>> he even said that some of the last times we heard him publicly speak, you may also remember

despite the fact that he was suffering with this brain tumor. >> the portuguese water dog on the white house. they wanted a dog. it was his love that introduced to the obamas to that. he was able to throw out the first pitch to his beloved red sox and he was able to make it a standing ovation to come to the senate. >> he lived life right up to the end. we saw recent pictures of him going out for a day sail there close to the family compound in hyannis port. john king, host of the state of the union is the native son of massachusetts. he joins us this morning. let me ask for your thoughts as the sun comes up on this day, the first day in a long time, without senator edward kennedy. >> john, kiran, good morning. watching the pictures at the compound, a tragic morning at

the kennedy compound. to see in the distance the waters off of hyannis port, that kennedy loved so much. so shaped the family after so many years. that's where the family has come together after too many tragedies. the death of his brother in world war ii, assassinations of john kennedy then robert kennedy. family triumphs, weddings and birthday celebrations. pictures of the young brothers playing football. the young jack, bobby, and teddy. and this is the kennedy we did see get old for the past 41 years since his brother, bobby, was gunned down. he was the tormg bearer of that family. in that role, he has a remarkable record of legislative achievement that even his most conservative colleagues pay a tribute too.

so as he passes today, people will look back on his record, the voting rights acts of the '60s, medicare legislation of the '60s. the change to add the prescription drug benefits under the bush administration. bipartisan compromise became the trademark of a man who is a principled liberal. that's the legacy in washington as we await the details from the kennedy family, i can tell you this -- we know in the final months his wife, vicki, laid out a detailed plan for how she wants him to be remembered and puts him to rest. the family will get those plans today, john and kiran. if anyone changed his life in later years when many of us were too stubborn to be changed, it was the marriage to vicki in 1992. since that tran formation in his life until the end when the brain cancer took him away, he was engaged, had a sense of humor again.

a bounce in his step. he last demonstrated it in a campaign way helping president obama become president of the united states. >> want to talk about the pieces of legislation through the decades he helped to shepherd through the senate and bring to open passage. once he called it his life mission and work was to get universal health care. he strongly felt, whether you agree with him or not, that it was the right, not the privilege of every single american to have health care. where does this debate go now? where might he stood as he watched things get divisive in the august recess throughout the town hall meeting and in the chambers of congress. many people fighting over just what any type of health care reform would ultimately look like? >> such a great question, kiran. a sad irony that the thing he most cared about is debated on the floor. he was absent from the debate. he's passed from the debate. the question is this -- will the loss of his vote in the senate

in the short term further complicate a process for the president of the united states right now that is off the tracks. an internal democratic problem at the moment. even though there continue to be some efforts to get republicans onboard. had ted kennedy been there, what might he been able to do? might he be able to broker the profound disagreements between the conservative democrats in the senate, that are skeptical of the so-called public opposition and the liberal house of representatives that says it will not pass a health care reform bill that does not have a public option? could he have brokered, as he has in the big fights in the past, the differences in the democratic family on the issue which he has such standing in the party. we will not get the answer to that. speaker pelosi noted, will his passing be an impetus for the democrats to work out the difference in the country, perhaps, work out the questions and disagreements with the diplomatic approach. and will his passing of some momentum coming to the health

care debate. that will be the defining lesson in washington, a week, ten days from now after you see in 72 hours. the life and legacy of ted kennedy. >> john king joining us this morning. thanks so much. stay with us. we're getting all sorts of statements of remembrance here this morning here in the united states, around the world, and now from the commonwealth of massachusetts. governor duval patrick issued a statement on the passing of senator kennedy. one of the brightest lights went out. he was a compassioned visionary statesman, family man and friend. we pray for comfort for his beloved wife and partner, vicki, and his entire family. governor patrick is now in the middle of discussions as to whether or not the laws in massachusetts should be allowed

for an interim appointment before the special election takes place. senator kennedy was involve in these discussions. >> senator kennedy said please, get a temporary person in there. two representatives from massachusetts in the senate. so john king pointed out, strom thurman was not present right now -- or is it robert byrd. >> strom thurman passed away sometime ago. >> passed away. here in the united states that his leg sill is being felt and people are sending their condolences and remembrances. we're hearing from the chancellor of germany, angela merkel as well. she wrote, dear mr. president, it's with great sorrow that i've been informed of the death of senator edward kennedy. express my condolences to you, the american people, and the family of the deceased. she noted he was a towering figure in u.s. politics, battling for justice and equality and defined by

consistency and resolutend. germany and europe have lost a great and dear friend. the chance lllor of germany. >> we're hearing from the president. dan, what's the word from the white house and the president? >> the president paid tribute to senator ted kennedy, someone he relied on as a senator candidate and as a president. he said i value his life in the senate. regardless of the events, he always had time for new colleagues. i cherish hd confidence for the president and he -- profited as president of encouragement and wisdom. he goes on to say an important chapter of our history has come to an end. our country has lost a great leader, picked up the torch of his fallen brothers and became the greatest united states senator of all time, john. you know the president relied

heavy on senator kennedy during the campaign at a time that many people felt senator kennedy would endorse hillary clinton who had the support of the democratic party, the big money. he made the surprise endorsement of barack obama, a pivotal point that led to his presidency. take a listen to the remarks he made on that day when he made the endorsement back in january of 2008. >> he is tough-minded. but he also has an uncommon capacity to appeal to the better angels of our nature. i'm proud to stand with him here today and offer my help, offer my voice, offer my energy, my commitment to make barack obama the next president of the united states. >> the president winding up his statement by saying and the kennedy has lost their patriarch, a tower of strength and support through good times

and bad. our hearts and prayers go out today to the wonderful wife, vicki, patrick, his grandchildren and extended family. a difficult day for americans in particular for barack obama who hailed ted kennedy as a friend and advisor for quite sometime and during the time he was trying to push for health care reform, kennedy was behind the scenes giving advice. >> certainly a sad moment in america this morning. dan lothian, obviously, a big void as well in the president's push for health care reform, a void that won't be filled anytime soon. >> absolutely not. coming up, speaking with some of his colleagues as well, including bob graham and others. we're going to check in once again with the former mayor of boston and many other people who knew senator kennedy who knew the politician, but also the man. >> also in that moment, one year to the date he died, it was august 25, 200 when he appeared at the democratic national

convention. this is after he'd had brain surgery, undergoing chemotherapy as well. he made that triumphant appearance in denver at the democratic national convention. that moment from history coming up for you in a couple of minutes. it's 12 minutes after the hour. another kennedy has thrown his hat in the national political arena. edouard m. officially announces his campaign for the massachusetts senate seat once held by his brother and the president. he'll face mccormack jr., brother of the speaker of the house in the democratic primary.

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welcome. there is a live look this morning on this american morning. it's 14 minutes past 6:00 there in hyannisport, massachusetts at the kennedy compound at the police presence there. we saw a coroner's van leave 30, 45 minutes ago as well. we got the news late last night that senator edouard kennedy lost his valiant fight with brain cancer passing away at the age of 77. >> live look at the capitol building now where the flag is lowered to half staff in memory of senator kennedy, dead at the age of 77 after a long fight with brain cancer. you know, it was may of 2008 when he was diagnosed with the cancer. he had surgery on it in june. chemotherapy treatment after that. and the democratic national convention was quickly approaching. he had really wanted to be there because of his support for senator barack obama trying to make him become president. the time, the week he was

accepting the nomination from senator kennedy was a culmination of a dream. he was one of the major sponsors of legislation, 1964, civil rights act, the voting rights act, the next year. he wanted to be there. there was a buzz that went through denver that week that maybe he was going to make an appearance. he was well enough to do it maybe. it was the night of august 25, 2008. we heard he was in the building. and there was speculation as to whether or not he was well enough to appear on stage. and he came out and put all of those doubts to rest. take a look at that moment in history. my fellow democrats -- my fellow americans. it is so wonderful to be here. and nothing -- nothing is going to keep me away from this special gathering tonight.

i have come here tonight to stand with you, to change america, to restore its future, to rise to our best ideals. and to elect barack obama president of the united states. as i look ahead, i'm strengthened by family and friendship. so many of you have been with me in the happiest days and the hardest days. together, we have known success and seen setbacks, victory and

defeat. but we have never lost our belief that we are all called to a better country. and a newer world. and i pledge to you -- i pledge to you, that i will be there next january on the floor of the united states senate as we begin the great -- >> teddy! teddy! teddy! >> thank you very much. thank you. for me, this is a season of

hope. new hope for a justice and fair prosperity for the many and not just for the few -- new hope. and this is the cause of my life -- new hope. that we will break the old grid lock and guarantee that every american, north, south, east, west, young, old, will have decent quality health care as a fundamental right and not a privilege. we can meet these challenges with barack obama. and yes, we can. and finally, yes, we will.

barack obama will close the book on the old politics of race, agenda, and group against group and straight against gay. and barack obama will be a commander in chief who understands that young americans in uniform must never be committed to a mistake, but always to a mission worthy of their bravery. we are told that barack obama

believes too much in an america of high potential and bold endeav endeavor. when john kennedy thought of going to the moon, he didn't say -- it's too far to get there. we shouldn't even try. our people answered his call and rose to the challenge and today an american flag still marks the surface of the moon. yes, we are all americans. this is what we do. we reach the moon. we scale the heights. i know it. i've seen it. i've lived it. and we can do it again.

there is a new wave of change all around us. and if we set our compass through, we will reach our destination. not merely victory for our party, but renewal for our nation. and this november, the torch will be passed again to a new generation of americans. so with barack obama and for you and for me, our country will be committed to his cause. the work begins anew. the hope rises again. and the dream lives on. >> there were tears in the audience. people were cheering, people were crying.

he choked up a few times. it was remarkable. we heard about the surgery, the prognosis, the recovery, the chemo. he looked so strong and vibrant when he made the speech. >> that was the thing. i was there that night. we were wondering what he was going to look like. was he going to come out? going to be frail? he was so vigorous and forceful given everything he had gone through how well he did. >> forgot for a moment he was suffering from terminal brain cancer. >> you have to remind yourself he was very, very ill. bob graham from the great state of florida, they spent 18 years together, worked on a lot of legislation. senator graham joins us from miami lake, florida. it's good to have you with us. let me ask you where your thoughts are going this morning? >> i'm sad for the family. particularly for vicki. they shared almost a classic love story the last years of their life. america has lost a great symbol and a great leader.

the senate has been denied probably the most effective senator certainly in the last 50 years. >> and how will you remember him, senator? >> well, i'll remember among other things the gap between the perception that i and many people had of ted kennedy and the '60s and the '70s and the reality of the man that i came to know in the next 18 years. there were some who thought he'd gotten the position because of his name and his brothers. they associated him with being more of a playboy than a serious politician. he was exactly the opposite. he was extremely conscientious. he was always well prepared. he surrounded himself with probably the best staff in the senate. he was focused all along. the sad irony that the dream that he held most was universal health care and that he should

leave almost at the time that that seechls to be closer to reality than it has been in any time in his life. and in particular bitter part of his passing today. >> you know, one of his former aides, paul kirk, said without question senator kennedy was the most accomplished and effective lemgs l legislator for economic and social equality in our country. one of the things he was most passionate about and he talked about in his later years was the health care situation. he believed they should cover everybody. that was a right, not a privilege. you move forward -- you're watching all of this now and your former colleagues debate this. there were serious questions of whether or not a universal health care bill will make it through congress. how do you think he would view this fight and where do you think this fight is going to go forward? >> i think that life and now the

death of ted kennedy will be elements in the next few weeks of the debate on this subject. the fact that he kept it as such a center piece of american politics an unrealized dream will sifrmg his passage. the force of his own voice and intellect and his ability to find the point of consensus is going to be denied to the american people and to the president obama. that's a sadness. one of the characteristics of ted kennedy, kiran, is while he came from the family of affluence and influence and high notoriety, he never lost the common touch or never lost the genuine concern for the people

who had been left behind in our society. and he felt that one of the important roles of government was to make us one people, united behind some basic principles of common decency as opposed to being separated by our own particular social or economic class. >> very interesting. and, as i said, the former aide called him one of the most thoughtful and genuinely considerate friends i've known. and you've echoed some of the endments this morning as well. bob graham, thanks for joining us on your thoughts of senator kennedy. >> take a break. when we return, we'll talk to donna brazil about the life and legacy of senator ted kennedy. stay with us. there's a story ted kennedy sometimes tells. it's about a boy who sees an old man tossing star fish stranded by a receding tide back into the

sea. there are so many, asked the boy. what difference can your efforts possibly make? the old man studies the star fish in his hand and tosses it to safety saying -- it makes a difference to that one. for nearly half a century, ted kennedy has been walking that beach, making a difference for that soldier fighting for freedom, that refugee looking for a way home, that senior searching for dignity, that worker striving for opportunity, that student aspiring to college, that family reaching for the american dream. the life of senator edouard m. kennedy has made a difference for us all. sir, have you been drinking tonight? if you ride drunk, you will get caught... and you will get arrested. gathering dust, as pollen floats through the air. but with the strength of zyrtec ® , the fastest, 24-hour allergy relief,

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we're at half past the hour now. if you're just joining us, we're updating you on our breaking news this morning. senator ted kennedy has passed away at the age of 77 after a 15-month battle with brain cancer. he was diagnosed with a malignant glioma in 2008. had surgery, chemotherapy as well. he has been keeping his hand in the debate on health care reform right up to the end, asking the governor of massachusetts and the senate president to consider a change in the law that would allow a very, very quick deployment to his seat when it became vacant knowing that he probably had only days to live. and late last night, early this morning, we've learned that senator ted kennedy passed away at the age of 77. >> his family released a statement saying we lost the irreplaceable center of our

family, a joyous light in our lives, the inspiration of his face, optimism, and perseverance will live in our hearts together. he went on to say he always believed our best days were still ahead but hard to imagine any of them without him. you can see the sun coming up in hyannis port, a glorious shot of the water and in the background and the home marked by sandness because of the passing of him. a long-time kennedy staffer who didn't want to be named because of the sensitivity of the moment told t"the boston globe" that h died the way he lived. the last few weeks of his life, fully in the moment with incredible courage. he knew exactly what was going on. he wasn't afraid. and given everything he'd been through was optimistic and knew that the country's best days were ahead. >> he lived life all the way up to the very end. he loved the water so much. he was going out sailing and he was working the telephones in the health care debate trying up to the end to remain the effective senator that he was

for 47 years on capitol hill. also on downtown boston this morning, a live picture of the kennedy library. it's expected that people will be arriving there to pay their respects to the kennedy legacy. this, of course, marks not just the death of a senator, but the end of an era. a little bit of tape to show you. this happened shortly after 5:00 this morning outside of the kennedy compound in hyannis port. the coroner's van leaving. do not know if the van was carrying the remains of senator kennedy or not. that was the picture that came to us at 5:00 in the morning. another picture that came to me a little while ago, if i can share a personal e-mail with you was this one. this was senator kennedy at the inauguration of president barack obama january 20 of this year. it came with the caption -- drum major for justice. the person who sent me that e-mail is democratic strategist and contributor donna brazille

who joins us from seattle. good to have you with us. let me ask you your thoughts on the passing of senator ted kennedy? >> well, john, i'm very sad. he was a drum major for justice, a champion for the poor and the downtrodden. and on this day, the 89th anniversary of women's suffrage, ted kennedy will be remembered as a fighter for women's rights and civil rights for equality and all. he never waivered in his pursuit of justice and those who lacked the voice. and i want to thank ted kennedy for having an open door, especially for those who wanted to come in and talk about equality, freedom, justice. he was the senator that always reached out. he encouraged young people no matter their political affiliation to get involved in political life. i will remember him personally perhaps at the presidential

inaugural when i last saw senator kennedy. i was with my sister, lisa, a katrina survivor. she shouted out, ted kennedy, ted kennedy. he was in a motor scooter with his wife, vicki, who's a louisiananative. she said thank you for standing up for us in louisiana. he gave her a hug. i'm sure she'll want that picture. and he went on to talk about the enormous day we were about to take in to witness the inauguration of the first black president. and he reminded me that bobby kennedy, his brother, had once foretold the story that america would indeed elect a first black president. so i will remember ted kennedy for his tenacity, his strength, and as someone who just fought for poor people, the right to organize, disabled, for gays and

lesbians. he was an american hero. >> thanks for being with us early. early for you in seattle -- either that or late. one or the other. it's interesting when the picture is painted of those who knew him. the unapologetic embrace of liberalism that made him a big political target. also they say even though he held those beliefs and made no attempt to hide them in any ways, he found ways to collaborate with people on the surface he couldn't be more different from -- whether it be john mccain or president bush on no child left behind. it was the ninth child talent. finding ways to have patience and bring people together. but if you look at his legacy, how rare is it to find a politician who is -- i'm sorry, i'm hearing a little bit of feed through there. are you able to hear me, donna? >> he didn't just offer legislation and push to pass it,

he reached out across the aisles to find bipartisan support. he was an icon. and i don't -- i can't think of no other senator living or dead that played such a large role in the life of most of the citizens of this great country. when i think of all of the legislation, the voting rights, i heard others talked about this morning, the family medical leave act, americans with disabilities act. ted kennedy's signature is all over those pieces of legislation. but the passage to make dr. king day a national holiday. he was out there championing for right. he was always willing to stand up for what was right, just, and what was good for the country. >> donna, it's john. how do you think his passing will affect the debate over

health care and the push to help the democratic party to try to get some sort of legislation passed? 40 years ago, he was pushing for universal health care. i was looking at the clippings from the convention last year where he rallied and the party and the country once again to make the task of universal health care a null ber one prioriprio number one priority. this will help to redouble the efforts of those who would truly like to see some major reform of our health insurance system in this country. and i hope that when congress returns to work in a couple of weeks, he'll not only remember ted kennedy but remember what he fought for. this would have been a fight that he would lead to the bitter end. >> obviously, it's impossible to

replace a person like ted kennedy. but looking forward, what do you think his lasting impact on the senate and on politics in america is going to be? >> john, i mentioned, he -- ted kennedy has a large political franchise. he was a liberal icon, a liberal giant. many of the issues that ted kennedy championed -- they were issued that involved americans from all walks of life. and i think that members of the senate will regroup and continue to fight for those -- the causes of ted kennedy's health care, immigration reform, climate change. ted kennedy would have been involved in that -- he would have led the battle as well on education. so i would hope that the senate will come back to congress, will come back and look past all of the differences we have as americans. but look at what we share together, the values.

and those values that ted kennedy fought for. freedom, for justice, for equality, for opportunity, for all citizens. >> and you've been watching and taking part in politics for quite a long time. do you think it's the end of the kennedy political dynasty? >> absolutely not. the kennedy family is very large. a wonderful family. his son, patrick, of course. he had nieces and nephews. and i'm sure his grandchildren will likely continue the torch. the dream will never die. >> donna brazile. great to get your thoughts and insights this morning. thanks for joining us. >> thank you. >> good to have you with us this morning. so many people who are remembering senator kennedy today for -- regardless of your political stripes. just so well respected. you can agree with him. you can disagree with him. you can mildly disagree with him.

you can vehemently disagree with him. most everyone on capitol hill had a tremendous amount of respect for senator kennedy. >> he talked about him being one of the senators. you showed the picture of inauguration day. >> bring that back up again. this is something that donna sent us this morning. >> there he is looking vibrant. john and i were both there. we had been there since the wee hours of the morning. was that not one of the coldest days you had been to. freezing outside, cold, and as you know, the security was enormous, it was a long line getting in. and i still remember people were watching on monitors anywhere they could in parts of washington, d.c. -- not everybody could get obviously directly where it was. and there were people watching at the amtrak station. they saw the shot of rousing cheers, even inside the station, a lot of people were thrilled he could make it there. >> he wanted to be there. and unfortunately, he didn't last the entire day. because, remember, during the luncheon that takes place after the inauguration, he suffered a

seizure and had to be taken out of the capitol by ambulance. doctors said he was probably just exhausted and that's the reason he had that. he at the very least got to see barack obama inaugurated at the 44th president of the united states. that was a big dream for him. >> absolutely. >> 42 minutes past the hour. a quick break. much more coverage of the unfortunate and sad passing of senator ted kennedy. we eerl going we're going to check in with sanjay gupta when we come back. a neurosurgeon. he's at a conference now in dubl dublin, ireland. he'll talk about a possible cure some day. 42 minutes past the hour. >> this is the cause of my life, new hope. that we will break the old grid lock and guarantee that every american north, south, east, west, young, old, will have decent quality health care as a

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this is cnn breaking news. good morning. we are covering the passing of senator edward kennedy. 47 years in the senate. died last night at the age of 77. there's the flag outside of the capitol building at half staff this morning in remembrance. in a statement coming from senator john kerry who now becomes the senior senator from the state of massachusetts said, quote, we have known for sometime this day was coming. nothing makes it easier. we've lost a great day p light in our lives and politics. nothing will be the same again.

ted kennedy is an extraordinary force, for the issues he cared about but more importantly the humanity and caring of the politics. no words can do justice to this irrepressible larger than life presence who was the best -- the best senator, the best advocate you could hope for, the best colleague and the best person to stand by your side in the toughest of time. and from the capitol building to a live picture in hyannis port, massachusetts outside of the kennedy compound, not a lot of movement out there. there hasn't been overnight. the only thing we've seen is the coroner's van coming out after 5:00 in the morning. no word on whether or not that van was carrying the remains of senator kennedy. that really is all we've seen. we hope to see more there from hyannis port this morning. perhaps a spokesperson for the kennedy family will come out and talk to us. we'll monitor the situation there all morning. >> a family in mourning there this morning. they released a statement talking about the passing of senator kennedy calling him the

irreplaceable center of our family, joyous light of our life. they went on to say that his perseverance would live on in their hearts forever. ted kennedy lived with this cancer a lot longer than expected. may of last year he got the news, suffered a seizure, he was taken to the hospital and they discovered this brain tumor. now the time line with the battle with brain cancer from the first diagnosis through his surgery and setbacks. dr. sanjay gupta has that part of the story. >> reporter: senator ted kennedy learned his diagnosis in may of 2008, a brain tumor called a malignant glioma. it strikes about 10,000 americans a year. it's a cancer with a survival rate often measured in months, not years. june 2, 2008, the senator travelled to duke university medical center where he underwent brain surgery. he was awake in the operation.

afterwards, the statement was read on the senate floor. >> i'm pleased to report that the surgery was successful and accomplished our goals. >> he returned for recuperation near the water he loved. kennedy returned to the capitol in july receiving a standing ovation before forecasting a decisive vote on stalled health care legislation. >> what did your doctors say to you about wanting to go down there. >> another story for another time. >> reporter: the senator emerged a month later in his words, defying his illness to deliver a speech on to the democratic national convention. >> nothing is going to keep me away from this special gathering tonight. i feel well. once in a while, i get a little tired. but we're doing well. >> reporter: kennedy was in the midst of what he later described as many rounds of chemotherapy.

january 20, 2009, the senator suffered a seizure in his postinauguration lunch honoring president barack obama. >> i went down to where he was taken and with him up until the time they put him in the ambulance. he apparently -- i'm not a doctor. i hate to characterize it. but it looked like a seizure. it was painful to him. >> doing well. >> reporter: kennedy was back at work less than three weeks later, long enough to cast a single vote on the economic stimulus bill. and arrived to a standing ovation in march at the president's summit on health care reform, which kennedy called the cause of my life. ♪ happy birthday to you >> days later, a 77th birthday party at the kennedy center. in april of this year, almost a year after his diagnosis, kennedy threw the ceremonial first pitch at the boston red

sox seasonal opener against tampa bay? senator ted kennedy marked the anniversary of his diagnosis out of the public eye. >> edward m. kennedy. >> august 12, president obama awarded him the medal of freedom, the highest honor a civilian could receive in u.s. government. the senator could not attend because of his health. kennedy's daughter accepted his award on his behalf. dr. sanjay gupta, cnn, reporting. sanjay gupta with us with a little timeline. coincidentally enough is at a cancer summit that's taking place now in dublin, ireland. they're looking to find ways, sanjay to maybe extend the life past 14, 16 months for people who have this malignant glioma. talk about the challenges of treating and surviving this disease. >> you're absolutely right, first of all, kiran. i've been here all morning.

since quite early this morning. as you might imagine, kiran, this has been the topic of discussion, ted kennedy and his influence, certainly on the global cancer community. this is a diffuse disease. you think of brain cancer, you think of it as one disease. but it's the type of tumor that senator kennedy had, you really have to think of it as several different tumors all wrapped up in to one. that's important because when you're treating it, you know, no particular therapy sort of works against all those separate diseases. and that -- that in part is why it's so hard to treat, kiran. you know as you've been talking about all morning, he had an operation after his diagnosis back in may of last year. and then he had radiation therapy and he had chemotherapy. that operation was done while he was awake because his tumor was so close to some of the areas and his brain that was

responsible for speech and strength. that suggests that they removed as much of the tumor as they could but probably not all of it. when you have some of the tumor remaining, it can start to grow again. that's likely what happened. the 14-month survival number as you've been talking about is an abysmal number that has not changed a lot in the last several years in terms of overall survival rates. so this is something that the medical community is working on. i'm here at the global cancer summit. 65 countries are represented. for the last several days this, is one of the things they've been talking about more than anything else. >> in terms, sanjay, what the medical community is doing to try to pursue longer life, better treatments. where was the therapy going? >> you know, it's interesting, john. i think you look at ways to make the existing therapies better. so, for example, radiation therm make it more targeted. chemotherapy, make it more personalized. what i've been gathering talking

to scientists here is the idea of vaccinations, somehow you can teach the body the system to fight off the tumor is an area of great interest. also the idea that you'll have more targeted therapy, that this sort of target -- these cancer cells alone and touch nothing else in the brain is -- is also very interesting. one of the things that i think people have been excited about, although we're not there yet, is that you might be able to identify a handful of genes that somehow, for some reason, have a glitch in them. they turn on a production of these cells and they don't have an off switch, so to speak. if you can figure out in some way how to sort of flip the switch for -- it's a little bit simplistic. but it's a good way of describing it. that would be a very effective therapy. these things haven't happened yet. and as a neurosurgeon, it's frustrating. because when someone is -- gets a diagnosis of a malignant

glioma, we haven't really moved the dial much overall in terms of survival rates on average. >> i'm sure it's frustrating, sanjay, cancers like the ma league nab glioma. the mortality rating continues to be high. dr. sanjay gupta at the live strong cancer suck mitt in dublin, iowa. appreciate it. >> they talked about putting the treatment in a tiny cell, have it directly targeted in the bloodstream where that cancer is. that's a fascinating field of research in cancer. >> so many avenues of exploration out there. it takes a lot of money to do it, though. and you know, so many promising therapies that you can explore. you do them in animal models, they maybe work well in mice but not necessarily in humans. so medical science is trying, but as sanjay said, it's been

frustratingly slow. if you're just joining us, we're coming up on five minutes before the hour. the latest -- the news broke in the early morning hours that edward kennedy lost his battle with brain cancer dying at the age of 77. take a quick break here on a special edition of "american morning." when we come back, a whole host of reporters who covered for years edward kennedy. dana bash, some of the friends from boston, massachusetts, and several places around the country. >> interest centers and edward ted kennedy, the third brother to achieve success in the political arena. new congress will face a tax cut, medicare, a federal aid and a subsidy to aid suburban communities. down to business for the new congress.

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good morning. 7:00, eastern time. our coverage this morning on senator ted kennedy. died this morning of brain cancer. >> 1989 to 2009. many of them had to go in another print because it was in the early, early morning hours that the news of his passing came out. we have reporters spanned out across the nation today, especially in massachusetts where kennedy hails from.

a look at hyannis port where the kennedy compound is and loved ones are behind door this is morning. >> this is a shot we've seen so many times in the past and it's typically associated with tragedy, john kennedy jr., so many other kennedys. the media flocks to the compound in hyannis port again today. the reality ted kennedy has passed away. >> his family released a statement talking about how much they will miss him. they lost the irreplaceable center of our family and the joyous light in our lives. the other people mourning him -- his colleagues in the senate where he's being described as the liberal lion of the senate, a place he spent 47 years making major inroads on some of the legislation that was nearest and dearest to his heart, passing everything from the voting rights act to the civil rights act to the americans with disabilities, the family medical leave act, health insurance as we know something extremely important to him, 1997 was the

passage of the children's health insurance program, something we know as schips. the picture of the flag, the beautiful sun in the background bouncing off of the capitol, the flag's at half staff to remember edward kennedy this morning. >> the native son of massachusetts, knows senator kennedy well. knows a lot about his life and what will be his legacy. john joins us this morning. john, could we ask you where your thoughts are going in the passing of senator kennedy this morning? >> well, you just mentioned, john, kiran, 47 years. think about that. 47 years. his career spans ten presidencies. beginning with his brother's presidency. he came to the senate replacing his brother jack when john f. kennedy became president of the united states. he was there for the johnson administration. all the way through the nixon administration and watergate and general ford. he challenged jimmy carter, the sitting democratic president in the 1980 democratic primaries. civil rights, voting rights, abortion rights, gay rights,

vietnam, the fall of the berlin and the cold war, health care, education. pick an issue the country has dealt with in the last half century and ted kennedy has been in the thick of it. it's a sad irony he passes at a time on the issue he cared most about, health care reform, is front and senter in the united states congress, front and center in president agenda and in trouble. what the president needs is a legislator to help him out of a mess, a mess in his own party. he had a history of stepping up at moments like this and finding a way to compromise. interesting, a year ago, august 25 of 2008, shortly after that diagnosis as we know and the treatment he went through for brain cancer that he appeared at the dnc strong. he looked happy, strong, and just -- you could see it. he was thrilled. he stepped out there and endorsed barack obama. and all of the buzz created from that back in january of that

year. he sort of got to see it through to fruition he was behind a keptdy he truly believe in getting the democratic nomination and possibly becoming one step closer to becoming the african-american president. so many said how did he find the energy? how did he come to the health care summit? if you knew that kennedy. he dealt with so much, the deaths of his brothers. family tragedies. it sounded like it was cliche but he would live to the last day, fight for the last day. the tenacity he showed throughout his political career, you knew in moments like that if there was anyway you could get there, he would get there. that's how you knew how much in

decline he was in recent weeks when the health care debate was collapsing and washington was having so much trouble that senator kennedy could not come back to washington to help nor deliver any kind of a public statement. told you about the decline in his condition. a sad chapter played out overnight in hyannis port. >> it was frustrating for him too, john. because several times in the past year he had been told by his doctors, his wife, we think you're too weak to go. you must get the courage and the strength to get down there. tell a dying person you can't do anything. john king for us this morning. john, thanks so much. to martha's vineyard where our dan lothian, white house correspondent is. he's got reaction from the white house. good morning, dan. >> good morning. we know the president found out about the passing of senator kennedy at 2:00 this morning. this is according to the white house deputy spokesman. 25 minutes later, the president then called mrs. kennedy. this is a dark day for president obama. but he will be stepping before

the cameras in the next couple of hours or so to make a public statement. but earlier this morning, he did release a paper statement, and he said, i'll read it -- michelle and i were heart broken to learn this morning of the death of our dear friend senator ted kennedy. for five decades, virtually every piece of legislation to advance the civil rights, health, and economic well being of the american people bore his name and resulted from his efforts. i valued his wise counsel in the senate, regardless of the swirl of events, he always had time for a new colleague. i cherished his confidence and momentous suspect and in my race for the presidency. even as he waged a valiant struggle with a mortal illness, i profited from his encouragement and wisdom. an important chapter in our history has come to an end. our country lost a great leader who picked up the torch of his fallen brothers and became the greatest united states senator of all time. and the president ended the remarks saying the kennedy

family has lost their patriarch, a tower of support through good times and bad. thoughts and prayers go out to them today. wife vicki, his grand chirp, and extended family. this coming from president obama this morning. and, again, in the next couple of hours, we should hear from president obama in person, john. >> dan lothian for us. thank you so much. we'll be checking in with you again. you're following the president. maybe you'll hear more. we're set to hear from one of his advisors, david axle rod coming up a little later coming in in the next hour. back to hyannis port. deb feyrick drove throughout the night. i can only imagine the morning at the compound. all we have is the statement released from the family announcing the death of senator kennedy in the early hours of the morning, deb. absolutely, kiran. the death was expected. still a lot of sadness. the family releasing a statement at 1:20 this morning saying we lost the irreplaceable center of

our family and joyous light of our life. inspiration and optimism and perseverance will live in our hearts forever. at the same time the statement was released, a van entered the compound. ooiter from the medical director's office or from the funeral home. his family was with him. they have been with them. wife, three children from the first marriage, patrick, edward, and kara ann. they were guarding the compound. senator kennedy appeared to be in good spirits. he was in and out a little bit. he did not go sailing in the last couple of days. weather may have been a big factor in that. he was a big sailor. with senator gone, the only remaining kennedy of the nine kennedy children is gene kennedy smith, eunice kennedy shriver died recently. to give you a sense of how important he is not just

nationally but locally, this is what "the boston globe" looks like. a full headline, a headline announcing he passed. one of the few papers we went to had released this with such prominence. again, a lot of people in this community where the kennedies are known and known so well because they were the vital part mourning the loss of a man they consider a neighbor and great politician. >> it's interesting to hold up that paper. they had a thorough one this morning. we did not only what he did politically but in terms of public policy, but just the individual he was for better or for worse. and some of the more memorable parts of his life as they point out even though he knew that he was dying, one of his long-time staffers quote in the article said he died the way he lived, fully in the moment with incredible courage and knowing exactly what was going on. and we saw that when he threw out the first pitch of the red sox game when he gave the first family, bo, the portuguese water

dog he loved for himself. even though he was fighting the terminal illness, he was determined to live life. >> absolutely. i remember i was up here also when it was first announced he did have brain cancer. one of the first images of him after he left hospital after surgery was him back on his boat. there wasn't a sense of vitality, but life has tragedy and life goes on. he really was the center of this family. so they're going to come to terms with that loss now. but, again, he gave them a lot to remember and a lot to carry on. >> outside of the kennedy compound in hyannis port this morning. check in with you throughout the morning. thank you, deb. of course, one of the famous moments in senator ted kennedy's life was the democratic national convention in new york city when he was challenging jimmy carter for the nomination of the democratic party. he gave a speech to this day remains one of his signatures. we want to play a little bit of

that for you. a little moment in history. august 12, 1980, new york city, the democratic national convention. i congratulate president carter on his victory here. i am -- i am confident that the democratic party will reunite on the basis of democratic principles and that together we will march towards a democratic victory in 1980.

and some day, long after this convention, long after the signs come down and the crowds stop cheering and the bands stop playing, may it be said of our campaign that we kept the faith -- may it be said of our party in 1980 that we found our faith again. and may it be said of us, both in dark passages and in bright days -- in the words that my brothers quoted and loved, and that has special meaning for me now -- i am a part of all that i have met. too much has taken, much abides. that which we are, we are. one equal temper of heroic hearts. strong and will to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield. 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. >> 1980 memories of senator ted kennedy at the democratic national convention when he conceded the nomination to president carter and carter went on to lose to ronald reagan. the former mayor of boston, also the former u.s. ambassador to the vatican. he joins us now. and ambassador flynn, what are your thoughts this morning on the passing of senator kennedy? >> i'm very interested in hearing the various comments from prominent people throughout the united states, throughout the world about senator kennedy. you know, i'm reminded of this famous day back in 1960 when i was listening to the radio after watching jack kennedy at the boston garden the night before

the election when he became the first catholic to be elected president of the united states. a momentous evening for all of us. we felt overwhelmed. people felt that same way now towards barack obama and some of the changes that are making in the united states. senator kennedy has had a remarkable career on the united states senate. thoughts of people like me who grew up in south boston and saw kennedy walking the streets and jack kennedy and bobby kennedy in charlestown and other neighborhoods of boston. my thoughts on what they achieved. teddy, bobby, jack. what they achieved in politics in breaking down the barrier of discrimination of people because of their religion as barack obama did about his race. >> you remember his

accomplishments. what will you remember about him as a person? >> i worked very closely with him when i was mayor of boston and even when i was united states ambassador. we achieved a remarkable accomplishment in bringing money to boston. ted williams, the harbor. his effectiveness, i wish it wasn't so partisan the way it is now because teddy could meet orrin hatch and bob dole and all those people -- forget, they were in charge of the senate at the time when ronald reagan for the president in such a long period of time. teddy could bring it to the white house and to the senate and introduce me and file legislation to help working class people build a new city hospital in boston.

teddy could do that. that's the way it was in the country at that time. unfortunately, it's not the way it was now. politicians really can't get very much done. it's polarized, it's divisive. i think that's the biggest legacy of teddy kennedy. he could cut a deal. he could make sure that people he represented got a half a loaf anyway. >> in the year 2000, you famously backed president bush for president. i'm sure you heard from senator kennedy about that. what did he say to you? >> i told him i was a democrat but a pro life democrat. senator kennedy understood that very, very clearly. that was the relationship we had for my political life. he wasn't going to back down what he believed and i wasn't going to back down on what i believed and i guess that's what -- that's what you call a

couple of stubborn irishmen. >> or a couple of stubborn new englanders. former professor to the vatican. we appreciate it. >> sure. >> it's interesting how he could have the differences i'd logically and get along with the man. >> yes. >> that's true among so many difference people. one of his closest friends was conservative republican senator orrin hatch. could there be two people further apart i'd logically and politically? very good friends. covering so much more when it comes to the life and legacy of senator ted kennedy when he lost his life to brain cancer earlier this morning. we're going to be join in a few moments by phone, by former british prime minister, tony blair. he'll be weighing in. many of our political reporters have covered ted kennedy for years. dana bash, donna brazile, james carville. lots more ahead. we're going to take a quick break. but we want to tell you about a

quick programming note. tonight, 7:00 eastern, airing hbo's acclaimed documentary, "teddy in his own words." chronicles his remarkable life from his childhood to his speech at the 2008 democratic national convention, in fact, just a year ago that was. it includes also rarely seen archival footage. a great documentary. "teddy in his own words" will be airing the special tonight. 7:00 p.m. eastern here on cnn. making a final stop on his tour of ireland, senator edouard kennedy finds 100,000 people in the streets of limerick to give him a tumultuous sendoff. >> 70 degrees in the shade, very warm for the emerald isle. but the temperature of limerick's populace is at a new high to salute the brother of the moderate president. the youthful senator has a last word for the friendly crowd,

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welcome to a special edition of "american morning." 20 minute past the hour this morning. we're covering the passing of senator ed kennedy. 77 years old. he lost his battle with brain cancer in the early hours last night. we have a live picture right now of the family compound in hyannis port where he was when he passed away. the police presence there, as john pointed out. a familiar picture, both in good times and bad for the kennedy clan. we expect many to be gathered outside there today to pay their respects also at the kennedy library in boston as well. here's a look at the capitol in washington, d.c. where many of his colleagues will be remembering him as the liberal lion of the senate -- that was his nickname. it didn't matter what side of the aisle you were on, he was a possible member of the senate, able to bring people together

for the consensus whether or not they saw eye to eye on issues and ideologies. you can see the flag at half past this morning to remember senator kennedy. >> he was diagnosed with a ma league gnat glioma. he underwent surgery in duke university. they removed as much of the tumor as they could. he underwent chemotherapy after that to reduce the size of the tumor even further. throughout the summer, there were rumors and speculation that he might make an appearance at the democratic national convention in denver. i remember being there on the day, august 25, ironically, a year to the day that he passed away. and there was a big buzz going on in the house that he was -- he was there. he was in the arena. but was he well enough to come out on stage and when he finally did, the house just erupted and any -- any thoughts that people had that he would be too frail to be able to give his typical

speech were put to rest. and he wrapped up the speech with echoes from the speech that he gave in 1980 in new york in the democratic national convention about the dream never dying. let's rewind that moment in history. >> this november, the torch will be passed again to a new generation of americans. so, with barack obama and for you and for me, our country will be committed to his cause. the work begins anew. the hope rises again. and the dream lives on. >> senator ted kennedy, august 25, 2008 in the democratic national convention in denver. the congressional correspondent, dana bash. you remember covering that convention. an extraordinary moment there

and one that will obviously live on. one that many people thought senator ken dip was not going to be able to participate in. >> absolutely. no question about that. but the sad reality is that in the months and realfully the past year since that moment, we haven't seen a lot of senator kennedy. on the cover -- the place where he spent nearly 47 years. of course, the united states senate has met, as we've been talking about all morning, that he has been absent from the -- what he called the cause of his life -- that is health care reform and the debate over it and being the navigator on that. however, we should remember that there was a moment not too long ago, it was in early march. it was probably just about the last time we heard one of those rousing kennedy speeches. and it was on the issue of health care. and it was at the white house. the president was having a health care summit. and senator kennedy made one of his last-minute appearances which he has done because of the touch-and-go situation of his

illness. we should play a sound bite from that speech that he gave trying to rile and rise the democrats and members who have a summit on health care. listen. >> looking forward to being a foot soldier on this undertaking. and this time we will not fail. >> that was after senator kennedy was knighted in great britain, was knighted. the president had a little fun calling him sir kennedy. it is actually again a sad truth that that was in march -- that was many months ago. that was the last time we heard senator kennedy give that kind of speech which we would get over and over in the senate floor as the debate raged on. for a while, senator kennedy's aides told us he was heavily engaged by phone and to the staff. in the last couple of months,

that really wasn't the case. he wasn't able to do what he had hoped to do for so many years. >> talking to john king a little earlier, he's a person who knew the most about where he was viewing this fight going, senator dodd. fellow colleague and the person taking over on the committee. are we going to hear to senator dodd? he wants to see this happen. as to what edward kennedy was thinking and whether or not the senate thought it would move forward despite his absence. >> senator chris dodd has been one of ted kennedy's best, best friends for sometime. there is lore in the early years before they got remarried they were drinking buddies. they have a history together. chris dodd took over for him. chris dodd is recovering from his own battle cancer. he had prostate cancer earlier this summer. that's what he's doing now. the other thing we've been talking about, kiran, is the

fact that senator kennedy has been known, an icon of liberalism, has been for half a centry or more, is the fact that he has reached across the aisle. i have to tell you one moment i remember that caused peril for the republicans that we've been dealing with. we covered a couple of years ago the raging debate over immigration reform. he was heavily involve in trying to find the compromise on that. one of the people he was working with, goeshtdi ingnegotiating w republican senator john mccain. i remember sitting in a press conference. just before the primaries of the election were heating up. i remember sitting in the press conference and watching the picture of ted kennedy and john mccain. you can see it behind him. i remember thinking in my head, this is going to be ad after ad after ad of john mccain republican competitors running against him saying, aha, you elect john mccain as a republican nominee and you get a republican that works for ted kennedy. which have been the worst thing

in the world with regard to republican primary voters. it gives you a sense of how it helps in terms of legislative accomplishment but did cause some problems for senators. >> i interviewed john mccain around that time. he remarked to me in the interview, you know, i heard loud and clear from the constituents that perhaps let me work more on the border security before we can look at the comprehensive reform for immigration. he was hammered for having his name on that legislation and having it be with the favorite punching bag of the gop with senator ted kennedy. >> but quickly -- john mccain is one of the first people to tell you in recent days that one thing he really admired about senator kennedy is he is one of the -- in his words, one of the few people around the senate who did keep his word when he made a commitment on the legislation. >> absolutely. how politics knows.

john mccain paled as a maverick being able to work across the aisle with someone who's viewed as liberal. interesting at how politics works. you know it firsthand. dana bash, we're going to take a quick break right now. 28 minutes after the hour. >> i believe that a wave of change is moving across america. if we know not turn aside, if we dare to set our course for the shores of hope, we, together, will go beyond the divisions of the past and find our place to build the america of the future. my friends, i ask you to join in this historic journey to have the courage to choose change. it's time again for a new generation of leadership! it is time now for barack obamo!

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coming uh on the half hour. 7:30 eastern. as we continue to ongoing special coverage of the death of senator ted kennedy who died from brain cancer late last night at his home in hyannis port, massachusetts at the age of 77. whether you agree with his politics or not, he had so much respect on capitol hill among his colleagues and people across the nation as well. he worked across party lines many, many times to pass important legislation. get a republican perspective on senator kennedy's life now. cnn contributor and morning in america radio talk show host bill bennett joins us on the telephone. how will you remember ted kennedy this morning? >> the lion on the left. there's no one like him. there's no one in the senate now of his force, sheer impact on either side. lion is right. he roared and people listened. he roared like a king, the king

of the jungle. he devoured a lot too. powerful man. knowing is his equal. he will be remembered, i think, for obviously 40 years of -- of influence in the senate. the fact that when a reckoning came, a guy they always put forward. because i was before him several times in the hearings. and had fiery exchanges with him. but one tough customer. >> how is it this he was reviled as a tax and liberal by othe right and was close with orrin hatch, the senator from utah. >> they log add lot of time together. the word among senators is ted kennedy kept his word. that's a big deal in the senate. if you keep your word, that's a big deal. you can understand why that matters. >> bill bennett for us this morning. thanks so much. appreciate you being with us.

>> thank you, john. we want to hear from james carville as well. he joins us this morning on the phone. always great to get your perspective -- oh, in person, sorry about that. you made it there. you made it there quickly. that's good news. your personal thoughts about senator ted kennedy, what he was like in his public life, but also as a man. >> i think as a man -- i don't know if anyone had more loyal staff people. all of the people that worked for him stayed in touch with him, were just crazy about him as a human being. i know my friend, bob shrum who worked for him -- probably still does in some sense, really almost worshipped senator kennedy. anybody in health -- you have to talk to my colleague and friend paul begala. he's the former head of health issue and kennedy was there the whole way trying to get the best treatment. he was sort of a remarkable guy in that sense and people felt very personally attached to him.

he was engaging, social guy. he was one instance bigger than life people. that's a side of him. secretary bennett talking about his record, it's true. 1962. i could be wrong. 47 years in the senate. probably more legislative achievements than any postwar of the united states senate. and was relevant all the way. >> james, we were talking about former senator bob graham in the last hour here on "american morning." and he was saying that the closing of the gap between the perception of the young ted kennedy and the lemgs lgislator became was the surprising thing about him. here's a guy kicked out of harvard in 1950 because he got some guy to go in and take his spanish test and seen not having the political weight, not having the credibility to take on after his brothers when he went to the senate, as you said, in 1962. he became this amazing lemgs y

legislator. how did that take place? that whole transformation. >> i was young at the time. he just was a very tenacious guy. he built up respect. it didn't matter who was in power. he might have been more powerful in the bush presidency than any other time, to some extent, the reagan presidency. he was in the middle of the things, it didn't matter who the president was. it was a real kind of testament to how he was able to -- to navigate the -- the united states senate in congress and in washington. it's pretty amazing. people know a lot more about that than i do are going to be talking about that today. the other thing. he could bounce back from anything. he was a tough guy. >> the personal tragedies that happened to him throughout his life and how he was able to find joy in everyday life. politics aside, just a

remarkable reflection of how you can live your life. >> boy, and let me tell you, he was the -- the right really hated him. all you -- you can see all of the birthers and deathers. the intellectual ancestors were the kennedy haters out there. >> you're writing a piece -- how the tone of the health care debate has taken a turn sometimes down a road where civil debate isn't there in some cases. but you believe that some of it has to do with the hate red red kennedy. >> look, i remember when his brother was shot. i'm checking myself here. but, you know, in west point, mississippi, as i recall, children were not unhappy about that. this stuff has a long history. as much as anybody since kennedy has been subjected to this kind of stuff. and it's part of who he was. and he was able to -- to -- to lead and become very effective in spite of it. so i have to say where my

research takes me. >> stay with us. we want to pause for a second and remember ted kennedy in his own words. this is august 25, 2008. a year to the date that he passed away. this is the democratic national convention in denver. an appearance many people thought he wasn't going to be able to make because of his failing health. he came out on stage looking robust. particularly for the fact that he was gravely ill and gave an incredible speech. let's listen to some of that. my fellow democrats. my fellow americans. it is so wonderful to be here. and nothing -- nothing is going to keep me away from this

special gathering tonight. i have come here tonight to stand with you to change america. to restore its future, to rise to our best ideals, and to elect barack obama president of the united states. as i look ahead, i'm strengthened by family and friendship. so many of you have been with us in the happiest days and the hardest days. together we have seen success, known setbacks, victory and defeat. but we have never lost our

belief that we are all called to a better country and a newer world. and i pledge to you -- i pledge to you that i will be there next january on the floor of the united states senate as we begin the great recovery. >> thank you very much. thank you. >> teddy! teddy! teddy! >> thank you. good. for me, this is a season of hope. new hope for a justice and fair prosperity for the many and not just for the few, new hope.

and this is the cause of my life. new hope. that we will break the old grid lock and guarantee that every american, north, south, east, west, young, old, will have decent, quality health care as a fundamental right and not a privilege. we can meet these challenges with barack obama. yes we can, and finally, yes, we will! barack obama will close the book on the old politics of race,

agenda, and group against group and straight against gay. and barack obama will be a commander in chief who understands that young americans in uniform must never be committed to a mistake but always to a mission worthy of their bravery. we are told that barack obama believes too much in an america of high principle and bold

endeavoe endeavor. but when john kennedy thought of going to the moon, he didn't say -- it's too far to get there. we shouldn't even try. our people our people answered his call and rose to the challenge and today an american flag still marks the surface of the moon. yes, we are all americans. this is what we do. we reach the moon. we scale the heights. i know it. i've seen it. i've lived it. and we can do it again. there is a new wave of change all around us. and if we set our compass true,

we will reach our destination. not merely victory for our party, but renewal for our nation. and this november, the torch will be passed again to a new generation of americans. so with barack obama and for you and for me, our country will be committed to his cause. the work begins anew. the hope rises again. and the dream lives on. senator kennedy, one year to the day of his death, august 25, 2008. the denver convention in colorado. he brought the house down with that speech. so many people thought he was

not going to be able to make it. he summed up the strep thngth t he could. he was out there looking vibrant and vigorous and gave for all intents and purpose for him what was one of the greatest speeches of his life. >> looking at him, you did not know he was going to succumb to deadly cancer. he looked very healthy. >> you have to remind yourself that he was gravely ill. >> and he teared up. choked up a little bit. the passion that he was saying. >> quite a moment for american politics, no question. >> right now we're joined once again by james carville. he's weighing in this morning. and the interesting thing -- you said it as well -- it's -- it almost has this feeling as if it's the end of the kennedy legacy or dynasty coming to an end. there are grandchildren, he has children. his wife, some people talk about, vicky. is this the end of the political dynasty? >> i might add with a great deal of pride that miss vicky is a native louisianian.

it's senator kennedy's good sense to marry one of ours. look, a lot of talented people in that family. a big family. and said people feel like the kennedys served his country with great distinction. i wouldn't be surprised if the kennedy tradition goes on in american politics. i wouldn't be surprised at all. >> and with the health care debates and when congress comes back in september, how do you think kennedy's impact on that particular issue is going to be felt in the months to come? >> you know, it's -- it's obviously a tragedy for -- for the -- for the kennedy family. it's a -- it's a real loss for the nation. and i think it's a real loss for the president. i did not have senator kennedy's counsel on something like this, the issue he knows so much about. secretary bennett pointed out. he commands so much respect in the senate.

he knows he would be able to know things that other mortals would not know. so, on a -- in a whole variety of things, we should not underplay the adverse effect this has on the president's health care fight. as de gaulle observed, a graveyard full of indispensable men. but anybody indispensable in a fight, i think senator kennedy would have been a big, big help to the administration in this fight. i'm sure he gave the president counsel for this. he had wisdom. this is a loss for everybody. a loss for the country, the administration. we should acknowledge that. >> james, i appreciate your insights and resignations. appreciate it this morning. >> we talked about senator kennedy was liberal, he was able to build a consensus with people

he had ideological thoughts with, points of view. orrin hatch a good friend of his. as we move forward, what direction does it take now in your opinion. we've seen at times it gets nasty and personal. >> i think it will continue to -- although the democrats will continue to talk about the legacy of ted kennedy and try to pass some version of health care reform that ted kennedy would have supported and would have liked. but you know, as i've heard everybody talk this morning, the one thing about ted kennedy that everybody asks is, after all these years of tragedies in his life, how did this man endure and triumph and become such an important part of american history? and i remember asking ted kennedy about this in an interview. and, you know, how did you live after the deaths of your brothers, the -- you know, the -- and he said to me -- and

i'm going to quote here. you know, i try to live with the upside of life. i try to live with the joyous aspects. and i try to muffle the sadnd of it. and i think what you'll find and one of the legacies in the senate, one of the things you'll find is when you talk to senators about ted kennedy, they will say to you that when something was wrong in their lives, ted kennedy was the first person to reach out to them. ted kennedy's note was the first note they ever receive in the mail. ted kennedy was the person who embraced them, even though after john junior died in that plane crash and people came up to him and wanted to console ted kennedy, they found it difficult to console ted kennedy because he didn't want to talk about it. he said to me, you know, i don't do as well as others in trying to talk about my inner feelings. so he was kind of a tough person to console. but he became the eulogizer for

his family. the memorializer for his family. he became the surrogate father to caroline kennedy, giving her away at her wedding. very, very close to jackie kennedy as well. >> and we also remember when john kennedy jr.'s plane went down, how senator kennedy was struck by that tragedy because, as you said, it was a surrogate father to caroline and to some degree to john junior as well. >> absolutely. absolutely. it was very tough for him. i remember standing with him in the senate office looking at picture that john junior had signed for him after john junior died. and he could barely speak. and i want to read you guys something. there's a letter that i have that jackie kennedy sent to ted kennedy as a thank you note after he gave caroline away at the wedding. let me read you part of this letter. and it was to ted. on you, the carefree youngest

brother fell a burden a hero would beg to be spared. everyone is going to make it because you are always there with your love. jackie. >> wow. that's incredible. >> it is incredible to hear that, gloria. it gives you goose bumps to hear that. that was echoed in the statement from the kennedy family. they said this morning, we've lost the irreplaceable center of our family and the joyous light of our life. you can imagine the type of mourning that's going on in hyannis port today. as dana bash put it, they knew in their head he was going to go. they knew he had cancer. but in their hearts, they weren't ready for it. >> when you talk to people who were very, very close to ted kennedy, the thing they're so grateful for is that he gave them an opportunity to say good-bye to him. and he gave them an opportunity to honor him. there was -- there was a joyous event at the kennedy center not too long ago in honor of ted kennedy. an it was full of show tunes -- the things that ted kennedy

loves to sing. you know, one thing we haven't talked about this morning is what a joyous man he was. for his birthday, rep credibilitily, his wife vicki gave lessons because he loved to sing and so there was this event for ted kennedy and everyone was singing show tunes and folks from broadway came to washington just to honor him. people were grateful that he let them say good-bye. >> well, you can prepare yourself all you want for the eventuality and resign yourself but still, when it happens the shock is difficult to measure. gloria, thanks so much for that. >> sure. >> stick with us. we're now told president obama will address the passing of senator kennedy. they did release a paper statement but we expect to hear from the president in person at 8:30 eastern this morning. that's about 40 minutes from now. >> all right. and also tonight at 7:00 eastern

time we want to let you know about a special program that's going to be airing. hbo's acclaimed documentary "teddy in his own words" that chronicles senator kennedy's remarkable life, his childhood, through the speech we've shown you parts of today at the democratic national convention last year. it is 7:00 tonight right here on cnn. we'll be right back with much more. - hi. - blue shirts: hello!

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we continue our coverage this morning, our special coverage of the death of senator ted kennedy. look at the capitol building where the flags are at half staff. we want to bring in a columnist for "the boston globe" and also the author of the book "the rise and fall of ted kennedy." was at madison square garden when senator kennedy gave that famous speech in 1980. sam, you've got some recollections and examples of the way ted kennedy reached out and touched the hearts of people. good morning. >> good morning. i think he will be known most for his generosity of spirit. it manifested itself both in his legislation and certainly in his personal life.

i think more than either of his brothers. i remember carl wagner who was one of his political team in the early '80s. his wife had to go in for surgery. there was a growth on her throat and it was very troubling obviously and wagner saw kennedy as he was leaving the office and said i'm going to be a while. my wife has to have this surgery. kennedy said okay. good luck and went about his business. later that day when carl wagner arrived at the georgetown hospital the entire senior staff at the hospital was there from the president, chief of surgery, in the room. there was a spray of flowers that was like a mafia funeral and a handwritten letter from senator kennedy wishing her good luck and saying how we both have to endure carl. just a funny, light, perfect note. wagner returned the next day to the office and it was as if nothing had happened. there are millions and millions of stories like that.

i look at him as an irish catholic mensch, that great yiddish word meaning a real person. >> right. >> he had that as much if not more than anyone else in his family and i think that's how people in washington and certainly the people in massachusetts are going to remember him. there was a constancy to him, as well, here. for anybody born in 1962 and beyond, they grew up, married, had kids, got jobs, knowing no one else in the senate for them but ted kennedy. >> right. >> i mean, like fdr a little bit only much longer with the duration of his time in the senate and what it meant to people in massachusetts. >> sam, i want to ask you about that. you have this long view, this perspective about senator kennedy whose life was also marred with many tragedies and the loss obviously of his three brothers. also other personal losses, the loss of his nephew john f. kennedy jr. in the plane crash but all the way back to the terrible situation that happened in chappaquiddick island.

some people say that really is the biggest scar or mark on an otherwise storied career. how did those tragic events sort of shape the person he ended up becoming? >> i think well before chappaquiddick he had to learn to soldier on. he was 12 years old when somebody drove up to the door and told him that his older brother joe had been killed in world war ii. he got just more and more of these things and early in the game he learned simply to go on because there was no other option. he was mourning deeply but he just kept going on. i know when he returned to the senate in 1981, having lost the nomination fort presidency, he was getting a divorce. he was alone. he'd lost -- his party went out of power. and people i talked to who knew him well like now vice president joe biden said he just shouldered on and he did not demonstrate outwardly any of the

darkness that he must have felt inside. i think that came very early in his life. >> he showed a lot of personal strength. sam allis columnist with "the boston globe" thanks for being with us to share your recollections of senator kennedy. we appreciate it. we go live to hyannis port after this. we've always been alike. we even both have osteoporosis. but we're active. especially when we vacation. so when i heard about reclast, the only once-a-year iv osteoporosis treatment, i called joni. my doctor said reclast helps restrengthen our bones to help make them resistant to fracture. and reclast is approved to help protect from fracture in more places: hip, spine, even other bones. (announcer) you should never take reclast if you're on zometa, have low blood calcium, kidney problems. or you're pregnant, plan to become pregnant or nursing. take calcium and vitamin d daily. tell your doctor if you develop severe muscle, bone or joint pain or if you have dental problems, as rarely, jaw problems have been reported. the most common side effects include flu-like symptoms, fever, muscle or joint pain and headache.

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continuing our special coverage this morning of the death of senator ted kennedy it's now 8:00 eastern. senator kennedy passed away late last night at the age of 77 after a 15-month battle with brain cancer. 47 historic years in the senate of the united states.

>> they're mourning today at the kennedy compound in hyannis port, massachusetts, where our reporter traveled throughout the night to get there this morning and is outside of the compound with more on what's going on. we know the family released a statement, deb, in the early morning hours where they talked about losing the irreplaceable center of their family and the joyous light in their lives. any other activity outside of there besides the police activity we've seen throughout the morning? >> reporter: you know, neighbors are beginning to realize what's happened. everybody was notified from the media and from local law enforcement about 1:20 this morning about an hour after the senator's passing. one of those people is with me now. his name is michael perry and you are with the highway division here which means air keeping charge of the road here that leads into the compound. first of all, tell me about ted kennedy. you met him personally once. >> yeah, a few years back when they had the incident with john

jr. he personally came over and thanked all of us, everybody involved -- police, fire, dpw, anybody that was associated with the search and recovery issue was thanked personally by him. >> and that was his nephew and it went on for a long time and you were stationed out here outside the compound. >> about a week. >> reporter: you have been here about a dozen times you say making sure people don't stop too long or if there are dignitaries in the area. tell me about the significance of this road and the folks who live in these houses. >> down that road is the compound and no one, as you can tell, is going to get in. the police department is in charge of making sure the right people come and go. our role is more of support for them for road closures, if they want a certain road closed we provide the barricades and signage and close it up for them. >> reporter: the kennedys, obviously, are known on a world stage. here they're local parts of the community. describe that to me.

the kennedys, ted kennedy, describe all that. >> they just blend in around here. they just come and go as they please like any other citizen and it's not unlikely to see them walking around in shorts and t-shirts and years ago i used to see ted kennedy driving around in his convertible, you know, he'd wave and then toot the horn as he's going by. you know, just blended right in. >> reporter: so real anchors of the community. michael perry, thank you very much for joining us. as people begin to wake up this morning here in this area neighbors finding the impact of what's happened. one woman was actually driving down the road and saw all of the cameras and there are about 20, 25 cameras. we'll show you those a little later. but she realized what had happened and was visibly shaken, began to cry. so, again, the kennedys aren't just an ordinary family here but really an anchor of the community. >> understandable. deb, we'll check with you throughout the morning. a programming note in about 20, 25 minutes, we're expecting to

hear from president obama in oak bluff, massachusetts vacationing at martha's vineyard and he is going to be speaking about the passing of senator edward kennedy, not only a colleague in the senate but of course a big supporter. >> we're also hoping to hear this morning from the former prime minister of ireland, of course, senator kennedy had tremendous ties to ireland, was very outspoken about the ties in northern ireland so the former prime minister will be able to fill in some of the members of senator kennedy and his relationships internationally. john, when you look at the longevity of people in the senate you have robert bird who is leading there more than 50 years, strom thurman was number two, just over 47 and ted kennedy, 46 years nine months by any measure an incredible career in politics. >> reporter: and you mentioned northern ireland. he spoke up for refugees and

human rights in the former soviet union, human rights in china. all the issues we know him for domestically in the united states, over a 47-year career that spanned ten presidencies, civil rights, voting rights. more recently education and health care. the vietnam war, watergate. what made teddy kennedy so fascinating to cover and so fascinating to watch whether you were a liberal with him or a conservative against him was that he had his hands and such a big role in so many of the debates of our time which is what has made the past year so side in that he has been on the sidelines and has passed away in the middle of the debate about the issue he cared about most, health care reform. for more than four decades he said it should be a right of every american to have universal health care. just as the issue was being debated on the floor of the united states senate and across the capitol in the house he was of course missing because of his cancer and just a few weeks ago we had senator john mccain who was a very good friend despite political differences. someone who worked with senator kennedy on the immigration issue

as well. i had senator mccain on the sunday show and asked if things might be different if senator kennedy were still wandering the halls of the senate. >> senator kennedy missed the health care debate? another debate? >> senator kennedy is an institution around here that is unique and there's no such thing as a senator who's irreplaceable. there's no one who comes as close to that word as ted kennedy. we are philosophically opposed but i have grown over the years to have the highest respect and affection. >> senator mccain among the many conservatives and republicans issuing statements praising senator kennedy's legacy and most of them if not all making note of the fact how much they respected him, how much they trusted him in the negotiations and how much even if they disagreed with him they knew that his heart was fighting for the causes he believed in and that he would always, always try to reach across the aisle and if not agree with them in the big

debates at least try to understand their position. >> john, he said that health care was really his signature issue, the issue he cared most about. it also happens to be the issue that didn't get the type of resolution he was looking for. there are still 47 million people in this country who are uninsured and the health debate goes on in this nation. health care aside what do you think is the issue he will be most remembered for, the one where there were actually big legislative victories that led to such great changes? >> reporter: i think the americans with disabilities act, various increases to the minimum wage over the years. senator kennedy took it as his cause to fight for what he believed the little guy -- whether a little guy who had a disability and perhaps did not have access to public buildings, did not have access to other places like a sporting event, he thought it was imperative that there be handicapped access and other ways through our communication system to help those with disabilities. he would always fight even though he was from personal

wealth, fight repeatedly over the years for an increase in minimum wage. i think if you asked him what his job was in the united states senate he would say to use his advantage and his privilege and his stature to fight for those who weren't so fortunate. that is how i believe he would like to be remembered. >> john king for us this morning. thanks so much. another statement of condolences this morning. this one from former president jimmy carter. >> it came in a couple moments ago from his press secretary and he writes, roslyn and i extend our condolences to the kennedy family. senator kennedy was a passionate voice for the citizens of massachusetts, an unwaivering advocate for the millions of less fortunate in our country. the courage and dignity he exhibited in his fight with cancer was surpassed only by his life-long commitment and service to his country. so a statement from former president jimmy carter, one-time rival. >> i remember that famous scene where jimmy carter as ted kennedy was coming up on stage reached tout shake his hand and kennedy wasn't inclined to take it. we will be talking bite way live

to former president carter in the middle east. he is in ramallah today. that will be at 10:00 eastern here on cnn. we want to go again, harnessing the worldwide resources of cnn this morning we are able to get a live picture from dublin, ireland, where our sanjay gupta is this morning where he's been all week at a worldwide conference on cancer. and so apt to be able to talk to you about the situation. first of all for people who don't know you're a neuro surgeon and also dealing with ways to better treat cancer, brain cancer, the prognosis at this point. this is what took the life of senator kennedy. the prognosis is very dim for people who get this type of malignant tumor which is what he had. fill us in on why it's so difficult to treat and cure. we are at this global summit with 65 countries represented. as you might imagine it's a big

topic of the day, ted kennedy and his diagnosis and certainly his influence as well on cancer. as far as this particular tumor part of the reason it's so difficult to treat is because it's hard to think of this as just one tumor. it's several different tumors wrapped up into one and the reason that's relevant is because no single therapy is perfect or even very good at treating this tumor. they talk about surgery, chemotherapy, radiation. they talk about that grim prognosis you mentioned, only about 14 months. you'll remember senator kennedy was diagnosed in may of last year. this has been a fascinating summit to hear about what is happening in the world of cancer. there is an organization where i sit on the board and doug almond is the president and i talked to him earlier this morning about the influence specifically of ted kennedy on cancer worldwide. take a listen. >> this is a very well known cancer organization. what influence has ted kennedy

had on the organization? >> he's had a great influence. he spent his career fighting on behalf of people who were sick and overcoming challenges and i'll never forget the first time we visited with him in washington, d.c. and were in his office and before we started the meeting he took us over to this wall in his office where there were just so many family photos and so much history and he pointed to a photo of teddy jr. skiing down the mountain. teddy, of course, is a survivor of osteo sarcoma and he started crying telling the story of his son's battle with cancer and the impact that had on his family. it was really moving. i'll never forget that moment. >> you may not know but teddy jr. had osteo sarcoma which is another type of cancer sthoe familiso this family has been touched by cancer quite a bit. many organizations around the world really influenced by ted kennedy's personal and legislative experience with cancer. >> it's fascinating, how the

cure rates with some diseases we've made such strides with but something like this, many cancers in such a vital and delicate part of our body, the prognosis has not changed much regardless of age, as well. sanjay, we'll try to check in with you one more time. thank you very much for your insight and expertise this morning. >> sure. right now at 12:minut minut after the hour we bring in david axelrod. how are you going to remember senator kennedy? >> well, like all americans i'll remember him as the iconic figure. i remember him personally as someone who i got to know through the obama campaign particularly well and, you know, as you may recall, he helped transform what was an upstart campaign last year. there was a series of events, we won the south carolina primary.

caroline kennedy wrote this wonderful endorsement on a sunday and then on a monday ted kennedy stepped forward and made his endorsement and it was like a rifle shot for our campaign. it just propelled us and then he joined us on the campaign trail and he was such an ebullient, enthusiastic, joyous presence that he quickly became a beloved figure to all of us in the campaign. and as a person he was such a decent, caring person. you know, just as one example we happen to share a birthday, in washington, february 22nd and even when he was ill, he tracked me down on my birthday. >> really. >> to wish me a happy birthday. >> wow. >> this is an act that he repeated thousands of times when people were in trouble he was the first guy to call. when people had an occasion he was the first person to call or

write. just someone whose humanity was very evident at all times. >> people characterize him as one of the most popular senators there in the halls of congress and somebody who really stuck to his guns but was able to find consensus and when you talk about trying to find consensus it seems like something that's pretty far away as the health care debate continues. how key was senator kennedy in helping move your administration's goals forward, in passing health care reform in this legislative session, and where does it stand now with his passing? >> well, he was important in two ways and continues to be an inspiration. he was important because his commit knee t commit knee the senate passed a health care bill that was a great guide post in terms of moving this process forward. the president spoke to senator kennedy the day the committee passed it under the acting chairmanship of senator dodd.

so that was very important. i think we've made enormous progress. the last ten yards are always the hardest. you're right. we need to build some consensus. that was the magic of senator kennedy. he always seemed to be able to do that and he of course has been missed in this process. but we are going to move forward and we believe we can put together the consensus to enact what he had been trying to do for decades and decades and that is make sure that americans who have insurance are protected in that system and americans who don't can get coverage. >> david axelrod the senior advisor to president obama, thanks so much for joining us this morning. in a programming note, in just a few minutes we expect to hear from the president, himself, making a personal statement on the passing of senator kennedy. coming up right after the break, we'll be talking with former

british prime minister tony blair about the passing of the legendary senator ted kennedy. now 16 minutes after the hour. edward kennedy stops in greece for an unofficial visit. he meets with the prime minister to confer on the impact of the issue before beginning a sight seeing tour that takes him to greece's famous landmarks. mr. kennedy expressed pleasure at the opportunity to visit this seat of western culture and spent every moment he could spare at the shrines of the mother of democracy. from here mr. kennedy went on to warsaw to continue his private fact finding tour. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@

19 minutes past the hour. you're watching a special edition of "american morning." you're looking at a live picture of hyannis port, massachusetts. this is right outside of the kennedy family compound. there you see police present. the news early in the morning broke that senator ted kennedy after more than a year-long struggle with brain cancer passed away at the age of 77. a statement from his family saying we've lost the irreplaceable center of our family and the joyous light in our lives. and many others weighing in this morning. in fact, coming up in about ten minutes, our president barack obama is going to be delivering some remarks about senator ted kennedy. they not only were colleagues at the senate, senator kennedy of course famously endorsed barack obama as a candidate in the primary instead of hillary clinton his rival and then of course we saw it was just a year ago to the day a triumphant kennedy even after the operation

and the radiation and chemo coming out there on the stage at the dnc to congratulate the barack obama and to say i hope this man becomes our next president. >> that was quite a moment in politics. no question about it. >> in march of this year senator ted kennedy became sir edward kennedy when the prime minister of the u.k. gordon brown announced the queen of england had awarded him an honorary knighthood. here is a look at that moment. >> allow me to single out for special mention today one of your most distinguished senators, known in every continent and a great friend. northern ireland today is at peace. more americans have health care. children around the world are going to school and for all of those things we owe a great debt to the life and courage of senator edward kennedy.

and today, having talked to him last night, i want to announce, awarded by her majesty, the queen, on behalf of the british people, an honorary knighthood for sir edward kennedy. . >> senator kennedy helped smooth negotiations which led to the good friday agreement in northern ireland and then prime minister tony blair oversaw those negotiations and joins us on the telephone. it's good to have you with us. let me ask you first of all your thoughts on the passing of senator kennedy. >> he was a remarkable man. i got to know him principally

over at the peace negotiations in northern ireland. he played an immense part there and made an extraordinary contribution over a number of years but he was a true pioneer of progressive politics and the breadth and depth and scope of his commitment won him friends not just in america obviously but worldwide. he was a genuine icon for many people and i got to know him quite well actually and i thought he was a man of flawless vision in all his authority and all of his faith. >> he was a supporter of course of the good friday accords which you helped broker but that's not always the way it was. he was a fierce supporter of republicanism in the early 1970s and gave a speech in 1971 in which he said that it was in danger of becoming britain's vietnam. what was it through your hills t -- history with him and

knowledge and conversations with him that led to that change over the years? >> i think what happened was that he, as we started to make progress, he saw there was a real opportunity to create a different type of northern ireland and he was someone dedicated to the people. he wanted the best for the people of northern ireland. and so as he saw the british government changing and the possibilities of unionists working with republicans and as he saw the republican leadership prepared to grasp the opportunity, so, if you like, the very powerful rhetoric against what was happening some years back was replaced then by actually a very subtle but very important role that he played in trying to make people see the possibilities of peace. >> and you're the perfect person to ask this, too. because i know your passion for the ongoing fighting in the middle east and how many view that situation as perhaps

hopeless that the two sides will not be able to come together. you know there was a long, long period in our history where people felt that way about the situation and the fighting in northern ireland. how do you take a look at how people like senator kennedy and yourself and those who have come together and been able to work something out seemed impassable, how does that relate to the situation in the middle east? >> well, i think in that sense it's very similar, you know, because frankly for decades if not centuries people thought the situation in northern ireland was hopeless but it wasn't in the end. and we were able to confrostruc framework to allow people to move forward. i think it's possible in the middle east as well. as you know senator mitchell who also worked with us closely in northern ireland is taking that forward at the moment. and here is the thing. i think this is what also is the clue to the type of person that ted kennedy was. he could see that the world was

changing and he could see that in that changing world there was an opportunity to put behind us the conflicts and the divisions and disagreements of the past. and he had the imagination to seize that opportunity. and i think the same is true in the middle east incidentally. those people who understand the way the world is changing know that today we in the west, the arab world, the broader islamic world as well as of course israel have an interest in resolving this. so we see that opportunity and what remains is to seize it. so i think what ted did in relation to northern ireland serves as not a bad example. >> former british prime minister tony blair it's good to have you with us this morning, sir. thanks very much for sharing your memories of senator kennedy. appreciate it. >> it is interesting to look back at the history. people thought this is never going to happen. we'll be at war forever. >> george mitchell, ted kennedy, all working on it and eventually

came wup tup with the agreement. right now we'll bring in wisconsin democratic senator russ feingold. thanks very much for being with us. what are you thinking this morning when you consider the passing of this icon of federal government, the lion of the senate? >> i'm feeling deep sadness. i'm also feeling deep affection for senator kennedy. he was my hero before i came to the united states senate but then i got to know him personally and it is absolutely true that every one of us really enjoyed him as a person. his humor was incredible. he'd light up a room. the senate can be a drab place. this guy had a personality you wouldn't believe and i don't think anybody worked harder in the united states senate. he was a work horse in the senate. i think he's one of the three or four greatest senators in american history, so it's a very sobering thing to think of a

senate and a country without ted kennedy. >> the other thing we know you were a close friend of his as well besides being a colleague in the senate. you saw this coming. you know, we all knew that the, unfortunately, that the prognosis was very bleak and that chances were that he was going to seccumb to this malignant brain tumor. at the same time when we heard the news this morning and i imagine you felt a similar way, you know, almost a disbelief that it has happened. we looked just a year ago and there he was at the dnc and looked so vibrant. >> well, he was always vibrant and, yes, it really starts to sink in. i had a e.k. button for president as a 14-year-old. i was already very focused on this man as a young teenager believing him to be an inspiration particularly when it comes to issues like civil rights and health care. he's always seemed like a leader, somebody that i would point to and that i would look

to for the lead on key issues and also for his ability to -- his eloquence and his ability to talk about these things in a way that's incredibly inspiring. so it is very -- a very different feeling when you realize that he's actually gone. >> we should point out, too, senator, that if you've got a little built of a family connection to the senator as well as your collegial relationship, your daughter in turn in his office, what was that experience like for her? >> both of my daughters. senator kennedy treated people and their family members like they were his own family. both girls were allowed to come in and meet him personally. i think one of my daughters got to take care of his dog one day, one afternoon a little bit. they also got very interesting work as internist and it was a very meaningful experience for both jessica and ellen feingold to be interns in senator kennedy's office. >> take care of the dogs. part of the intern's dog. >> that dog -- those dogs needed

proper attention of course but that was just one brief session. they got to do substantive work and it was very helpful in their futures and they have the same affection i do for senator kennedy. >> certainly not many dull moments when working for senator kennedy. what do you think he will be best remembered for years down the road? >> for his strength. he was a man of enormous strength. he could lead an issue or change an issue by his own personal will. you always knew he had the term. you knew he'd back it up with humor and the work but there was this feeling of strength and power that went with his humanity that i think made him such a great senator. >> will the kennedy dynasty live on? will there be someone else that you've known or you've spotted that you think may carry on his legacy? >> i believe so many members of the family already are carrying on that legacy. i've had the privilege to get to

know so many of them in the political world, the human rights world, other areas. the kennedy family is continuing its work and they will have an impact on american life many generations to come. >> senator russ feingold, democrat of wisconsin, good to be with you this morning. thanks so much for taking the time. as we cross the half hour we are continuing our coverage of the death of senator ted kennedy, 47 years in the senate, passed away late last night at the age of 77 from brain cancer at his home in hyannis port. there this morning, a picture of the white house, the flag now lowered to half staff in honor of his memory. in hyannis port we are awaiting word of plans for the next few days here, funerals, memorial services. we have yet to see any family members. you can bet there will be a lot of activity eight the kennedy compound. the library, the kennedy library in downtown boston no doubt will be receiving a lot of visitors who want to pay their respects to senator kennedy and the kennedy family by perhaps going for a visit there today and then at the capitol building this

morning where the flags have been lowered to half staff, a place where senator kennedy spent 47 years of his life, the third longest serving senator in this nation's history. >> we want to let you know on a programming note at 31 minutes past the hour any moment now we'll hear from our president barack obama. he'll be speaking from oak bluff, massachusetts this morning about his colleague and friend and trusted advisor. and we're just also getting from our former president george w. bush a statement as well about the passing. he offers his condolences to the family and he goes on to say, i was pleased to work with senator kennedy on legislation to raise standards in public schools, reform immigration and ensure dignity and fair treatment for americans suffering from mental illness. in a life filled with trials ted kennedy never gave in to self-pity or despair. he maintained his optimistic spirit, his sense of humor, his faith in his fellow citizens. he loved his family and his country and he served them until

the end. he will be deeply missed. again, that statement coming in from the office of george w. bush. >> our host of cnn's "state of the union" john king is joining us now. when you see the bipartisan outpouring of condolences here and tributes to senator kennedy, it's a real reminder that agree with his politics or not he was a legendary figure in american politics. >> a legendary figure, john, and somebody who even if you were a vehement opponent you knew he believed what he was saying. you knew it in negotiations his word was good. that's why he's getting such accolades from both former presidents bush, john mccain, from orrin hatch, from conservatives who didn't agree with him on many of the specifics of issues but understood that he was fighting from the heart, that he would stand up and fight fiercely in public, and in a very partisan way sometimes for what he believed in but that nine times out of ten or 99 times out of a hundred he would also either personally himself or through his staff work the back channel and try to find out, is there a way to compromise?

when legislation on the big issues, whether it was raising the minimum wage, the medicare prescription drug benefit, that education bill president bush referred to, no child left behind, there were times when those bills appeared off the tracks when suddenly a compromise would come and how did that come? because ted kennedy would go into the room, find out what the republicans needed to make it work, then go back into the room and sell it to enough democrats and tell the democrats, we've got to give up a little piece, too. that is an art that is becoming more and more lost and rare in washington, d.c. because both parties have become so polarized in the last ten to 15 years. >> he wasn't afraid, john, to go back and try again. we remember in the early days of the bush administration he worked with the president on the no child left behind act and then when the act wasn't fully funded to the extent he would have liked he felt as though he had been somewhat betrayed by the white house but came back again to work with president bush on passing medicare part d, the prescription drug plan. so he was willing to say, okay. so it didn't work out so well the first time but i'm going back to try it again on a

different issue. >> and came back down for more than 40 years on the issue of health care reform. senator kennedy was among those who if you go back a couple decades wanted that single payor government plan for all americans, that universal coverage. now of course he knows politically that was a nonstarter so he was trying to work with president obama, with others in the senate, until he was slide by this cancer. but he was someone who, yes, was the last line of liberalism. many thought his day in politics had passed. even when bill clinton, a more moderate democrat was elected president. but ted kennedy was known if for nothing else than his tenacity and resilience and always lived to come back in the next fight and he would adapt his own politics if necessary. never abandon his principles but make a deal on the specifics to get as it was said earlier today in the great boston accent, half a loaf. i can't quite say it like i used to. get a half loaf if you can't get the whole loaf. >> and, john, obviously it's

still very early hours following his passing but they knew that the end was coming. this is the kennedy family and they had made plans for his funeral, plans for a memorial service. do we have any details or do you have any inkling at this point how we proceed from here? >> we do not except for the fact that we expect there to be tributes in massachusetts and perhaps tributes in washington as well. i do know, john, i've talked to several family friends who say mrs. kennedy has been working at this for quite sometime in conjunction with her husband, senator kennedy, before he passed obviously, on the plan and that they have a very detailed plan but i will tell you something that we have learned in the past several months as he has been in declining health, how fiercely she fought to protect him. she would let so few people get access to senator kennedy as his health was failing. senator chris dodd his closest friend in the senate did see him i believe in june, maybe early july. but she fiercely protected him and has kept the plans tight to the vest. we expect them to be announced if not later today then in the

very near future. when you talk to associates they say look for tributes in the boston area and in washington. the exact details will be released at a time of her choosing. >> john king, thanks so much for that. appreciate it. >> we talked a lot about senator kennedy the man. what about the women behind the man? he had two wives, joan and then more recently vickie and very fascinating the article written by martha moore from "usa today" about how the two women helped him through some of the most trying times in his life, more than three decades apart and in very different ways. it's a fascinating look at a little more of his family life. we'll be talking to her in a few moments. a quick programming note for you tonight. 7:00 eastern, cnn will air hbo's acclaimed documentary "teddy, in his own words." it chronicles senator kennedy's remarkable life from his childhood through his speech at the 2008 democratic national convention. at 7:00 tonight here on cnn. american morning is going to take a short break.

misfortune strikes the kennedy family once again. senator edward kennedy was severely injured when his plane crashed in the woods. he was on his way to the state democratic convention where he was renominated whet plane crashed in a heavy fog. despite a broken back doctors expect mr. kennedy to achieve complete recovery within eight to ten months. his family including attorney general robert kennedy quickly gathered at his bedside and specialists were flown from walter reed hospital. it was announced that a new frame would be used to speed the senator's recovery eliminating the need for a plaster cast. doctors say it was a miracle that mr. kennedy survived the crash. more than any other brand... of pain reliever. tylenol rapid release gels... release medicine fast. so you can stop headaches... and feel better fast.

this is cnn breaking news. >> we continue our special coverage this morning at the death of senator ted kennedy and there is a shot of the entrance way to the kennedy compound in hyannis, a picture we're all familiar with from over the years in coverage unfortunately of the many tragedies that have befallen the kennedy family. this is the latest that he has

seccumbed to brain cancer after a 15-month battle. a look across the water that senator kennedy loved so much at the kennedy compound in hyannis port. and fitting to pass along memories from florida senator bill nelson as we look at this picture who said most americans cannot remember a time without ted kennedy. whatever your political persuasion, you had to respect his lion-like conviction. it was that conviction that gave a voice to the powerless over the powerful. memories from florida senator bill nelson. >> and the flag at the compound this morning at half staff as well. during two key elections in his political career senator edward kennedy turned to his wife for help. two wives, very different women but they both stood by and helped his campaign. martha moore joins us from "usa today." she wrote a very interesting article about joan and vicki and joins us on the phone. thanks for being with us. >> no problem. >> you always remember of course joan for many reasons but one of the most -- parts of her we remember the most is she was very public with her battle with

alcoholism at a time when people did not talk about that, admitting to not only attending alcoholics anonymous but also seeking at times psychiatric help. explain the dynamic between the two of them and how they met and how their marriage ultimately fell apart. >> well, as you point out, ted kennedy has been married twice to two very different women and joan, his first wife, was a young woman when they got married. he met her when she was still in college. he went to college with one of his sisters and it was 1959 and she got onboard with the whole kennedy program. she campaigned for him, you know, she was a beautiful, glamorous wife just like ethel and jackie but she really struggl struggled with her life. she did become an alcoholic and she was very open about it. and she was open about going to a psychiatrist at a time in

washington when that just wasn't something that you discussed openly. to her credit, i think people had hoped for her that she would be helped by her openness and all of her efforts at recovery and it's unclear whether that has really ever ultimately happened. >> she went through of course many trying times as did many close to the kennedys. of course dealing with the assassinations of both his brothers john and robert, their young son suffered with bone cancer i believe around 12 years old and had to get at least a partial amputation. she went through multiple miscarriages, rumors of philandering on the part of her husband and then also at the time of course as we know the chappaquiddick incident. she stood by him in a very, very meaningful way even attending the funeral, right, with him of mary jo kopechne. >> yes she did.

she went to the courthouse with him and she went to the funeral of mary jo kopechne, you know, with mary jo's family and so and and so forth which had to have been a very difficult moment for her not only because of the personal implications of what the senator might have been doing but also just because of the ethical and moral issues that were swirling around his behavior. >> right. >> shortly after that she lost the baby so you have to assume it was a very, very difficult time for her. i'd also point out that in addition, you know, you were mentioning earlier ted kennedy was in a plane crash in 1964 and literally almost died. so it was really a relationship that had more than its share of difficult moments. >> let's switch and talk a little bit about vicki kennedy who he met i believe back in 1992, right at the time -- was she an intern in his office when he met her? >> it was before 1992 but, yes. they first crossed paths when

she was an intern in his office though they both hasten to point out neither of them really remember and it was just a photo op. but he knew her family for a long time and then he met her when she was a lawyer working in washington, a single mom, you know, through her parents they came across each other again and they began to date and got married in 1992. >> and how was she able to help him in his re-election campaign? i know things got really tense for a while in massachusetts when he was facing mitt romney and it was some wit and smarts on her part that helped him out. >> yeah. i think she not only campaigned for him and brought a kind of fresh face and the same kennedy vigor to a campaign from a senator who had been through a really rough past and his personal life with the trial of his nephew william kennedy smith at which he had to testify and he had been a bachelor for a long time and i think his reputation had suffered. but when he met her and they got

together, she really was able to help him rehabilitate his image and his personal life and she not only campaigned for him but she also suggested according to one of her biographers, his biographers, it was vicki who suggested that they do a campaign ad about a company in indiana that had been owned by the company that his opponent mitt romney was the founder of and they did an ad about this company at which a number of people had been laid off. and it was apparently quite an effective ad. it allowed kennedy to pull out of what has been a fairly tight race and win by a comfortable margin. not the enormous margins he was accustomed to but certainly better than he had been doing. >> very interesting. if people want to read more about the women behind senator kennedy they can check out your article today in the "usa today." martha moore, thanks for being with us.

>> you know, senator kennedy involved in a lot of foreign relations work but his one standing issue was with northern ireland. he originally supported the catholics against the protestants but then his position mellowed and he came around to the idea, the good friday accords. senator george mitchell was heavily involved in those as well as prime minister tony blair who we talked to a little while ago. coming up right after the break we'll be speaking with the former irish prime minister about his recollections and memories of ted kennedy and what ted kennedy did for the peace process in northern ireland.

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lose weight. live better. call or click today. making a final stop on his tour of ireland senator edward kennedy finds 100,000 people in the streets of limerick to give him a tumultuous sendoff. it was 70 degrees in the shade, very warm for the emerald isle but the temperature of limerick's populace is at a new high to salute the brother of the martyred president. the youthful senator has a last word for the friendly crowd and among which you may be sure there are some relatives before heading for shannon airport. but not before he gets a gift of a silver tea service to keep forever green the memory of his visit. >> it's the gift of the tea service that makes it most

memorable. senator ted kennedy in 1964 in the western ireland city of limerick. of course, he had very close ties to ireland because of his family roots there and also he became very involved in the northern ireland issue in the early 1970s, something that he maintained close contact with all the way through the signing of the good friday accords. we want to bring in the former prime minister of ireland for his memories and recollections of senator kennedy. first of all, let me ask you, on this occasion of the senator's passing where your thoughts are going today. >> well, obviously it's afternoon here now so the news from the time it broke here early this morning and everybody here is still talking about it. it's the main topic and right across the whole island because the kennedy family were enormously important to us and john f. and bobby and ted and gene kennedy, an ambassador here and eunice was in the special

olympics and we had that here in 2003. the kennedys are a very special family in ireland and always kept contact. it's a sad day and though inevitable in the recent weeks and months it doesn't take away from the fact that ireland feels they lost a person who is really -- in one of the most powerful positions anybody could be for 40 years and we regret it deeply and he was a very good friend, a great friend of mine and of the political system, not only the political system but made sure when he came to ireland he mixed with the people and kept in touch with everybody and whenever irish went to the hill, his office was always immensely helpful in arranging for visits and trips and meetings and making sure that he kept in touch with irish issues. >> in the early 1970s he came down very much on the side of republicanism. he made a public speech which gave him a lot of criticism in

britain saying that alster was in danger of becoming britain's vietnam. he called for a unified ireland. later in life his position mellowed and he started coming down on the side of equal treatment for everyone in northern ireland. he was a proponent of the good friday accords. can you give us some idea of how and why his thinking changed? >> well, i would say his thinking evolved as the circumstances evolved. i don't think he ever changed his position. you know, teddy was -- one of the things he was passionate about was the human rights and civil rights anywhere and at the commencement of the troubles in the late '60s it was about total infringements of civil rights to the nationalist catholic republican cause. so it was only the british and,

you know, the majority and unionist pop lafgs the north started moving from that position that he evolved with it. and so i think it was an entirely consistent position. he was equally very strongly against unfairness of any kind. he spoke out about various atrocities that are so numerous whenever they happened. and right up until recent times when there were acts that were just out of line he spoke strongly about them. and because of that i think his voice carried great weight in the early years the british didn't like him but we loved him because he was saying what we didn't have the ability to get out. i think he remained and tony blair and i, you know, were great friends with him. i remember the night we

completed the good friday agreement i arrived back in belfast, dublin and the first phone call i got was from ted kennedy. >> that's so interesting to hear your perspective. mr. prime minister, a lot of the people here in america, the u.s. viewers know him for his focus on our domestic issues but, again, as we said, he really played a big part in some of the key politics in northern ireland. how big an impact did senator kennedy's involvement in your political situation there have in helping to eventually bring peace to northern ireland? >> oh, enormously. i mean, the reality is we never would have solved the conflict in the north between ourselves. we wouldn't have solved it, resolved it in the island of ireland. neither would we have resolved it with our neighbors, friends and sometimes enemies in the uk. that never would have happened. the only way we were ever going to move it on, i think we

realized this from the '80s, i was elected to parliament in '77 but as a young politician in the '80s i realized there was no way out of this unless we internationalized it. and i remember me meeting teddy in '83 and, you know, with some of the senior members of my party then and urging him to keep up his interest and the strong statements that he made urging people to move forward and move off their stated positions. he was one of the really strong voices. that's how clinton got involved and jean kennedy played a huge role and was very close to him. jean was here the crucial years, in the '90s, when we were able to make progress. so the kennedy involvement, particularly teddy because of the power that he had, and the

power he had over the british government. no british government was going to ignore ted kennedy. they'd ignore ireland pretty easy and we've got relations with them now but it wasn't always that way. and they brushed aside our issues but they couldn't brush aside teddy kennedy. >> and jean kennedy smith now the only surviving member of the original nine children of joe and rose kennedy. bertie ahern, the former prime minister of ireland, thanks very much for being with us, sir. >> thank you very much. >> appreciate your time. three minutes now to the top of the hour. >> this is the cause of my life. new hope that we will break the old gridlock and guarantee that every american -- north, south, east, west, young, old -- will have decent, quality health care as a fundamental right and not a privilege. d a great time. me too. you know, i just got out of a bad relatio... it's okay. thanks.

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