The Political History of Teddy Kennedy

During the forty-plus years in which Edward M. ("Teddy") Kennedy has been senator in Massachusetts, living in the public eye has brought countless references to his personal life, this scrutiny not only costing him his well-deserved chance at the presidency but also taking the focus off his many accomplishments.

Elected to the Senate in 1962, his nearly half-century career has been filled with contributions to those he has served. Although President George W. Bush is often credited for the No Child Left Behind Act, designed to improve the public schools system by raising its standards of accountability, Kennedy played a significant role in both drafting this measure and getting it signed into law.

Massachusetts is currently the only state which recognizes same-sex marriage as legal and valid; Kennedy is one of only five senators who have been in favor of this legalization.

Kennedy has been strongly opposed to the manner in which President Bush has dealt with Iraq, voting against the use of force in its invasion.

He has been a strong supporter of gun control; believes that everything possible should be done to minimize abortions; and is an advocate for immigrants' rights issues. Making quality healthcare available to all Americans has been one of the key points during his career, and in 1971 was elected chairman of the Senate Health Subcommittee.

Senator Kennedy has long been a champion of civil rights, beginning with assisting in getting the Civil Rights Act of 1964 enacted, and tackling the more recent aspects of the civil rights issue in 1991, which included increasing rights and protections, as well as granting women the right to a full place in the United States military. In 1980, he also proposed additional civil rights acts for institutionalized Americans and refugees.

He has been working to give all people a chance at better lives, with such programs as welfare-to-work, fair housing, and supporting the increase of the minimum wage. This wage increase was agreed upon and passed in February 2007, to result in an increase to $7.25 within the next two years.

Teddy Kennedy's history with bills which have been presented to Congress is equally impressive. In recent years he voted in favor of United States military troops to begin withdrawing from Iraq; against a bill proposing to make it difficult for Americans in need to file for bankruptcy; he voted in favor of providing additional funding for child safety and protection, including prosecuting sex offenders; and for increased funding to assist victims of domestic violence.

Senator Ted Kennedy has continued his pursuit of helping Americans achieve "the American Dream" throughout the decades-- despite attacks against his character, mudslinging on his personal life, and intrusions into his privacy, he has persisted in keeping the common good of the American people as his goal. As he stated in 1968: " Few are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, the wrath of their society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change a world that yields most painfully to change. And I believe that in this generation those with the courage to enter the moral conflict will find themselves with companions in every corner of the globe." And he has shown, time and time again, that he too possesses that rare courage.