>> larry: tonight the life and death of edward kennedy, the youngest in a political dynasty. once in the shadow of jfk and rfk, he rises to political power, triumphs over tragedy, and emerges as an icon all on his own. the senate's liberal lion is sirensed forever. is it the end of an era? next on a very special edition of "larry king live." we have a very special program tonight and outstanding guests.

we begin in washington with senator joe lieberman, independent of connecticut, knew senator kennedy in the '70s. he became close friends when joe became to the senate in '89. senator joe warner, longtime friend of senator kennedy'. he did advance work for nixon. >> that's true. >> larry: longtime friend of the senator. and on the phone. bill frist, and a good friend of senator kennedy. what's your first reaction, joe lieberman to all of this? >> first reaction is that this was -- this is the end of an era, certainly the end of a generation of a great american family. president john f. kennedy' inspired me and a lot of others of my generation into public service. ted kennedy carried it along. i also thought with a kind of gratitude that unlike three of his brothers, though his passing

is sooner than any of us who loved him, served him would have wanted. he died of natural causes and he lived a full and wonderful life and inspiring, ultimately irresistible person. i guess my other reaction was just plain personal. i felt lucky, blessed to have come to know him personally. and to have learned a lot from him about how to get things done in politics. >> larry: senator warner, you're a republican, opponent of his on many issues, yet many senators, are using the word "love" tonight. do you use that word? >> you know, i was privileged to know ted for 50 years. you mentioned that we were on opposite sides in the 1960 presidential campaign. i worked for vice president nixon, he worked for his brother. and we boxed a good deal during that campaign. and through the years, our friendship solidified. and particularly the 30 years we served in the senate. and, joe, you remember we were

all on the armed services committee together. he was very much against a lot of policies, certainly war, but he loved the men and women in uniform, and their families. and whenever we needed a vote to get them health care, educational benefits, anything else, he was there. >> larry: he was always there. larry, that's such an important point. part of the kennedy hard that's probably not as much publicly known, he was really the senior democrat on the armed services committee, he chose to be chairman of the help committee. karl levin is the chairman, but he served with distinction and honor and really was loyal to the men and women in uniform for us around the world. >> no question about it. >> ed markey, what kind of friend was he? >> well, for me, you know, just a kid growing up, in massachusetts at the immaculate conception grammar school and john and robert and ted kennedy are saying, in 1960, ask not what your country can do for

you, but rather what you can do for your country, so he inspired me, he inspired millions of other people. and it was a great honor, for me, obviously, for 33 years to be a congressman from massachusetts with him. and every day, for me. was a fulfillment of a political dream, because he was an idealist, without illusions, as his brother used to say, he wanted to get things done. he knew when to cross over the aisle, in order to cut deals, but at the end of the day, he was an inspiration to me. he is going to be missed, because he leaves a huge void. the good news is that he passed the torch on to a new generation through barack obama and through millions of others in the country who will pick up his cause. >> larry: senator frist, you opposed him often on the floor of the senate.

what was he like for you? >> you know, larry, we did. but in truth, we came together because of his unique ability to reach across the aisle. but i think in addition to what my leagues have said, this whole personal aspect of a man who -- with passions that are dominant, his passions are supreme, but passions were never about the kennedys, or about himself, but it came back to these passions that are more than just a bunch of stories, but almost a melody that carried throughout his life. and the passions are for the underserved, for healing. for -- for passion. that's the themeatic that's going to play out as people tell their stories over the next couple dace. >> larry: ted kennedy was one of only six senators to serve more than 40 years. i interview them in 2006. we talked about his long ten

to tenure, take a look. >> you've been there 44 years. >> there's always people out there interested in the challenge. we've worked hard at it. we're going continue to work hard. >> larry: how long do you want to stay? >> i say until i get the hang of it. i usually hear that question from my nieces and never us wondering how long are you going to stay? >> larry: you've been called one of the great senators of all time. "time" magazine dubbed you the deal-maker. you like the senate, obvious? >> i enjoy it. >> larry: joe lieberman is it true that his word was his bond? >> it is true that his word was his bond. and you can't stress how important that is in politics and legislative politics enough. we don't sign contracts. we make agreements, and it's your word that counts or doesn't count. i'll tell you a quick story. john mccain and ted kennedy led

a bipartisan group a few years back to try to achieve immigration reform. we had about 12 of us. six democrats and republicans agreed finally on a compromise and also agreed that we had to stick together to defeat all amendments, even though there would be amendments from the left and right, various of us would wish we could vote for and i will tell you the truth that not everybody kept that agreement, but ted kennedy did. he stood up and voted no on some amendments that he really wanted to vote for because he had come to a compress mice that was going to achieve immigration reform. unfortunately it didn't ultimately do it. that was kennedy. his word was his bond. he was willing -- he knew when to stand, and advocate, to use that almost operatic tenor.

>> as is customary. when the member of the senate dies his desk in the senate is draped in black. a white vase of flowers a coach of robert frost's poem "the road not taken." frost cited an original poem. at jfk's inaugural. we don't have pictures. it's not in session and no videos are stills are permitted in the chamber. we'll be right back. >> the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dream shall never die. we have only just begun to fight. we will never give up. we will nerve r never given it and in 1992 we are going to win. that is our challenge. that is our new frontier. cross if we can. and cross it we must. the work begins anew.

the hope rises again. and the dream lives on.

>> i'll support the candidate who inspires me, who inspires all of us, who can lift our vision and summon our hopes and renew our belief that our country's best days are still to come. it's time again for a new generation of leadership. it is time few for barack obama. >> by the way, we've learn thad president obama will zlifr one of the eulogies at the funeral on saturday. the president is already in massachusetts on vacation. would it be correct, senator warner to call kennedy the lion of the senate? >> oh, yes, i've never seen that defined but he certainly -- he certainly earned it. you mentioned the word "love" in the first question you threw to me. and i thought about that for a minute. that was a man that had love in

his heart. he loved his wife, she really stood by him, courageously throughout this last episode, his children, his family. he loved the people who were less fortunate than he. you stop to look back through his work in the senate. it was always to try to take care of those who needed health care, whether they needed educational benefits. always thinking of those less fortunate tan himself, a man who is born into wealth but never stopped thinking one day in the senate about those less fortunate. >> larry: well said. ted kennedy cast votes on most of the crucial issues on the second half of the 20th century and early years of the 21st. when i spoke with him in 2006, he pointed to one vote above all others. watch. you called iraq the overriding issue. you voted to go there or not? >> no, the best vote i cast in the united states senate -- >> larry: the best?

>> best vote i cast in the united states senate in my lifetime >> larry: in your lifetime? >> absolutely was not to go? >> not to go. >> larry: why did you vote against? >> i'm on the armed services committee. and i was inclined to support the administration when we started the hearing. and it was enormously interesting to me that the -- those that had been -- that were the -- in the armed forces, that had served in combat, were universally opposed to going. and virtually all of them said no, this is not going to work. and they virtually identified -- and that really was a influenced me to be the greatest degree. >> congressman markihe, does that surprise you that he considered this his greatest vote? >> well, you know, i think the reason that so many americans admire him, is that he didn't

just measure his success by his victories. but how fiercely he fought even in defeat, if he felt that an important principle was at stake. i think that's really what makes him such a special senator, such a special american. because people knew that when he spoke on the senate floor, that they were listening to true north. they knew that this man was speaking the truth, and they believed in him. and so, no, not at all. there are many achievements that he has, and we can talk about them for the rest of the night and not even get to the end of the list. but in a lot of ways, when the senate was in the minority, the democrats, that is, and he didn't have a great chance for success, that's when he stood up, that's when his voice was loudest, and i think that's what he should be most proud of,

because when that war in iraq was being debated, his was a lonely voice, but he was proud of it and he should be. >> in a couple minutes we'll ask senator frist about what it was like to deal with senator kennedy. be back in a minute.

>> larry: health care reform was at the top of ted kennedy's agen agenda. spent almost 30 years as a man on a mission. here he is in 1908 then again 2008 talking about what he called the cause of his lifetime. watch. >> we cannot have a fair prosperity and isolation from a fair society. so i will continue to stand for a national health insurance. we must, we must not surrender to the relentless medical inflation that can bankrupt almost anyone. and that may soon break the budgets of government at every level. let us insist on real controls,

over what doctors and hospitals can charge. and let us resolve that the state of a family's health shall never depend on the size of a family family wealth. >> 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. >> larry: the kind of guy ted kennedy was, i wrote him a letter when it was revealed that he had brain cancer. and expressed my thoughts and hopes for him. and i got this letter back. september 9 t, 2008.

dear larry. my doctors tell me it's important to wear rose colored glasses these days and things look even brighter because of you. with our blue and red wrist bands, we can conquer any challenge. i was very touched by your letter and your kind words. knowing how well you've overcome health problems of your own, your personal support and encouragement were especially welcome. thank you so much, larry. it's reassuring to have such a caring friend. vicki and i deeply grateful to you for reaching out to us at this time. you truly lifted our spirits. all the best, ted. we'll be back with ted kennedys friends from the congress after this. re offering a solution for a customer that maybe has to choose between paying their credit card or putting food on the table. our main objective is to reach out to the customers that are falling behind on their payments.

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for ten years, republican leadership have refused to let us get a vote on increasing the minimum wage. >> our goal is to improve public schools, not abandon them. >> this administration feels it's above the law. we have not seen such arrogance in a president since watergate. >> congress and the american people deserve to know the true risks of war. five days we've been debating. this is big brother run amok.

>> senator fris >> larry: senator frist what was it like to take him on? >> larry it was fascinating. i think the last segment brought out the consistency of dramatics to ensure the health. when i was an intern in college, i came and spent an hour and a half in college because of his commitment to this same thing. same speech you just played on universal care and national health insurance and all of the way through becoming majority leader. he consistently had that thing, would negotiate hard, would stay at the table, would stick with his liberal egal tar yan princip principles, but at the end of the day was always there for the greater good. in that last segment you mentioned caring, because it hadn't been brought out, being in the senate family with ted kennedy, he was the first to call when my parps died, they

died within 24 hours of each other. of all of the united states senators and congressman it was ted kennedy and vicki kennedy who called not just to give their condolences but to grieve sharing a little bit of their past. the consistency and themeatic is what we saw day in and day out. >> larry: ted kennedy's triumph triumph and tragedy we talked about that interview in '96. >> can you take it back and explain what it is about the family that keeps them going? >> well, i think like many other family, we had -- we're blessed with two parents, different but complementary in so many ways that made a very special house, at least i think most family members would feel that way about their own home. and wonderful brothers and sisters, all of whom were our best of friends, all different personalities.

>> larry: has it been a burden to be sort of the patriarch of this family two brothers -- they all come you to, don't they? >> well, they do. it's a wonderful experience. and -- i mean, the circumstances that brought it about, obviously, remained with me every day. but they are really wonderful r wonderful. and so many of them are doing such interesting things. i now that my brother jack and brother bobby would be enormously proud of their children. >> larry: joe lieberman, how do you explain the kennedys? >> what a story. a father committed to american -- committed to seeing his family succeed. and giving them the support to do so. a mother of profound religious faith, who instilled that faith in her children and give them the optimism. and i think the ability to

transcend difficulties that comes with faith, and, you know, this family loved america. they wanted to serve it, make it better. i think that -- you know, something i was thinking about today, larry, when john f. kennedy was elected, what struck all of us was not just his intelligence, his -- the nobility with which he approached public service, he broke a barrier. he was the first roman catholic to be erected president. for me as a jewish kid growing up. maybe beginning to think about politics probably for a lot of other minority groups, including racial minority groups maybe that said to us anything really is possible in this country. i'd say there's a direct line between the kennedy family and the fact that barack obama is our president today. so -- >> larry: well put. >> a great american family who set a model for all of the rest of us for public service. ted kennedy i think was one of the most productive senators in

american history. and the great thing to say is though he didn't fill out the dream he had to be president, once he acknowledged that, he came back and set himself on being the best senator he could be, he was one of the greatest in american history. >> larry: would we say he's one of those that are irreplaceable? >> certainly, he's going to have a chapter in senate history. it's a very interesting thing that occurred in this interview. you might not be aware of it. you asked the question of him. what was his most important vote. and he gave you a clear answer. and to show you, the uniqueness of the senate and joe lieberman and i say with a deep sense of humility. we're among ted's best friends. yet that vote was cast against a resolution, drawn up by john warner, and joe lieberman. >> it didn't have a -- a bit of an effect on our relationship. i hope and believe, because we

all knew we were doing what we believed was right and our relationships would go on and we'd be working together on the next one. >> larry: that's the strength of the united states senate. >> great story, thank you all very much. congressman ed markihe, former senator bill frist. former senator john warner good to have them with us and senator joe lieberman of connecticut. we'll talk with dear nancy reagan next. mom knew i needed calcium from day one. now i'm the mom. and i know... 80% of us don't get enough calcium from food. our bodies can steal it from our bones. give yourself some tlc. tender loving caltrate. and give tlc to somebody you love.

the energy, the fifth, the devotion, which we bring to this endeavor. will light our country and all conservatives. >> you know, you try and remember at least the more hopeful times of those who you loved, impressed you with. >> larry: it's not generally known. nancy reagan, former first lady joins us on the phone. but you and your husband were quite friendly with the kennedys, were you not? >> we were very friendly with them. yes, we were. most people didn't realize the friendship, or didn't accept, or didn't know about the friendship. you know, ronny was so

identified with the republican party and teddy obviously with the democrat party. but that doesn't make any difference, larry, really, shouldn't make any difference. i'm afraid it does now but it shouldn't. >> larry: i remember you tilling me the story you and ronny went up to the kennedy home in mclean for an evening of fun and frivolity, right? >> that's right. what happened was that teddy add asked ronny to speak at the library, and n mclean, and do a fund-raiser for them, which he did, very happily. >> larry: what was your reaction to the news? i guess it wasn't unexpected. >> no, of course it wasn't. it's still sad. terribly, terribly sad, but not unexpected, no. >> larry: do you think a common bond was also the irish an setry? >> well, could be, i never

thought about that. it's possible. they're both -- they both certainly enjoyed good stories. >> larry: yeah, they did. >> they both had very definite opinions about things. and it was a wonderful, wonderful friendship. >> larry: said a lot about america, didn't it? >> yes, it did. yes, it did. i wish, i wish, larry, that i could say that of now, i just don't get the feeling that that's there now. do you? >> larry: no, respect seems to be gone. you and ted had a lot of common ground on the issue of stem cell, did you not? >> yes, we did. i was the one who was always calling people. >> larry: no kidding. >> these poor men, i'm sure every time somebody came in and said, oh, prs reagan is calling again. they said oh, my god, no. not again.

>> larry: we hear a lot about vicki. what's she like? >> i didn't know her well, at all. but, yes, i understand she's lovely, lovely woman who has made him very, very happy. >> larry: obviously, huh? well, he had a long and wonderful life. how, by the way, before you leave us, how are you doing? >> i'm fine, except, you know, i broke my pelvis, and that's not have fun. >> larry: i'll bet. are you okay now? you're pretty -- last time i saw you, you were very ambulatory. >> kind of, kind of, larry. i walk with a walker now. that's no fun. you know. this whole thing is not for me. >> larry: is it true that there's no such thing as the golden years? >> that's true. there certainly isn't. whoever made that up, should be spanked. >> larry: thanks, nancy, thanks for joining us as always. >> thanks, larry. >> larry: former first lady.

terrific lady. nancy reagan on the passing of ted kennedy. we'll be right back.

my brother need not be eye deliezed or enlarged in debt beyond what he was in life. be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it.

saw suffering and tried to heal it. saw war an tried to stop it. those of us who loved him and who take him to his rest today, pray that what he was to us, what he wished for others, will someday come to pass for all of the world. >> larry: that was a great eulogy. coming up in a couple minutes we'll be joined by david gergen. served as white house adviser to ford, nixon, reagan and clinton and longtime friend of kennedy family and best selling memoir how counselor life at the edge of history" first we're joined by governor duvall patrick. democratic governor of massachusetts. what's your reaction to his passing, governor? >> it's a long and sad day here

in massachusetts. we lost one of the commonwealth's and country's brightest lights last night. he was larger than life and completely down to earth as the same time as some of all of your guests have said. i certainly admired and respected him for his total commitment to social and economic justice but also just loved spending time with him personally. >> larry: prior to his death he urged state lawmakers to change the special erection law to allow you to appoint an interim senator. is that going to happen? >> i think it remains to be seen. we have a provision that requires a special election in circumstances like this one. i support that law. so did senator kennedy. i also believe that the senator's request to permit the governor to appoint someone to serve for approximately five months between now and that special election is imminently reasonable. and i think that massachusetts needs two voices in the united states senate especially at a

time of momefou momentous chang this. now is a time to reflect on wife and contributions and pray for comfort of his wife vicki and his family. >> larry: if legislature passed a bill. would you sign it? >> i will sign it. >> larry: would you run for senate? >> goodness no. i've got my hands full with my current job. >> larry: what's your best memory of ted? >> so many great ones. i can remember him stewarding my confirmation through the senate judiciary committee, through the krin ton administration and i can remember him and vicki and two wonderful broadway star, and the conductor of the boston pops and his wife sitting in our home, in western massachusetts, singing show tunes into the wee hours of the night. as i say, at the same moment, both larger than life, totally down to earth. smart, kind, warm, savvy and

wicked funny. >> larry: we will not see his likes again. thank you, governor. >> thank you so much, larry. >> larry: governor devale patrick. coming up our own john king. don't go away. from names like danskin now and starter. select eyeglass frames are just $9 at walmart - and they have a 12-month guarantee. juniors' tops from op are $9, too. $9. considering what you get, that's a really great price. back to school costs less at walmart. save money. live better. walmart.

>> larry: among the many mourning the loss of ted kennedy today were president oh balm pa and vice president biden. watch. >> over the past several years, i've had the honor to ball keddy a colleague, a counselor and a friend. and even though we have known this day was coming for quite some time we awaited it with no small object of dread. since teddy's diagnosis last year we saw the couragely he battled this illness. while these months have been difficult for him they've also let him hear from people in every corner of our nation an around the world just how much he meant to all of us.

his fight, has given us the opportunity we were denied when his brothers john and robert were taken from us. the blessing of time to say thank you and good-bye. >> he changed the circumstances of tens of millions of americans. and literal sense. literally. literally. changed the circumstances. he changed also another aspect of it as i observed about him. he changed not only the physical circumstance, he changed how they looked at themselves. and how they looked at one another. >> larry: it was another big loss today, a good friend. dominick dunne died after bladder cancer at his home. a home i recently visited. he was 83, special correspondent for "vanity fair." wrote about the rich and famous. he became a vocal victims'

rights advocate after the murder of his daughter and great friend to this show. there was no one like dominick dunne and late brother john gregory dunne. he had a style like any other. the words flowed. a grand man. we'll miss him. we'll be right back. ( siren blaring ) special interest groups are trying to block progress on health care reform, derailing the debate with myths and scare tactics. desperately trying to stop you from discovering that reform won't force you to give up your current coverage. you'll still be able to choose your doctor and insurance plan. tell congress not to let myths get in the way of fixing what's broken with health care. learn the facts at healthactionnow.org.

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>> i think the first impression that i've always had is how fortunate i've been to have grown up in a family and been able to learn what i tried to

learn, and continue to learn, but most of all learned what i did from wonderful parents and great brothers and sisters. >> larry: anderson is going to coast "ac 360" at the top of the hour. let's see what's up? >> we'll look at the remarkable legacy and life of senator ted kennedy. 40 of them spent as senator for massachusetts a lot to discuss. personal and political. heroic and tragedy. we'll be digging deeper into the causes and impact he made on civil rights and health care coverage and a sad day, author and reporter dominick dunne a friend of yours and mine since i was a little kid. we'll look back at his remarkable life as well, larry. >> larry: well said.

10:00 eastern, 7:00 pacific, anderson cooper. joining us in hyannis port, massachusetts david gergen, senior political analyst. new york ed sorenson, author of best selling memoir "counselor, life of the history" and john king. cnn party and anchor. john, what can you tell us about president obama attending the funeral? >> larry, president obama we're told will attend the funeral mass at the mission church a couple miles from where i am at the kennedy library. it was a church where senator kennedy went to play, receive communion and reflect when his young daughter kara was treated for lung cancer. president obama will attend the funeral and deliver a eulogy at that mass on saturday. then of course they will fly on to washington and be buried at arlington national cemetery with his brothers.

here over the next two days the senator will lie in repose, people of massachusetts and others will visit him and reflect on him. there will be a big separation an irish wake friday night senator john mccain and senator john kerry will speak and celebrate the life of senator kennedy. >> larry: john king in boston. david gergen, in hyannis port in the history of the senate where does he rank? >> very high. let me say for starters it's a honor to be with ted sorenson on the same panel. he was such a friend to the kennedys been in hyannis port so many, many times. sad the kennedy leaders were lions of liberal movement in the united states and ted sorenson was the man who helped them find of roar. so hats off to him. i know this is a very meaningful night for him. i think ted kennedy will always be remembered as the man who

rose from ashing and in effect not much was expected from him. he had many personal failings as he was free to admit butthem. and the last 40 plus years of his life, had an enormous impact upon american public life, as a voice for freedom, for equality, for justice. a man who often pursued lost causes, but championed them in a way that brought them back to life repeatedly, such as national health insurance, that fight now. but he also, larry, will be remembered as one of the most popular members of the senate, because he stood up to these old traditions of making the senate a body that tried to get work done. not just talk, but work done. and that meant he reached across the aisle on numerous occasions, formed friendships with republicans like orrin hatch. that were the life and blood of a senate that often did great things. and he deserves an awful lot of credit for that. >> david has a lot of

commitments, so we thank him. we'll be calling on him again probably tomorrow night. david gergen, thanks so much, and thanks for those nice words for ted sorenson. ted, if we used one word to describe ted kennedy, would it be growth? >> that's exactly right. like all his brothers, he demonstrated extraordinary growth. so many politicians once day get to washington, they think they know it all, they stop growing. the kennedys, when they reached washington, knew there was a lot they did not yet know and that they wanted to know and ted kennedy was one who reached out for more information, more issues, new horizons. >> larry: historically, was he one of the greats? >> yes. not only because of the length of his service, 46 years, but because he became a champion of so many causes, whether they were popular or not. and i can assure you that

although i love the state of massachusetts, not all of his causes, including civil rights, equal opportunities for all americans, regardless of color, were at all times unanimously supported, even in his own party back in massachusetts. >> john king, what was he like to cover? >> he was very fun to cover, larry, because he loved his job so much. he was someone who truly loved legislating in the senate, truly loved public battle. he loved to go to the floor of the senate. and in the old days, the senate's not what it used to be, but in the old days, the republicans wouldn't leave the chamber. they would come into the chamber and sit down and listen. because even if you disagreed with everything he was about to say, it was going to be a great speech. and he also loved, though, doing the business. ted kennedy, tip o'neill were from a generation where you did battle with the wrong reagans or the george h.w. bushes during

the day and then at night you would have a drink and see if you could get what you wanted. i covered my first days in washington a debate about whether to raise the minimum wage. he would pull you aside, ask this senator if he was ready to give or take. and he always shuffled around the halls. he had that horrific back pain from the plane crash, couldn't lift his feet all the time. but he always had laughter. despite the pain and tragedy in his life, he had that big trademark, big tooth kennedy smile and laughter all the time. >> larry: we'll be back with ted sorenson and john king right after this.

>> larry: ted sorenson, how do you think he was able to overcome so many early deficits

in his life? >> you said one word was growth, i would say one word was survivor. all of his older brothers were violently killed when they were still young. he must have wondered, as a national figure who was often subject to words of scorn and hate, he must have been wondered about the hate mail pouring into his office, whether he would survive. he survived a plane crash in which he might well have been killed, as his oldest brother was. he survived the automobile accident in which his passenger was killed. he kept coming back, because he was strong, because he was determined, and because he believed that he had a commitment to fulfill as the

legity of his older brothers. >> larry: how much will his loss affect, john king, the health care debate? >> reporter: it is a fascinating policy question, as we reflect on the life and legacy of the senator, what will come of his death. you know, many -- and ted could tell you better than i, i only know it from the history books -- that lyndon johnson passed some of the things that john f. kennedy wanted to pass, that he couldn't get through in his day, because there was a change in the political dynamic after president kennedy's assassination. will there be a change in the health care dynamic after his passing? if you do the math, the answer would be probably not. sometimes math doesn't apply to politics. here is the challenge right now. president obama so could have used the help of senator kennedy to bridge the differences within the democratic party and then perhaps some of the differences with the republicans. but the big challenge is in the democratic family. the challenge now is for the president to do this himself.

and whether he can invoke senator kennedy's memory and legacy in trying to muster that will within his party is the defining challenge when the president returns back to work next month. >> larry: ted, we only have a minute left. we must ask this. did you write the line "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country"? >> well, larry, i'm flattered that on a day when so much else is so much more important, that you even asked that question, but, i'm nice enough to say some kind words about my book and i try to set forth in full in my book the background of that phrase, so my answer has to be the same one i've given to others for all these years -- ask not. >> larry: well, we're all going to miss ted kennedy and i thank all of our guests tonight. nancy reagan, our panelists earlier from the senate and from the house, david gergen, the cnn senior political analyst, john king, who hosts "state of the

union with john king," that great sunday morning program, and of course, ted sorenson, one of the heroes of anybody who's ever written a line. the brilliant ted sorenson. i'm going to end a minute early tonight and we'll end simply by saying, ted, we'll miss you. good night. tonight, like you, we're trying to sum up ted kennedy's remarkable life, knowing full well that the job is nearly impossible. not in a phrase, a sentence, an hour, or a night. anyone in the public eye, for as long as he was, leaves many impressions. anyone who grew into his public role and his job as ted kennedy did, who filled such shoes and met such expectations, sometimes failing badly at it, such a person is, in fact, many people over many years. 77 years, almost every minute in front of reporters and cameras, nearly half a century in the united states senate. senator kennedy died last night at his