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There are some important reports found in Soviet archives, after the collapse of the Communist dictatorship, that provide an interesting insight into the character of the senior senator from Massachusetts. One of the documents, a KGB report to bosses in the Soviet Communist Party Central Committee, revealed that "In 1978, American Sen. Edward Kennedy requested the assistance of the KGB to establish a relationship" between the Soviet apparatus and a firm owned by former Sen. John Tunney (D.-Calif.). KGB recommended that they be permitted to do this because Tunney's firm was already connected with a KGB agent in France named...

As a mark of respect for the memory of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, I hereby order, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset on August 30, 2009.

What a tragedy, Kennedy was the last of his family that could have led America down a road to really helping the poor here and throughout the world. 1. He could have inspired a Horatio Alger type of mentality yet he was gutless and supported a equality of condition mentality. His actions directly contributed to today's stereotype of the poor - Welfare queens living in government housing full of squalor and crime. 2. Coming off the civil rights movement he could have been a real catalyst for Freedom in 3rd world countries especially Africa by holding the left to strict...

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy Boston, Mass., Aug 26, 2009 / 01:01 pm (CNA).- Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) passed away last night at the age of 77 after a battle with brain cancer.  Kennedy, a Catholic, will be remembered for his service to the poor, and dedication to education but also his opposition to pro-life issues.After a long struggle with brain cancer, last night Sen. Kennedy took a turn for the worse while at his home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts.  Surrounded by his family members and a priest, Fr. Patrick Tarrant, he passed away around 11:30 p.m.Fr. Tarrant told...

We expected a right-wing smear campaign against the late Ted Kennedy, but who knew the Republican attack machine could out-Twitter its progressive rivals? The late Ted Kennedy was enjoying a ride at the top of Twitter's trending topics earlier today -- following what we feel ought to be called the #MJbump -- but even this morning it became clear that a backlash was brewing, even in 140-characters-or-less land. That's now become something of an orchestrated movement, as ghoulishly insensitive right-wingers bumped Ted out of the top spot. Well, one ghoulishly-insensitive right-winger, actually. It was Rush Limbaugh, and he helped move...

Link only, per FR copyright and excerpt rules

Boston's two largest talk radio stations have responded to Ted Kennedy's passing by dumping their usual conservative programming and replacing it with local liberal supporters of the late senator. WRKO-AM withheld its standard midmorning and early afternoon lineup of Laura Ingraham and Rush Limbaugh, replacing it with a special show hosted by convicted felon / former House Speaker Tom Finneran, a Democrat best known for circumventing a voter-approved cut in the state income tax. Known as "Tommy Taxes" for that legislative maneuver, Finneran is normally heard in morning drive. A choked-up Finneran told listeners that Kennedy's passing was much more...

remember when Paul Wellstone died and his funeral turned into a rally for Senatorial candidate Walter Mondale. It was surreal and completely inappropriate. Norm Coleman went on to beat Mondale and no doubt the funeral turned rally didn't help Mondale's candidacy. Now, health care reform is in big trouble. Universal health care was always a major legislative goal of Ted Kennedy. I believe death is a time for reflection and rememberance. Nancy Pelosi apparently believes death is a time for pushing legislation.

West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd called today for Congress to change Barack Obama's middle name from Hussein to Fitzgerald.

Democrats Invoke Kennedy's Death in Calling for Health Care ReformWith the push for health care reform hitting a rough patch, Democrats are trying, however delicately, to use Sen. Ted Kennedy's passing as a rallying cry for the legislation, reminding voters that the package idling on Capitol Hill was "the cause" of Kennedy's life. FOXNews.com Wednesday, August 26, 2009 Do it for Teddy.In statements that came steadily streaming out of Capitol Hill Wednesday morning within hours after Sen. Ted Kennedy's death, Democratic lawmakers tried to embed that message in the health care reform debate. With the push for legislation hitting a...

U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy will lie in state at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum tomorrow and Friday followed by a funeral Mass the next day in Boston. The funeral Mass will be held at the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Mission Hill in Roxbury, the church said today. That ceremony will be held on Saturday, Kennedy officials told the Herald today. The church referred all other questions to Kennedy’s senate staff.

Cardinal Mahony calls Kennedy a champion of the powerless August 26, 2009 Cardinal Roger Mahony issued a statement today calling the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) a champion of "the voiceless, the powerless and the most needy of our citizens." Mahony recalled how the two worked together after the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act was introduced in 2007. Kennedy "was keenly aware of the plight of immigrant peoples in our nation and was an advocate for their rights and their full inclusion into the culture and economy of our country." Mahony was one of several prominent California figures to issue...

BOSTON (AP) - Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick said Wednesday he would support changing state law to allow him to appoint an interim successor to Sen. Edward Kennedy's seat while a special election is held. Unlike most states, a successor to a vacant U.S. Senate seat in Massachusetts is chosen by special election, not appointed by the governor. In a recent letter to lawmakers, Kennedy, who died Tuesday night, said the law should be changed to allow the governor to appoint someone to serve in the Senate during the course of the election—provided that person pledge not to run for the...

Spare Me The Beatification of Teddy Kennedy By Adrian Michaels August 26th, 2009 I know it’s August but the television has been wall-to-wall Teddy Kennedy today. And I live in the UK. I can’t imagine how tiring the coverage must be in the States. The death of a longstanding public servant is certainly a moment worth noting. The senator was also, I grant, part of a very famous family. Some in Britain might miss that the Kennedys are as close to royalty as America gets. But Teddy Kennedy is not deserving of these tearful invocations to saintliness. He was a...

We don't celebrate the death of those with whom we disagree (unless they are truly evil like Castro, Che, Kim Jong Il, etc). God rest Ted's soul and prayers for his family. He fought for what he believed as we fight for what we believe. His legacy, however, goes beyond his career in the Senate. He cannot get away from the death of a young woman who could have been saved had he not run away and allowed her to die in an air pocket in six feet of water. From three years ago, here is one of my first...

U.S. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn and Sen. Lindsey Graham are praising the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy as a trusted lawmaker who left a lasting impact on the nation. Both said they look to Kennedy's legacy as an inspiration The South Carolina Republican senator said Wednesday he respected Kennedy's ability to get things done by reaching across the aisle.

A key player in the creation of Medicare in 1965 A major driving force behind the passage of the Immigration Reform Act of 1965 Escaped manslaughter charges for 1969 Chappaquiddick incident In the 1980s, supported the Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign, a Soviet-sponsored initiative that would have frozen the USSR's military superiority in place Secretly contacted the head of the Soviet KGB in 1983, in an effort to undermine the Reagan presidency Described the 2003 U.S. war in Iraq as “a fraud” Favored higher taxes for people in upper income brackets, but took many measures to minimize his own tax liability

Patrick to support change to succession law @ 1:02 pm by Hill Staff Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) further fired up the political chattering class Wednesday morning when he told a local radio station he would approve a plan to appoint an interim successor to the late-Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) until a special election could be held. "Massachusetts needs two voices," Patrick said during an interview with WBUR-FM radio, which was later picked up by The Associated Press. Currently, Massachusetts requires a special election to be held between 145 and 160 days after a Senate seat becomes vacant. The law...

BOSTON (Reuters) - Senator Edward Kennedy's death marks the twilight of one of America's most fabled political families, with no heirs to the Kennedy name poised to emerge with the same mix of gravitas, ambition and celebrity. Kennedy, 77, one of the most effective lawmakers in U.S. history and the brother of assassinated President John F. Kennedy, died late on Tuesday after battling brain cancer.

Arizona Sen. John McCain called Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy "the last lion of the Senate" Wednesday as he remembered the liberal Democrat who was on the opposite side from McCain on most issues. "He was a formidable opponent, valuable ally and a dear friend," McCain said of the Massachusetts Democrat who died Tuesday night of brain cancer at age 77.