congress on his health care reform program. that's all for us. campbell brown is back tomorrow. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >> larrp>> larry: tonightr rememberip remembering remd >> larrp>> larry: tonightr rememberip remembering re n by tragedy, troubled by scandal, ted kennedy took a stand on liberal principles and claimed his place on the national landscape. we recall his life and listen to his words. next on this special edition of "larry king live." thanks for joining us. ted kennedy was an american

legend. while his last name garnered him a great deal after tension, his career in the senate allowed him to cause his own legacy. the youngest of nine children, he outlived all three of his brothers, joe jr., jack and bobby, he entered the senate in 1962 and over the decades emerged as an influential and iconic figure in the democratic party. i had the privilege of interviewing senator kennedy several times. we often talked about his family legacy and world-famous last name. what is it like to be a kennedy, to be ted kennedy? you drive around and there's the kennedy center. it can never leave you. it can't leave you. you live and you work here. what is that like? >> well, i think the first impression that i 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 people learn what i did from wonderful parents and great brothers and sisters. my sisters do very many interesting and caring things as well, as you're familiar with. so you have the challenges of being measured against the past. but that's really sort of a challenge, isn't it? that's to measure up. it's a high standard and you work at it and some days you measure up. >> larry: do you feel emotional? >> that's another, you know, personal sense of loss is obviously -- continues to -- >> larry: maybe because it's always around you. >> well, that's true. but you try and remember at least the more hopeful times of those who you loved, impressed

you with. they were both brothers and sisters were enormously lively, interesting and fun people, as my parents were. they wanted to be involved. and my father was a wonderful letter writer, to all the members, large family, nine of us. and when i was 8 years old, i make reference to the letter he wrote me. he was in london. he was ambassador to london, the war was on. and hi had been over there and sent home when the bombing really intensified in london. and he wrote me a letter about, to the bombing and how it was destroying people's lives and how he would hope that when i grew up, that you could work to try and avoid the wars and try and work to lessen the kinds of suffering that people would have

as a result of conflict and war. >> larry: tough father? >> yeah, but a wonderful, inspiring -- >> larry: loving? >> loving. caring, tough. he had a sense of expectation for each of us. and it always was high. my niece, amanda smith, did a wonderful collection of letters, put them together in a book. my older brother, joe, would write back, dear dad, i got four as and one b plus. i'm going to work like anything to get that b plus up to another a. my brother jack would have two cs or four cs and a d. he'd be looking for his allowance. you could see as life went on, the letters from jack began to get better and morree eloquent. >> where his paternal great

grandfather was born. they've never seen a day like this before. >> larry: your brother once had asked her about john kennedy's trip to ireland, very famous trip as president and mrs. kennedy, your mother said, when he was in ireland, he mentioned the kennedys a lot. but he didn't mention the fitzgeralds. when i see john, i'll mention that to him. you said you had a story about that. >> when he came back to boston, he had one of the press ask him that question, why he didn't mention fitzgeralds. he said when he first campaigned for congress with grandpa fitzgerald, grandpa had been elected to congress in 1896 with three terms and came back and was mayor of boston. when he campaigned with my brother, right after the war, my brother came back from the pacific, he said we traveled around the district, grandpa

would be in a certain part of the district which would be settled by people from cork and he'd pretend he was from cork. then they'd go to a different part of the district and he said he was from slygo. my brother said, i never knew where grandpa was from. my mother heard that story. she didn't accept it completely but it was a good story. >> larry: ted kennedy, pate trih of an american dynasty. stay with us. sits on top of skin,oistr almost as if you're wearing it. only new dove deep moisture has nutriummoisture, a breakthrough formula with natural moisturizers... that can nourish deep down. it's the most effective natural nourishment ever. new dove deep moisture with nutriummoisture.

superior natural nourishment for your skin. when our team is playing. well, almost nothing. announcer: with unbeatable prices on totino's pizza rolls-- game time costs less at walmart. save money. live better. walmart.

>> larry: the assassination of robert f. kennedy in june of '68 left ted as the only surviving kennedy brother in his generation. the death of his father, joe kennedy sr. made him the patriarch of a sprawling clan. i asked him what being the head of his family was like? >> a wonderful experience. i mean, the circumstances that brought it about, obviously, remain with me every day. but they are really wonderful. so manufacture them are doing such interesting things. i know my brother jack, my brother bobby would be enormously proud of their children. so they're a great source of joy and fun. and now they're all of age, a lot of them are of age where they're taking on the sort of responsibilities, the camping trips, things which i used to

have to organize years ago. they're good enough to invite me on them. i feel very lucky because of that whole experience. >> larry: can you take a step back, senator, and explain what it is about the family that keeps them going? >> well, i think like many other families, we had -- were blessed with two parents, different but complimentary 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. i have wonderful brothers and sisters, all of whom are best of friends, all different personalities. >> larry: overcoming tragedy, is there -- >> i think my mother really probably sort of set the standard. >> here is a very little picture of ted with his father at the embassy. >> my father as well, in a very important way.

and that was a sustaining force. i think her example at the most difficult times and her ability to try and continue to be hopeful and optimistic, i think obviously helped. >> here is ted, our youngest son. in front of his father. he had the great distinction of receiving his first holy communion from the pope. >> larry: after john was killed, she was very sad but she said, i'll, him someday. >> she was inspirational of faith and it's had a powerful impact on her children and the grandchildren. i think those who are closest to her, her friends, she's a strong believer. she uses her faith in a positive way. it's a hopeful faith. she doesn't have time for the negative aspects of faith.

it's a powerful, hopeful -- >> larry: she didn't walk around like the catholic sinner? >> no. that's right. that's probably nothing really for her to feel guilty about, number one. it's a hopeful, optimistic. it's the resurrection. >> another kennedy has thrown his hat into the political arena. >> larry: why public service? you didn't have to. you don't need this. you don't have to serve in the senate. a lot of business is available to you. you could travel, lazy life through in a sense. why take the trials and tribulations at this point? it seems the minuses outweigh the pluses. >> well, the public service was something which was very important in our family from the early beginnings. it took elective office with

regards to president kennedy, my brother bob and myself. but it has taken other forms, my sisters, my sister eunice has been very much involved in the founding of the special olympics program, which is all over this country. provides very special opportunities for those that are mentally retarded. >> larry: where does that come from? >> my sister, jeanne, a very special arts program. it was rooted in the concept that this country has been a very important and powerful country, that my father was able to benefit from and that we ought to give something back to america in terms of all that it has given to us. it's not a question of obligation as much to the country as a sense of feeling about our fellow human beings. it's about how you might be able to have an impact, a positive impa impact, on the people. >> the younger brother of the president scored an overwhelming

victory in the democratic primary, capturing 69% of the vote. >> i think my father believed strongly that america should represent sort of the level playing field and then individual commissioners can move ahead. you don't have to -- the one point my brothers all pointed out, you don't have to be a senator or congressman to make a difference. all you have to do is be involved. i would just hope that for my nieces and nephews they would have the constructive and positive and useful lives. they don't have to be elected, necessarily. [ engine powers down ] gentlemen, you booked your hotels on orbitz. well, the price went down, so you're all getting a check thanks. for the difference. except for you -- you didn't book with orbitz,

so you're not getting a check. well, i think we've all learned a valuable lesson today. good day, gentlemen. thanks a lot. thank you. introducing hotel price assurance, where if another orbitz customer books the same hotel for less, we send you a check for the difference, automatically. to silence headaches... doctors recommend tylenol... more than any other brand... of pain reliever. tylenol rapid release gels... release medicine fast. so you can stop headaches... and feel better fast. with cialis for daily use... a clinically proven, low-dose tablet for erectile dysfunction you take every day

so you can be ready anytime the moment is right. tell your doctor about your medical condition and all medications and ask if you're healthy enough for sexual activity. don't take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. don't drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long term injury seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than 4 hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision stop taking cialis and call your doctor right away. (announcer) 36-hour cialis. or cialis for daily use. ask your doctor about cialis today, so when the moment is right, you can be ready.

i 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. 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 obama. >> the year i was born, president kennedy, without words, the torch had been passed to a new generation of americans. he was right, it had. it was passed to his youngest brothers. in the battles of the 1960s to the battles of today, he has carried that torch, lighting the

way for all who share his american ideas. >> larry: the kennedy family has been a fixture of democratic party politics since the 1890s. ted kennedy was the second kennedy brother to serve in the u.s. senate. first elected in 1962, at age 30. when i spoke with him in 1996, i asked about his family's involvement in public service. how many kennedys are now in office? >> i've lost count. >> larry: you, joe -- >> congressman joe kennedy, congressman patrick kennedy. my son is doing a wonderful job. joe is, too. in rhode island and keith lien townsend is lieutenant governor in maryland and mark shriver is doing well. i'm just glad i won't be around for the iowa primary in the next century.

i think he has an interest in public affairs. he's interested in politics, the school of government in harvard. i saw him on monday. he's very much involved with not only his project in terms of his magazine but he's interested in issues. he reads, he's interested in history. >> america is better because of the leadership of edward kennedy. may he continue to guide us for many years to come. ladies and gentlemen, my uncle, ted kennedy. >>. >> larry: that still exists, the togetherness in the kennedys? >> yes. >> larry: it didn't go away, right? >> yes. it's one of the great, lucky things of my family. >> larry: that gathering concept. it's a touching family, too, right? >> very much so. >> larry: the boys get along. go for each other kind of

family? >> absolutely. >> larry: let's start with your grandfather. >> i had heard. he took a great interest in his. i think he created that sort of environment and that ethos within the family and it passed on. >> the energy, the faith, the devotion, which we bring to this endeavor will unite our country and all who serve it. and the glow from that fire can truly light the world. >> larry: probably memories of your father are not great. >> they're great but they're not plentiful. >> larry: or of your uncle robert, right? >> they're more vivid of him. >> larry: you were how old when he died? >> i was 8. >> larry: that's a vivid memory to you. >> fairly. he was a vivid character. he was quite a forceful presence. >> larry: was he involved in raising you, too? >> at times. raising many of us. all of us in our family, teddy

and bobby really, one of the things they took great interest in was the family and the cousins and making a kind of sense of community, especially in the summertime. >> in our family he's never missed a first communion, a graduation or a chance to walk one of his nieces down the aisle. he has a special relationship with each of us. and all the great nieces and nephews all know that the best cookies and the best laughs are always found at uncle teddy's. >> i think teddy has shown a tremendous amount of courage in his career. there's somebody who always compromises and is always working for the ideals that he believes in. >> larry: do the kennedys gather like they used to, all of them together? >> it's hard to gather them all together. >> larry: how many are there? >> grandchildren, great

grandchildren. >> larry: you keep asking me that. i think you know. >> i think there's around 70 something or 80 something. >> i'll return to the united states senate. my game and my goal is to be the best united states senator. in that i pledge i will be. thank you. >> larry: you've been there 44 years. running again, right? >> yes. >> larry: how long you want to stay? >> i stay until i get the hang of it. i usually get that question from my nieces and nephews. 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 dealmaker. that must be an honor to you. you like the senate, obviously. >> i enjoy it. >> larry: when we return, we'll delve into serious matters, tragedy and trouble, and the scandal that shattered his life and career. stay with us. canopy egyptian cotton sheets are designed

to get softer every time you wash them. and canopy comforters don't have to be dry-cleaned, which makes your bed easier to sleep in and that much harder to leave. canopy home furnishings. available at walmart. save money. live better. walmart. but i've still got room for the internet. with my new netbook from at&t. with its built-in 3g network, it's fast and small, so it goes places other laptops can't. i'm bill kurtis, and i've got plenty of room for the internet. and the nation's fastest 3g network. gun it, mick. (announcer) sign up today and get a netbook for $199.99 after mail-in rebate. with built-in access to the nation's fastest 3g network.

only from at&t. dad, here-look at this- your p.a.d. isn't just poor circulation in your legs causing you pain. ok-what is it? dad, it more than doubles your risk of a heart attack or stroke. i can't keep anything from you. you better read about plavix. if you have p.a.d., plavix can help protect you from a heart attack or stroke. plavix helps keep blood platelets from sticking together and forming clots- the cause of most heart attacks and strokes. dad don't put this off. p.a.d. more than doubles your risk of a heart attack or stroke. promise me you'll talk with your doctor about plavix? i'll do it. i promise. (announcer) if you have a stomach ulcer or other condition that causes bleeding, you should not use plavix. taking plavix alone or with some other medicines including aspirin may increase bleeding risk.

tell your doctor before planning surgery or taking aspirin or other medicines with plavix, especially if you've had a stroke. some medicines that are used to treat heartburn or stomach ulcers, like prilosec, may affect how plavix works, so tell your doctor if you are taking other medicines. if fever, unexplained weakness or confusion develops, tell your doctor promptly. these may be signs of ttp, a rare, but potentially life-threatening condition, reported sometimes less than 2 weeks after starting plavix. other rare but serious side effects may occur.

three shots were fired at president kennedy's motorcade in downtown dallas. >> this is the scene at the hospital as the body of president kennedy has been taken to dallas' -- >> let's go on to chicago and let's win there. my thanks to all of you. >> robert f. kennedy, 43 years old, died the next day. >> those of us who loved him and take him to his rest today, pray that what he was to us and what he wished for others will someday come to pass for all the world. >> larry: assassinations of john and robert kennedy shook this country to the core. they were the most violent manifestations of what some have

called the kennedy curse, a series of public and personal tragedies that have plagued this american dynasty over the decades. after the tragedy that happened in the family, did you give a conscious thought to saying, i have had two brothers -- >> not really. that would have been -- it wouldn't have been the kind of thing that would have honored their memory. not that i'm in it just in that sense but the thought never really crossed my mind. we've had our share of difficulties and tragedies in the family. but by and large, not greatly different from most families around the country. >> misfortune strikes the kennedy family once again. senator edward m. kennedy was seriously injured when his private plane crashed in the woods near southampton, massachusetts. the senator was on his way to the state democratic convention where he was renominated when

the plane crashed in a heavy fog. >> larry: how many people have survived? do you think about it a lot? >> when it's bothering me, i always remember loss of a great friend, ed moss. i always remember evan bayh's father, birch bayh. he saved my life, dragged me out of that plane. planes are dangerous. i don't fly in bad weather. >> larry: you don't fly? >> if it's bad weather at all. it's very easy. come next year at this time. >> on chappaquiddick island, a repeated effort to save mary joe by diving into the strong and murky current. this morning i ended a plea of guilty to leaving the scene of

an accident. your -- no words can possibly express the pain and suffering i feel over this tragic incident. >> larry: do you think the chappaquiddick thing will ever go away? there have been two recent books. >> it's a tragedy i will live with for the rest of my life. there's no way of really knowing. >> larry: did you ever say to yourself -- i would have been president without that. >> no, i don't. no, i don't. as i've said many times, there's a tragedy, i've taken responsibility for it. i'm very much involved in the actions of the senate. >> larry: do you -- >> no, i don't. i've been until the business too long. you have to or you're not going to be able to have an impact in

terms of -- >> larry: in other words, you can tune it out. you know the book window -- >> you don't have to be able to do that in this business. otherwise you're going to spend too much of your time looking over your shoulder on a variety of choices and decisions. i don't really now spend the time worrying. this is the first time i've been asked about it in three years. >> larry: there are two recent books. >> i'm involved in the senate, the leadership, in trying to in a constructive way on a variety of different domestic issues. >> larry: from personal tragedy to the politics of fear. that's next on this special edition of "larry king live." >> to them i say, i recognize my own shortcomings. the conduct of my private life.

i realize that i, alone, am responsible for them. and i am the one who must confront them. i drove my first car from my parent's home in the north of england to my new job at the refinery in the south. i'll never forget. it used one tank of petrol and i had to refill it twice with oil. a new car today has 95% lower emissions than in 1970. exxonmobil is working to improve cars, liners of tires, plastics which are lighter and advanced hydrogen technologies that could increase fuel efficiency by up to 80%.

it's fidelity's guidance -- it shows you ways to spend in retirement that can help your money last, whatever your plans. like, if we wanted to travel? husband: or start a business? advisor: yep. wife: or take some classes? sure. or find the best cheeseburger? the line isn't for everything. whatever your destination, fidelity has the people, guidance and investments to help you find your way.

this just in. you're looking at obviously a very disturbing live shot there. that is the world trade center. we have unconfirmed reports this morning that a plane has crashed into one of the towers of the world trade center. >> you can see the cut of the incision into the building is sideways. the plane was slightly on its side. that's why many people think it was in distress. when it obviously hit, it was

almost no doubt that it was, you know, intentional. it kind of went in in slow motion, looked like something out of the movie. it came out the north side where it impacted and a huge explosion blew out the north side. it was a huge explosion. >> ted kennedy was in his senate office when the first terrorist plane struck the world trade center, september 11th, 2001. he was later joined by first lady laura bush who had come to capitol hill to testify before the committee that he chaired. >> all of us deplore the acts of terrorism that we have seen in these past minutes. >> our hearts and our prayers go out to the victims of this act of terrorism and that our support goes to the rescue workers. >> larry: he told me in 2006 that she showed great composure and strength as the events of that terrible day unfolded. senator kennedy also spoke about how he felt the bush

administration used the anxieties created by 9/11. >> it's really been the issue of the politics of fear. we went through the period of 9/11 over this extraordinary assault in our country. and americans took that to heart. it burned very deeply. we had 188 families in my own state of massachusetts that were directly affected by that tragedy. and the depth of sadness and loss, it was so real and so deep. and americans took this across the board very deeply. but i think back in other times that this country has challenged. and we were really facing annihilation, cuban missile crisis where we could have had a nuclear war, perhaps world war ii, lincoln, at the time we had the civil war, washington at the

revolutionary war, and our great leaders never went to the politics of fear. they had the politics of hope. we're going to do better. we're going to come together. americans accept a challenge and we move on from here. it's the politics of fear that i think has been dominated the last four years. and that has been something, it's karl rove's mantra to win politic elections. and that, i think, eventually catches up. >> this administration feels it's above the law and the american people and our constitution pay the price. there is no accountability. there is no oversight. >> in the united states senate, when we go back over the last couple months, the two constitutional issues that we'll be facing is the constitutional amendment on same-sex marriage and constitutional amendment on flag burning. in order to whip up the base.

whip up their base, trying to get them out, rather than dealing with the kinds of challenges that people are concerned about today. and that is the cost of gasoline prices, the explosion in terms of tuition for their kids to go to school. the fact that people are concerned about whether they're pensions are going to still be there now. >> larry: will that override the fear issue? >> well, i believe so. i basically am a politician of hope. and i think people have really had enough of the past. >> larry: the title of your book is interesting. "back on track." >> sure. >> larry: when were we on track? when did it go off track? >> when i sort of entered the political process, helping my brother, seeing him get elected in the '60s, we had had a whole new generation that really came back from world war ii.

young people had accepted great responsibility. and then they got elected, went into public service. and we had a vision about the soviet union. we're going to have containment of the soviet union. we were dealing with the issues of nuclear proliferation here at home. we responded to the leadership of dr. king. we addressed the issue of the race. we dealt with that in the early 1960s. republicans and democrats, the country came together, knocked down the walls of discrimination. >> there are more than 200,000, a crowd that is bigger than the most optimistic forecast. now there's a growing animation. it seems as if the demonstrators are finding strength in each other. >> we did all of this part here. this is democrats and republicans. it was the vision. we were saying what do we need to do here? americans are prepared to respond. i look at where we are at the present time. >> terrorists like bin laden are

serious about mass murder, and all of us must take their declared intentions seriously. >> it's the politics of fear. and that i've seen being infective. because americans are naturally, all people are, concerned in terms of their security, they're concerned about their security generally, about themselves and particularly about their families and they're concerned about the security of homeland security. >> larry: but is the administration doing a good job in those areas? if you're playing to fear, are you doing it well in the handling of it? >> well, this is where, i think as we're seeing americans now, are, as i think they have been, when given the two kind of options, we'll go for the politics of hope and the possibilities. i think individuals, i believe very deeply do best individually when they're challenged. our country has always done

best. when it's been challenged, coming out of the depression, the second world war. we always have, korean war. we'll go to the moon. we have always done best when we challenge. and when we are in this together, i think the country is prepared for that kind of challenging change. shipping 'em everywhere. but we can't predict our shipping costs. dallas. detroit. different rates. well with us, it's the same flat rate. same flat rate. boston. boise? same flat rate. alabama. alaska? with priority mail flat rate boxes from the postal service. if it fits, it ships anywhere in the country for a low flat rate. dude's good. dude's real good. dudes. priority mail flat rate boxes only from the postal service. a simpler way to ship. i'm more active, i eat right, and i switched to new one a day women's active metabolism.

a complete women's multivitamin plus more for metabolism support. and that's a change i feel good about. new from one a day. - oh, come on. - enough! you get half and you get half. ( chirp ) team three, boathouse? ( chirp ) oh yeah-- his and hers. - ( crowd gasping ) - ( chirp ) van gogh? ( chirp ) even steven. - ( chirp ) mansion. - ( chirp ) good to go. ( grunts ) timber! ( chirp ) boss? what do we do with the shih-tzu? - ( crowd gasps ) - ( chirp ) joint custody. - phew! - announcer: get work done now. communicate in less than a second with nextel direct connect. only on the now network. deaf, hard of hearing and people with speech disabilities access www.sprintrelay.com. than a second with nextel direct connect. only on the now network. ♪ yes, you're lovely... ♪ what do you think? hey, why don't we use our points from chase sapphire and take a break? we can't. sure, we can. the points don't expire... ♪ there is nothing for me... ♪ there's no travel restrictions... we could leave tomorrow. we can't use them for a vacation. you can use the points for just about anything. i know...

♪ the way you look tonight ♪ chase what matters. get your new chase sapphire card at chase.com/sapphire. you'll love it. your old mop will just have to get over it... [ engine rattles ] [ man ] love stinks! ♪ love stinks! ♪ yeah! yeah! [ female announcer ] new swiffer wet jet is redesigned. it cleans deep in corners. its solution penetrates layers of dirt and its absorbent pad locks it away

to clean better than a mop. the newly redesigned swiffer wet jet. ♪ love stinks! i'm anderson cooper. in helman province in afghanistan. soldiers help to try to rebuild the infrastructure to defeat the taliban in this heavily contested area. we're live from afghanistan all week, tonight on "360."

today in iraq we see a threat whose outlines are far more clearly defined. whose consequences could be far more deadly. saddam hussein is harboring terrorists and the instruments of terror, the instruments of mass death and destruction. and he cannot be trusted. members of congress are nearing a historic vote. i'm confident they will fully consider the facts. and their duties. >> larry: ted kennedy was first elected to the senate in 1962. he cast a lot of votes during his decades of service. but he had no doubt about which

mattered most to him. >> the best vote i cast in the united states senate was -- >> larry: the best? >> the best vote i cast in the united states senate -- >> larry: in your life? >> absolutely was not to go to war. >> the american people deserve to know what a conflict in iraq might be like. none of us can foresee the course of events that will unfold if we go to war. before congress acts, the administration has an obligation to explain to the congress and the american people the potential consequences of war. as of now, it has not. >> 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 hearings, the armed services committee. it was enormously interesting to me that those that had been --

that were the -- in the armed forces that had served in combat were universally opposed to going. we had wes clark. he testified in opposition to going to war. we had general zinni, general nash. we had a series of different military officials, a number of whom had been involved in the gulf i war, had records in vietnam, battle-hardened combat military figures. virtually all of them said no, this is not going to work. >> larry: that moved you? >> and that really was a -- influenced me to the greatest degree. >> that's it. there it is. >> go!

>> where are you going? >> take cover! >> and the second point that influenced me was the -- in the time that we were having the briefings -- and these were classified, they've been declassified now -- when secretary rumsfeld came up and said there are weapons of mass destruction, north, south, east and west of baghdad. this was his testimony in the armed services committee. i kept saying, well, if they're not finding any of the weapons of mass destruction, where is the imminent threat to the united states security? it didn't make sense. >> how do we re-establish the working relationships? we need with other countries to win the war on terrorism and advance the ideals we share? and how can we possibly expect president bush to do that? he's the problem, not the solution. iraq is george bush's vietnam

and this country needs a new president. >> larry: you said today that iraq is george bush's vietnam and this country needs a new president. vietnam was started under a democratic administration.

test

♪ as democrats we recognize that each generation of americans has a rendezvous with a different reality. one generation become the questions of the next generation. >> larry: in 1980 ted kennedy ran for president. almost got the party's nomination, barely losing to the incumbent jimmy carter. his speech at the convention and reaction on the floor is the

stuff political legends are made of. ted kennedy had the gift of public eloquence when he spoke out if the spotlight of major public events, people listened. let's look at some of those moments now. starting with the 1980 democratic convention. >> we are the party of the new freedom, the new deal and the new frontier. we have always been the party of hope. so this year let us offer new hope. new hope to an america uncertain about the present, but unsurpassed in it's potential for the future. 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 endorsed, the hope still lives and the dream shall never die. the vice president says he never saw or can't remember or did not comprehend the intelligence report on general noriega's involvement in the cocaine cartel. so when that report was being discussed, i think it's fair to ask, where was george? i have stood with so many of you in so many great causes. the times are changed. but the ideals are the same. we have only just begun to fight. we will never give up. we will never give in. and in 1992 we are going to win. will we comfort the comfortable

or will we strengthen the fabric of this country for all americans? our capacity to do better has never been greater. let us not turn back to old policies and old ways that favor the few at the expense of the many. 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 compas true,

we will reach our destination. not nearly 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. >> larry: edward kennedy was a man of many parts and many passions. his life was shaped by both triumph and tragedy, born into a family of privilege and power, much of his work in the senate was directed toward trying to help ordinary people. as "time" magazine once put it,

he amassed a titanic record of legislation affecting the lives of virtually every man, woman and child in the country. and that record may be ted kennedy's most lasting legacy. and one of the truest measures of the man that he was. i'm larry king, thank for watching. >> in short i will continue to fight the good fight. i will continue to see issues in the way i have always sought to see them, not as numbers and words, but as individuals and families with worries and dreams. we must resist disillusionment, the tendency of politics to be cautious and cynical. john kennedy believed so strongly of one's aim should not just be the