to fight for the rights of the underprivileged and the working class, as he had since his election in November 1962.

The Constitution does not just protect those whose views we share;
it also protects those with whose views we disagree.

Named by Time Magazine as one of "America's 10 Best Senators," Senator Kennedy worked tirelessly - and many times alongside his Republican counterparts - to craft and pass legislation that has advanced the rights of Americans from every walk of life, including strengthening laws that banned job discrimination, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and numerous educational programs.

Integrity is the lifeblood of democracy. Deceit is a poison in its veins.

He was a harsh critic of the invasion and occupation of Iraq, and spoke out about it passionately:

150,000 American troops are bogged down in a quagmire in Iraq because the Bush administration
misrepresented and distorted the intelligence to justify a war that America never should have fought.

Senator Kennedy succumbed to a brain tumor on Tuesday, August 25, 2009. Public and private citizens of all political persuasions mourned the loss of the "The Lion of the Senate."