By Nathan Duke
The death of U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) reverberated through Queens and the rest of the city as elected officials paid homage to the 77-year-old “Lion of the Senate” after he lost an ongoing battle with brain cancer.
Kennedy, who had served as a senator for Massachusetts since 1962, was born in 1932 into the wealthy Kennedy family that would go on to become a political dynasty. His brother, John F. Kennedy, became the nation’s first Catholic president in 1961, while a second brother, Robert Kennedy, became a U.S. senator from New York after having served as U.S. attorney general under JFK.
“Ted Kennedy was a mentor, a guiding light and a close friend,” U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said. “[He] was our sun — the center of our universe. To be pulled by his strong gravitational field, to bask in his warmth was a privilege, an honor and for many of us even a life-changing experience.”
Edward Kennedy, who died Aug. 25 at his home in Hyannis Port, Mass., was chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and as a senator wrote more than 300 bills that became law. Nicknamed the “Lion of the Senate” for his influence and long tenure, Kennedy championed civil rights, health care, voting rights, education and labor issues.
Elected officials representing Queens said they were influenced by Kennedy.
“Ted Kennedy epitomized the courage, unwavering resolve and commitment to justice that is the hallmark of our nation,” state Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-St. Albans) said. “[He] represented the greater ideals of fairness that have made our country a beacon of hope the world over.”
U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Bayside) said Kennedy often fought for “righteous causes.”
“He lent his powerful voice to those in our nation who needed it the most,” he said. “Not only have we lost one of the great icons of American politics, but we have also lost a man who dedicated his life to being a champion of the American people.”
U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) said the senator would also reach across the aisle to colleagues with whom he differed ideologically.
“[He] approached every issue he championed with a fiery passion and a cool rationality — always extending an open hand to those who he did not see eye to eye with and working hard to find common ground,” he said.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Kennedy was a critical ally in improving care and treatment for responders to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
“I will remember Sen. Kennedy as a gracious and generous man, a man with a big heart and a ready laugh, a man who endured terrible family tragedy and who guided his loved ones — and the whole country — through some of our darkest days,” the mayor said.
President Barack Obama, who received strong support from Kennedy in his campaign for the Democratic nomination for president last year, said although Kennedy was often the target of partisan campaign attacks due to his liberal causes, he commanded respect from the entire Senate body.
“For his family, he was a guardian,” Obama said. “For America, he was the defender of a dream. [He] became not only one of the greatest senators of our time, but one of the most accomplished Americans ever to serve our democracy.”
Reach reporter Nathan Duke by e-mail at nduke@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 156.
