start ♪ ♪ you want to be in the show. >> and chris farley who passed away far too young as well. patrick swayze died today at the age of 57. that's "ac 360." thanks for watching. "larry king" starts now. >> larry: tonight, primetime exclusive. we knew him as senator kennedy. they knew him as dad. patrick and ted jr., on the revealing memoir their father didn't live long enough to tell us about, taking us inside america's most famous political dynasty. intimate insights into a political icon. and patriarch. ted kennedy, the father, remembered by his still grieving sons. >> i love you, dad. i always will and i miss you

already. >> larry: next on this special edition of "larry king live." good evening. a great american no matter what your politics, a great american passed away on august 25th. he had written a memoir to be published shortly. turned out shortly after his death. the book is "true compass: the memoir by edward m. kennedy." i will tell you, over the weekend i have spent time reading this book and it is one of the best biographies-memoirs i have ever read. i commend it to you completely. joining us in new york, congressman patrick kennedy, the younger son of ted kennedy and ted kennedy jr., the older son of the senator. has it all finally set in,

patrick? >> no. frankly, larry, it's still a blur. after the immense funeral that took place and the outpouring from the american public, which, quite frankly, was just amazing, beyond any expectation any of us could have ever had, and certainly fitting for our father we felt but certainly something that was beyond our wildest expectations, and then to come back and have the president address the joint session of congress in which he read a letter from my father, you know, talking about the importance of passing health care during this very difficult time in american history, i mean, it's just never ended. and quite frankly, this memoir is an opportunity for us to have something permanently during the long term for us to keep coming back to my dad and reflecting and thinking about what he meant to us. right now, it's still been something that's happened very shortly ago. and it's hard for us to really fully absorb right now.

>> larry: ted, when your father was diagnosed with the brain cancer, how did he tell you? how did you handle it? ted? >> well, larry, you know, my father was diagnosed as most of us now know, a year ago may. and at first, we thought it was a seizure. it was a seizure. at first we thought it was a stroke. and then we, of course, learned a short while later that he had glioblastoma, a deadly form of brain cancer. so what is remarkable, though, is that during this year, my dad had amazing accomplishments. he was able to finish this memoir, which he had been working on for a number of years. he was able to speak at the democratic national convention, cast the deciding vote in the medicare bill in congress, throw out the first pitch for the boston red sox.

and work with my brother, congressman kennedy, on passing mental health parody. so he also was able to enjoy a lot of accolades, not just from obviously his natural constituencies in the democratic party, but also hear quite moving testaments from many of his republican colleagues, people like john mccain and senator orrin hatch and so many others who spoke about his, the master of bipartisan compromise, the way he was able to be a legislator without compare over the last 100 years. that was really wonderful to see my father actually be able to revel in a lot of those compliments that people had to say about my dad. >> larry: how, though, patrick, did you handle the news that your dad was going to die?

how does a son handle that? >> well, it was over a period of over a year that, obviously, we knew that his mortality was imminent, but my dad never quit living each day to the fullest. and, you know, from the likes of it as teddy pointed out, he lived a very full life all the way till the end. he made it very impossible for us to sometimes comes to grips with the fact that this was someone suffering from a fatal illness. he never really let it on. that is mostly what he was like most of his life. the suffering that he had he kept inside. the really beautiful part about having that extra year with him, where he didn't have to traipse all around the world and all around the country, was that he was able to spend time with us. we were able to be there for him emotionally and physically, you know, when he had the weakness because of the cancer, you know, when we were able to go out

together, he had to lean on us physically more than he would otherwise, what an amazing connection that was for all of us, for me particularly. i can't tell you what it meant to me. >> larry: were you there, teddy, when he passed? >> i was there, larry. i was with him when he died. >> larry: what was it like? >> it was very peaceful, larry. you know, i've never been with somebody who's died before. but i have to say, it was -- we were there with the catholic priest. his time -- he was ready to go, larry. and, you know, because he was suffering in those last few weeks, it really did take the sting out of his final passing. you know, when he finally -- when he finally died, it was really, you know, it was something that we were all, you know, i was happy i was there for that occasion. and it was very peaceful, an

extremely spiritual thing, larry. it's really hard to explain. and i think one of the things that -- in fact, his book was actually delivered, you know, to him -- the publisher actually delivered the book to him the day he died. one of the reasons why my brother -- >> larry: wow. >> my brother patrick and i are sitting with you here today is because obviously he couldn't be here to talk about his memoir. but his memoir is an incredible gift, larry. and you know, i had to read his memoir, you know, the week after he died. and i have to say, i was a little worried when i first opened up the pages, because even though he had been talking about it and even though i had heard many of these stories before, i really didn't know what to expect. and what i found was that he was really talking to me. and it was a riveting, riveting

two-day read about explaining so many emotional aspects of so many key events in his life that quite honestly, larry, he never was able to reveal during the course of his life. because, of course, he had to be the strong guy throughout all of our family's tragedies. he had to be there. and yet we know now, because of this memoir, you know, what a deeply emotional man he was and -- >> larry: boy, do you. >> as i said, what an incredibly spiritual man he was. you know? most people -- >> larry: i have to get a break. we'll get a break and pick up on that. >> thank you. >> larry: by the way, the thought that the senator was handed this book on the day he died brings it much more to -- you must read this. senator kennedy grew up with a

no-crying edict in his house. i want to ask you sons what affect that had on their dad and if they grew up having to hide their own feelings. what effect it had on them, right after this. in my busy kitchen, i want nothing but the best.

which is why eggland's best... are the only eggs for me. in my busy kitchen, i love eggland's best... because of all the great nutrition. vitamin e, omega 3s, lutein. they're the only eggs... i make for my son. the chef. eggland's best. the better egg.

♪ america america god shed his grace on thee ♪

♪ and crown thy good with brotherhood ♪ ♪ from sea to shining sea >> larry: our camera crew by the way went out to arlington cemetery earlier today to visit senator kennedy's gravesite. he was intered near his brothers, john and robert. all right. we just showed that scene. there's the scene we took earlier today. there's the cross, right below the robert e. lee house. what a view that is. we had that edict apparently as he writes in the book about crying, patrick. did you -- were you able to hold that in? were you a noncrier? >> no. it didn't work for very long

with me. and i will tell you, as you've had me on a show before talking about my depression and addiction issues with work that i did with my father on mental health parody, my father was very good at overcoming his old traditional sense of, you know, not talking about your feelings, not really expressing a lot of emotions. when he came to recognize my challenges and know that this was something that was serious, where 54 million americans are being discriminated against because of the shame and stigma associated with people with addiction disorders and mental illness, he was there as open as he could have ever been with his heart. and whatever old-fashion sense a person of his generation brought to it, it changed because of his own experience, having -- being a father to me. i love him to death for it.

>> larry: teddy, was there crying when you lost your leg? >> absolutely, larry. i think i really -- my father, actually, larry, was a very emotional man. as he ajd -- the older he got. and what is really amazing about this book, larry, what i was the most surprised about is how revealing my father was emotionally, talking about the very difficult things that he had to do, for example, telling my grandfather that my uncle jack had been killed or so many other deeply emotional things that quite honestly, larry, he never shared with me before. so i feel like this book is a gift. it's a gift to me and my children who, of course, knew him as a grandfather but never really -- never really knew him as a man in the fullest sense of

the word. and that's really what my father, you know, so many books have been written about the kennedys and i think my dad decided, you know, years ago, that he really wanted to write a definitive book about, you know, since so much had been said about these different points in history that he had been involved with and, of course, about the kennedy family in general. >> larry: patrick, during one of my many interviews with your dad, i asked him what it was like to be a kennedy. the kennedy center, the kennedy graves, the kennedy space center, the kennedy international airport. what is it like, patrick? what's it like to carry that name? >> i will tell you what it meant to us having my dad as an example. my dad made himself a very human person to everybody. and that's why he was so approachable. he was known to everybody as a very down-to-earth person who

could identify with people from all walks of life. and he had that empathy, that compassion that was born from his own personal experience of suffering so much in his own life. and that's what transcended his ability to be able to reach out to anybody, no matter what their station in life and be able to take up their cause if they were being unjustly treated. he could identify with people suffering and that's what made him such a champion for people who were downtrodden and needed a voice. he took it upon himself to be that person, to fight for them. and, you know, frankly, as my uncles were revered in the black and white films and the times where people felt positive about government and believed in their political leaders, my dad was in politics when people were filled with cynicism towards government and politicians. yet, that didn't deter him from continuing to do the spade work of legislating every single day to help people make their lives

better through government intervention. you know what, at the end of his life, you saw the turnout. people knew what a difference he had made in their lives and that was vindication of his belief that no matter whether it's popular or not, he stayed true to his principles and became a hero for it, even though during his life, many people made him a caricature where he actually was a real person as we see in this book. >> larry: we'll be talking about the murders of senator kennedy's brothers and how they caused so much suffering, the extent of which was unknown until now. he writes so eloquently about it. back in 60 seconds.

>> larry: we're back with patrick kennedy and ted kennedy jr. ted brought many people to tears last month when he eulogized his father from the lectern in boston's mission church. here's part of what he said. >> when i was 12 years old, i was diagnosed with bone cancer. and a few months after i lost my leg, there was a heavy snowfall over my childhood home outside of washington, d.c. and my father went to the grj to get the old flexible flyer and asked me if i wanted to go sledding down the steep driveway. i was trying to get used to my new artificial leg and the hill was covered with ice and snow and it wasn't easy for me to walk. and the hill was very slick. as i struggled to walk, i slipped and i fell on the ice. i started to cry. and i said, i can't do this. i said, i'll never be able to

climb up that hill. and he lifted me up in his strong, gentle arms and said something i will never forget. he said, i know you can do it. there is nothing that you can't do. we're going to climb that hill together, even if it takes us all day. sure enough, he held me around my waist and we slowly made it to the top. and at age 12, losing your leg pretty much seems like the end of the world. as i climbed on to his back and we flew down the hill that day, i knew he was right. i knew i was going to be okay. you see, my father taught me that even our most profound losses are survivable. and that is -- it is what we do with that loss, our ability to

transform it into a positive event that is one of my father's greatest lessons. >> larry: teddy, how hard was that to do for you? >> well, i think -- well, listen, trying to eulogize my father and trying to sum up this incredible human being in five or ten minutes was probably the most difficult thing that i've ever had to do. and you know, i think by showing this video on your show, larry, you have proof that, yes indeed, kennedys do cry. and i do get choked up whenever i think about that moment. because, you know, it really -- he, my father, enabled me to really believe in myself. and yet i've heard, very similar stories from many, many people. it's the way he approached his life. the way he approached his life,

he's like -- he was the eternal optimist, larry. he was the most optimistic person that i've ever known. even in the face of his diagnosis with cancer, he was filled with optimism about what he could do and what he could accomplish. and that is -- when you read this book, you come away feeling that same optimism, too. and that is one of the things i'm grateful about. >> larry: absolutely. we'll be back with patrick kennedy and ted kennedy jr. right after this.

>> larry: your father, boys, grew up with violence totally in his life. he had bulletproof vests in his coat closet, he flinched at 21-gun salutes. did he, patrick, ever talk about the assassinations of rfk and jfk? >> he talked to me about the what the implications of that was on, you know, when we were sitting at my cousin david's

wake, you know, after he tragically died and he recalled for me how my uncle bobby had told my dad shortly before my uncle bobby's own assassination, how he felt that he needed to spend more time with david, that he had gotten caught in an undertoe earlier that day and he felt it was metaphorical in a sense. my dad felt that sense of, you know, trying to make up for the loss of his brothers by being there for their children, you know? he actually in the process didn't sacrifice time with us so much as he brought our family into a bigger family. and i am so blessed, you know, when we had our family by our side this last week, what a consolation it was to have all my cousins there with us.

>> larry: in an interview we did shortly before his death, your father said he and his second wife, vicki, had been through every word of the book multiple times. had you read any part of it, teddy? >> have i read every part of it? yes, i read every word, larry. >> larry: before he died? >> no. before he died, you know, like most authors or people who write books, you know, they don't like to share their drafts, especially in our family. you know what we would be doing? we would be telling my father, well, no, you should write another paragraph about me or, no, you shouldn't really say it this way. my father was smart, in that we knew he was -- my father kept contemporaneous notes for over 50 years. no one would believe that my father was that nerdy of a guy that would actually take notes each and every night about significant events that happened to him during the day or dictate into a machine about what his

impressions were about meetings with different world leaders and stuff. that's exactly what he did. and so he didn't share with me the final product until i saw and read it. again, as i told you earlier in the broadcast, right after his death. >> larry: patrick, how has this affected your mother? how has she dealt with his passing? they weren't married anymore. >> no, but obviously, to my mother, my dad was, and remains, a central figure in her life and obviously they both shared so much of their lives together. of course, the three of us being their children and my mother still being the grandmother to all of his grandchildren. the fact is that my dad and vicki were so gracious. all of the holidays my mom was included. there wasn't any of this bitterness and everything. we celebrated family vacations together, family meals together.

and i really am so grateful to vicki for that, to my dad for that. and you know, frankly, also vicki was such a great sense of support to my dad at the end. also as you mentioned with the copy of this book was such a great sounding board and provided a lot of good feedback to my father and the compilation of the book. we're all so grateful to her for that as well. >> larry: is your mom doing well? >> my mom has been such an inspiration to me. i love her to death. she has struggled as we talked about in earlier programs with this disease, which i suffer from as well. frankly, it's one, as i said earlier, that so many americans suffer from. she's been so public in her fight on this, she's inspired so many people and inspired me. part of the reason we were -- i felt like i was able to be successful in passing mental

health parody, addiction equity act in the last congress is because of the example my mother set for me. this was not something out of her own will. it was a biological and chemical problem she faced. no one, otherwise, would have faced what she faced in her life because of this illness. >> larry: ted kennedy writes very succinctly and very emotionally about chappaquiddick. we'll ask about the effect on the sons after this. ain, you could end up taking 4 times the number... of pills compared to aleve. choose aleve and you could start taking fewer pills. just 2 aleve have the strength... to relieve arthritis pain all day.

>> larry: we discussed chappaquiddick at length once on this program. he writes of it in the book calling it, that night was the most horrible tragedy that haunts him every day of his life. did he ever talk to you about it, ted? >> yes, he did, larry. you know, years ago he spoke to me about exactly what happened that night. and i knew how sorry my father has been each and every day of his life for what happened that night. if he could undo that moment, he would give anything to have been able to do so. and in this book, as you said, larry, he doesn't make an excuse -- any excuses. he accepts responsibility for what happened. but i think it's what, again, what i talked about in my eulogy. it's what you do with these tragic events that happen in your life that's really the measure of the person.

so that is, i think, one of the things that i think, you know, what i hope is that when people read this book they really judge the totality of the man and come away with the incredible sense of responsibility that he's had for all the people in our society. >> larry: patrick, do you ever buy anything of this kennedy curse thing? >> no -- i mean, obviously there was terrible tragedies, both my uncles, you know, being assassinated so publicly make their lives and tragic deaths so fixed in our nation's collective memory and our nation's history. frankly, my dad had to live with that. i think the impact of that is played over and over again, as i mentioned before with my cousins, they had to grow up without a father.

the impact of violence in our society, which is so prevalent. 36,000 people killed by guns every year. it's all those families that are also impacted. and that's why, you know, my father tried so hard to minimize the number of people killed by guns in this society. >> larry: you don't buy the idea of a curse? >> no. >> larry: kind of a thing around you? >> no. obviously, my dad had a sense of spirituality that transcended his ability to face these problems, you know, in a way that would have otherwise paralyzed the normal person. he sensed that there was something that made him charge onward, in spite of these problems that he faced, that anyone else would have just been destroyed by. >> larry, if i could add to that, i think our family, the kennedy family, has had to

endure these things in a very open way. but our family is just like every other family in america in many ways. we've had, you know, individuals facing cancer, addiction disorders, deaths, you know, divorces, all sorts of things, remarriages. you know, new integrated families that our family now celebrates today. and so, you know, in many ways our family is like many other families. as patrick just said, there's 36,000 other families that are impacted by gun violence. and so i don't believe in this kennedy curse. i just think that, you know, our family is -- has faced these challenges, just like nearly every other american family. >> larry: all right. back with more with the kennedy boys after this. moisturizing body washes,

you might as well be. you see, their moisturizer sits on top of skin, 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. to being able to manage your diabetes properly. it's very important for me to uh

check my blood sugar before i go on stage. being on when i'm feeling low can be like a rollercoaster. it does at times feel like my body is telling me to do one thing... and, my mind, my heart is telling me to do something else. managing my highs and lows is super important. with my contour meter i can personalize my high/lo settings so it really does micromanage where my blood sugar needs to be. i'm nick jonas and never slowing down is my simple win. most people try to get rid of algae, and we're trying to grow it. the algae are very beautiful. they come in blue or red, golden, green. algae could be converted into biofuels... that we could someday run our cars on. in using algae to form biofuels, we're not competing with the food supply. and they absorb co2, so they help solve the greenhouse problem, as well. we're making a big commitment to finding out... just how much algae can help to meet... the fuel demands of the world.

for all those whose care have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope rises again and the dream shall never die. >> i love you, dad. i always will and i miss you already. >> larry: the book is "true compass: a memoir by edward m. kennedy." you will never forget it, you

won't put it down. edward moore kennedy was first elected to the u.s. senate in 1962 and became one of the longest-serving members in american history. in later years described as the liberal lion of the chamber. take a look at him in action. >> what is the price? we ask the other side. what is the price that you want from these working men and women? what cost? our goal is to improve public schools, not abandon them. this administration feels it's above the law and the american people and our constitution pay the price. we have not seen such arrogance in a president since watergate. but congress and the american people deserve to know the true risks of war. when does the greed stop? >> larry: patrick, what did you think of him as a politician? >> there wasn't a better

politician around. my dad had the ability to just connect with anybody. and no matter what your station in life, dad was able to go out there and rub elbows with anybody. he had kind of in the sense of his own grandfather, honey fitz, that ability to just love people, love what he was doing and just thoroughly enjoy the give and take of politics. just the up close and personal part about politics. dad was about people. he didn't look at policies in a vacuum. he looked at them as how they affected people in their individual lives. >> larry: teddy, your son professes an interest when he becomes 45 years old, if that's possible to imagine, what about you? >> you know, larry, i think all of us who grow up in this family

at one point or another ask ourselves, is this something i would like to do? and you know, i think i learned from my father and from my brother patrick and other members of my family that, political life, is an incredible honor and it is an incredible opportunity to give back to our country. maybe one day, you know, i'll make that decision. for now, i have -- >> larry: really? >> maybe. i don't know, larry. i've been pretty busy, you know, raising my two young children and to me, that is my number one responsibility right now. you know, politics is a type of business where you really have to give it your attention every single moment of every day. and i think that, you know, maybe i'll make that decision later on in my life. but i've also learned that there's a lot of different ways to give back. you know, larry, i've been very involved in the civil rights

movement for people with disabilities. i serve on the board of the american association of people with disabilities. the largest cross disability/civil rights organization for people with disabilities. that is my life's work. that's something that i'll continue to do, whether or not i seek elective office myself one day. that's a discussion for a different day. >> larry, i can say, as a good kennedy brother, i will be with him 100% whenever he chooses to run for whatever he wants to run for. >> larry: i have this feeling that that may happen. we'll be right back. the book is "true compass." don't go away. 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. a lot of customers are proud and happy that bank of america actually has a solution to help them out. i listen. that's the first thing i do is i listen.

you know what, what happened? what put you in this situation? we always want to make sure that we're doing i'll go through some of his monthly expenses, if he has a mortgage payment, if he pays rent. and then i'll use all that information to try and see what kind of a payment he financially can handle. i want to help you. bank of america wants to help you through this difficult time. when they come to you and they say thank you aj, for helping me with this problem, that's where we get our joy from.

five months before he passed away, senator kennedy videotaped an interview with the editor and publisher of his memoir. here's part of what he shared about his own father. >> i had a sitdown with my dad. he said, teddy, you have to make up your mind whether you want to have a constructive and positive attitude and influence on your time. if you're not interested in a purposeful, useful constructive life, i just want you to know, i have other children that are out there that intend to have a purposeful and constructive life. you have to make up your mind about which direction to go. i remember climbing into bed and staring at the ceiling for a

time. but the night hadn't been over when it was very clear to me what kind of life i wanted to lead. >> larry: who's the patriarch of the kennedy family now? we'll ask, right after the break. insuring your family's ifs can be confusing. so metlife removed the guesswork. combining two essential insurances... term life and disability... in one affordable package. creating aersonal fety net that's bursting with guarantees. for the if in life, find out how to start protecting your family today. visit the term life and disability tool at metlife.com.

wouldn't it be great if it were easy to spot the good guys ? you know, the guys who do a super job. introducing the superguarantee. go to superpages.com to find a business with the superguarantee. we're so confident in these super businesses we stand behind their services. you'll get the job done right or we'll step in and help to make it right. sign up for free at superpages.com the new superguarantee making the good guys easy to find.

actor patrick swayze has lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. the 57-year-old star of "ghost" and "dirty dancing" first revealed he had the disease last year. barbara walters will talk about swayze's life, his career and brave fight against cancer. we'll also talk to an oncologist about the disease. and a yale murder mystery. a new twist. police say the body found inside the wall of the campus medical

lab is this woman, grad student annie le. the question tonight, who killed her? one professor says there could be a murderer on campus. we have late details. and tens of thousands rallied in the nation's capital this weekend. what's behind their angry? we talk with the tea party protest organizer, and james carville and david gergen. now back to "larry king live." >> larry: before i ask about who they think might be the next patriarch of the kennedy family, if there's going to be one, i'd like them each to read a short passage from "true compass." we start with patrick. >> one of the great privileges i had with my dad, he'd take me on a sailing trip, just my dad and i every summer as i was growing up. this passage meant a lot to me. because it reflected for me, a lot of our times together. "i surrendered myself to the sea and the wind and the sun and the stars on those voyages. i loved sailing in the day. there's something special about sailing at night. those nights in particular my

grieving was subsumed into one with the sky and the sea. the darkness helped me feel the movement of the sea and helped displace the emptiness inside me with an awareness of direction. and i can recall sitting out with him on muskegon island, a small spit of land, as we watched the night sky and him talk about life. this was a passage he wrote after his brother bob boeh was killed and how the sea was a source of consolation for him, how he found nature to be the source of spirituality for him. >> there's wonderful writing about the sea in this book. if you'll like the sea, you'll love it even more. teddy, what did you want to read? >> one of my favorite sections in this book is what i think really defines my father's

purpose and philosophy of life. and he talks about his faith. and many people don't realize -- will be surprised when they read this book about how powerful my father's catholic faith was. he says my own center of belief as i matured and grew curious about these things moved toward the great gospel of matthew, chapter 25 especially in which he calls to us care for the least of these among us and feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, visit the imprisoned. it's enormously significant to me that the only description in the bible about salvation is tied to one's willingness to act on behalf of one's fellow human beings. the ones who will be deprifed of salvation, the sinners, are those who have turned away from their fellow man. people responsive to the great human condition and who have tried to alleviate the misery, these will be the ones who join christ in paradise.

to me, this prospective on my faith has almost literally been a life saver. it has given me the strength and purpose during the greatest challenges i have faced and the toughest roads i have traveled. and i think that that really -- the idea that, you know, my father dedicated his life to issues like immigration, civil rights, health care for all, refugee policy internationally, human rights around the world, really were born out of what he felt was a moral obligation that he learned from his catechism growing up. i think that's one of the interesting things that people will learn about my father from reading this book. >> larry: what's next? we'll ask in our remaining moments with the kennedy boys after this.

what heals me? girls' night out. and for damage from acid reflux disease, my nexium. announcer: for many, one prescription nexium pill a day can heal damage to the esophagus that acid reflux disease may cause over time. and nexium can provide 24-hour heartburn relief. headache, diarrhea, and abdominal pain are possible side effects of nexium and other serious stomach conditions may still exist. announcer: ask your doctor about the healing purple pill. learn how you can save online. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help.

>> larry: patrick, who's the next patriarch? >> larry, you know, one of the things we always were brute up to believe is this notion of this big family machine, this myth, this whole thing is a real big story line amongst the press. i can tell you, having been in politics myself, that i don't, you know, find myself fitting into this machine. i'm wondering where it often is. sometimes it's really overblown

in terms of how -- it suits the press very well in terms of how they write about things. there's not a lot of reality base to it. my dad marched along unceremoniously, did the workday in and day out. taught us, basically, it wasn't about the big hail mary pass in life. it was about the three yards and a cloud of dust in football parlance. to get that first down you had to work at it, day in and day out. at the end of this life, when people turned out like they did, the reason people turned out for your dad was that he stood for something. these days when political leaders try to find themselves trying to compromise too much, my dad was a great person of compromise because he wanted to get things done but he also stood firm with his principles. that's what people priappreciat so much about him. he was a guy they could count

on. >> larry: ted, do you agree we can't name a successor? >> listen, i think our family, there are in my generation of kennedys, there are people doing so many amazing things. you know all about the work that the shrivers have done, the work of special olympics and intellectual disability. you know many of my cousins in the robert kennedy family working international human rights. my cousin bobby, you know is the crusader for the environment. i could spend another whole program here, larry, talking about the work. i think what all of us have grown up with is a sense of community service and we've all been grown up to, you know, use our natural gifts to give something back to this country that has given so much to our family. and i think that is the common thread that my father and his brothers and sisters, you know, brought us up to believe. that all of us have gifts.

all of us can make a contribution in this society. you don't need to become a public official or elected official to give something back. you can start right in your own neighborhood. i think that -- >> that's why they have the ted kennedy national service act which allows people, grandparents to be foster grandparents, young people to go on and help their communities. it's symbolizes what my dad always believed that patriotism is defined by how you help your fellow americans in the broadest sense. not just wearing the uniform of our country in military times, although that's what he truly respected in our veterans but all types of service as well. >> larry: i think we can safety say, i think our viewers would agree, after watching this program, ted kennedy's greatest legacy may be his children. senator kennedy's memoir concludes with a story about his grandson and name sake, edward moore kennedy iii.

the senator writes that little teddy aimed to embrace the kennedy family tradition of sailing. but had some real struggles at the start. still, he stayed with it and eventually began winning races. he even earned the most improved sailor award. senator kennedy writes, this is the greatest lesson a child can learn. it is the greatest lesson anyone can learn. it has been the greatest lesson i have learned. if you persevere, stick with it, work at it, you have a real opportunity to achieve something. sure, there will be storms along the way and you might not reach your goal right away but if you do your best and keep a true compass, you'll get there. fellows, thank you so much. the best of luck. hope to see a lot of you in the future. >> thank you, larry, for having us on your program. >> larry: by the way, if you want at decisional information he