he did everything else. there is a song that i sang for him at one of his birthday is quite a few years ago, and i cannot sing it now without thinking of him. it is about an impossible dream, somebody who dreams the impossible, to make the impossible possible. the quest is what is important. i have to say now that senator kennedy and this song will forever share a very special place in my heart. ♪ to deram the impossible dream. to fight the unbeatable foe to bear with unbearable sorrow to ride

where the brave they're not go -- dare not go to right the hon. wrong - unrightable wrong to try when your arms are too weary to reach the unreachable star this is my qwest to follow that star no matter how hopeless no matter how far to fight for the rights without question nor pause to be willing to march into hell for heavenly calls

and i know if i will only be true to this glorious quest that my heart will live peaceful and calm when i am laid to my rest and the world will be better for this that one man scorned and covered with scars still strove with his last ounce of courage to reach the unreachable stars this is my quest to follow that star no matter how hopeless

no matter how far to fight for the rights without question nor pause to be willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause and i know if i will only be true to this glorious quest that my heart will lie peaceful and calm when i am lead to my rest and the world will be better for this that one man scorned and covered with scars still strove

with his last ounce of courage to reach the unreachable star ♪ [applause] .

>> senator kennedy's grandfather, as we all know, has presided over the city many years ago. the senator enjoyed working in friendly and warm relationship with the incumbent mayor of the city of boston. we welcome him this evening. [applause] >> thank you, paul. paul didn't ask me to sing. i got thrown out of the choir in the eighth grade, i have not saying cents. -- sang since. ted kennedy was my friend.

i feel tremendous sadness today. but also a sense of pride. the history books will show that boston wasn't just a cradle of liberty. it berthed champions, too. senator edward m. kennedy was born here. many came from the boston neighborhood where he now rests. together, with all bostonian says, i am not morning -- bostonians, i am mourning our native son. the educated -- they are educated in our schools.

they knew his work. our thoughts and prayers are with vicki and the entire kennedy family. across the city -- the new edward kennedy institute, a lasting legacy of the kennedys in boston. i hate to say it during these tough financial times, but we need to buy some more red paint to extend the freedom trail. i had the privilege of serving in the office of teddy's and grandfather -- in the office that teddy's grandfather once held. we sat together at fenway park. they called me up one day and

said, let's go to the ball game next week. it was a cold night when we decided to go. i said, there are upstairs luxury boxes. he insisted we stay out of the skybox so to be with the people. about a fourth or fifth inning, senator kennedy finally leaned over and said, i love the people. but it is freezing my bottom of. -- bottom off. [laughter] i will always be thankful he worked so hard to bring the democratic national convention to boston. it has put our city on display for the world. there is reason to spend some much time together. we worked hard. we worked relentlessly. we had tremendous fun doing it.

we played so much good cop, bad cop. i could not remember the role i was supposed to play. senator kennedy would say, i would like to see $1.5 million worth. half an hour later, they would say, does he really need that? that happens so often. [unintelligible] today, teddy called boston a place where every street is history's home. the church, and nathaniel hall. it is true of all the places that senator kennedy walked. we follow in his footsteps for

opportunity, equality. teddy was always out in front of the issues. it was something i admired and tried to emulate. sometimes, it got us in trouble. at the beginning of the green revolution, we were supposed to be at a green event together. i drive around a compact hybrid. our staff thought it would be good for teddy and i to be arriving at the event together in my hybrid. we are both small guys, by the way. it was too small for me into it -- certainly too small for the two of us. to overgrown peas in a pot -- in a pod.

we sought alternate transportation, but we never stopped fighting for progress together. i threw a party for him in boston. i made him the honor edit -- thinking about him that day makes me smile. the senator took a bit too seriously, and set out to direct traffic on boston harbor. [laughter] i imagine that it was a role suited to him. he was a guardian. he watched over the tired, the weary, and the worn out. that was ted kennedy. when the phone rings, i missed teddy's voice at the end of the line. i am sad that it will not echo

in the halls of the senate. the sound of the cools get -- the school kids, immigration -- immigrants taking the citizenship oath, neighbors offering neighbors a helping hand. there is a call for justice. i will always hear the familiar tones of a loyal friend. i would also like to say [unintelligible] one of our pilot schools is dedicated to health care. i sent a letter to the board of trustees the other day. [applause] all they do is train kids to get in the health-care field. we know teddy, how much she loved health care and believed in it. he led the charge.

surely, we will have reforms. we remind everybody how hard teddy fought for these things. thank you for what you are. thank you. [applause] >> john was a harvard classmate of senator kennedy, a football teammate, worked in his senate office, went back home to iowa and served in the congress of the united states, and that in the senate of the united states.

a great friend for a long time. [applause] >> thank you very much, paul. to vicki, who orrin hatch said was a lull of his life, -- was the love of his life, and all of the children. and all of the extended kennedy family, in a real sense, everywhere in the -- everybody in the room feels part of that extraordinary family. it was in the winter, i believe, of 1975. ted called me and said, i would like you to come up to washington with me.

they suggested several sites for the john f. kennedy museum. i like you to come along. i remember it was a winter day, rather cold and overcast. there was snow on the ground. when we came to this particular place and looked across the bay, so boston -- saw boston, saw the water, he said, i think jack would like this place. it was not many years later that this library was built. i think we would all agree that jack would have liked this place. [applause] i was reminded as i came here to

the library of the little sailboat up front, the ventura. and i have a fond memory, i guess it is a fond memory of the ventura myself. we were in summer school in 1953 at harvard. he said to me one day, wider to come with me this weekend. -- why don't you come with me this weekend? there is going to be a sailboat race. it is a lot of fun. i want you to come down and be part of my crew on the sailboat race. i said, i am sure it is an honor to be invited to be on your crew and a sailboat race. but i have never been on a sailboat.

i think i have seen a picture of a sailboat. i come from iowa. the only boat i ever saw were barges on the mississippi river. he said, there is nothing to it. how many times have we heard teddy said, there is nothing to it. we were both young, i did not quite understand the comment. i said ok. we were driving down to the cape, and he turned on the radio. we were listening to music on friday afternoon. suddenly, the radio broadcast was interrupted with a bulletin. the bulletin said, serious storm warnings. danger at sea, don't anyone go out in the ocean.

[laughter] i said, i guess the trip is off. there is nothing to it. [laughter] the fellow on the radio thought -- [laughter] he said, there's nothing to it. i thought he must know what he is doing. he lives down there. [laughter] and i have never been on the ocean. when we got down to the house, it was about three or 4:00 in the afternoon. there were dark, black storm clouds gathering. i said, it looks kind of scary. he said, nothing to it. we were hungry, so it was about 3:00. we went right to the kitchen.

that is where we often went when i was with him. [laughter] the cook was still there and said he was just finishing up, but he had some left over s almon salad. we both thought it was a good idea. we did not have a lot of time, so i only had to sandwiches -- two sandwiches, and a quart of milk with it. [laughter] i would have had more, but we didn't have time. ted says, come on. we have to get going now. it is about 4:00 now.

in those days, there were not a fancy docks and everything, even around the family compound. he said, we have to get in the boat. we looked out on the horizon, and he said, there's the boat. if any of you have seen the maya out front, that's the boat. excuse me, the ventura. you've seen that little boat out front. that is the point he put -- that is the boat he pointed out. it is 26 feet long. at the time, we both away over 200 pounds. we were both over 6 feet tall. he said, that's it. that's the vote, let's get it out and the water.

there were huge waves. there was thunder. there was lightning. the sky was black. i could hardly get in the boat. it was bouncing so much. he is at the till or something. [laughter] suddenly, i realized this friend of mine that i thought i knew quite well started screaming at me, shouting at me. i was terrified. after a while, i was more terrified of him than the storm. i didn't know this man. [laughter] so he kept screaming at me atteh jib, -- at me, the jib, secur

e that whatever. ted is not always easy to understand. even when you know what is talking about. [laughter] [applause] with the roar in the ocean and this tiny little quirk being bounced all over, it is my fault. i am just hanging on for dear life, and we only got about 200 -- are lost the sandwiches. -- i lost the sandwiches. [laughter] i thought i was going to die. i am hanging over the side of the boat, and he is screaming at me.

i set, i'm sorry. somehow, we write it this boat -- we righted this boat in the incredible storm. and we get all the way over to nantucket. it is 11:00 at night. i am saying, which hotel we stayed in? he said, we are not staying in a motel. i said, we're not? where are we staying? we're staying on the boat. [laughter] i realize i was with something out of captain ahab or moby dick. believe it or not, there were four questions. -- four cushions.

they were all wet, but he took to and i took to -- took two, and i took two. that is where we spend the night. it was a lot of fun so far, so the next day, we got up and we needed a third man on our crew. ted said that. i did not have any idea. we go walking down the nantucket, and there is this poor little guy who was a salesman at the shop in cambridge. ted went out to him and said, would you like to go sailing with us today? the poor kid said, yes. we took him, and and off we go

for the races. from that point on, all i remember is teddy yelling, yelling, yelling about me to get up on the right side front of the boat. he always claims that when i was to rotate with the other guy that i said, you heard him, get up there. it was always my turn to go up. somehow, this race was mercifully over. there is cold water on me. i am sunburned. it was a nightmare. i didn't see any other boats, but we kept going around and around. finally, this thing was over. and ted seemed satisfied. i was satisfied i lived through it. i looked out, and it was like a mirage. there's this great big yacht.

it was the honey fitz. we all know how much ted has -- and how much fun ted has making his friend uncomfortable. he wanted to surprise me. ambassador kennedy had come out to watch the race and had brought three or four of his friends a long period they were out there on the big yacht. he said, we're going to go aboard. they are going ditto -- to tow the ventura. become alongside the hot the yacht -- we were alongside the

yacht. i remember ambassador kennedy had a megaphone. he leaned over the side of the boat and he said, good race, good race, teddy. i have some bad news for you. the captain says the sea is far too rough to tell you boys back on the boat. so you will have to sail back. i could not believe my ears. i wanted to jump out of the boat and take my chances that they might pick me up. anyway, they said i have something for you in this container. clam chowder. hot. vacuum packed. he claimed that i ripped off the top without opening it. and i proceeded to chug-a-lug

the whole canteen. i said, that was good. teddy said, what about me? i don't think it was entirely true that i drank all of it. but i drank most of it. they pull the rope up, and we are on our own again. i have been on this bill for 24 hours. -- boat for 24 hours. the trip back wasn't all that bad after what i had been through. we get in sight after how many hours. we can see the lights of the house. i am thinking, we will be in a hot shower in no time. suddenly, the boat stopped. no wind.

we weren't moving, i could see the house. i did not know how we were going to get there. it was too far to swim. what do we do now? he said, we get out of the boat. he said, one of us has to push into the other one will pull -- one of us has to push, and the other one will pull. >so we climbed out of the boat into the water, and he is pulling and i am pushing. after a while, we finally make it to shore. back in summer school, it was a whole week before i could get the seaweed taste out of my mouth. in the following years, i was fortunate to take many sailboat trips with ted. not only around the islands, but

also to maine. also to the caribbean. and the greek isles. those were some of the most enjoyable and pleasurable memories i could ever enjoyed. always full of fun and joy, always full of laughter. ted was awfully good about it. i never learned how the sale. but teddy always gave me up pass on those voyages. for that, i am always grateful. and for those memories. smooth sailing, teddy. [applause]

>> if your sides are not to soar from laughter, the boston community chorus. ♪ ♪

♪ walk with me ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ i'm weak, but thou art strong jesus keep me from harm howi'll be satisfied as long as i will as i stand take my hand walk with me ♪ ♪ just a closer walk with me just a closer walk with me just a closer walk with me

thank you, jesus if you please ♪ ♪ daily walking close with me daily daily ♪ to this world of toils and snares if i falter lord, who can

who with me my burning [unintelligible] none but thee none but thee ♪ ♪ just a closer walk with me just a closer walk with me jsut a closer walk with me. thank you jesus, if you please thank you jesus, if you please twalking close with me walking close with me ♪ ♪

♪ when my people life is hard time, time for me on this earth is no more you know, if you trust in god he will try to save me oh, lord please lead me to the kingdom ♪ ♪ just a closer walk with me just a closer walk with me

just a closer walk with me thank you, jesus, if you please thank you, jesus, if you please walking close to me daily walking close to me. ♪ just a closer walk with me ♪ closer walk a closer walk ♪ lord, we want you by our side

♪ daily walking close with me. daily walking close to thee. daily daily daily ♪ ♪ daily, daily daily, daily daily, daily ♪ ♪ lord, let it be [applause]

♪ daily, daily daily, daily ♪ ♪ [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please

join me in welcoming a good friend of senator kennedy and of all of ours, the vice president of the united states unitedjoe biden -- the vice president of the united states, joe biden. [applause] >> thank you very much, paul. vicki, all the children, john used to regale us like that all the time. john has acted like teddy always took advantage of him. you should have seen it when they both came up on somebody else. i remember we were talking about angola wants. you were working out a deal with some of our more conservative friends. you agree on a particular course

of action. along with your colleague, we were in teddy's office. the night as i was as a young senator, we started about how we're going to approach this issue on the floor. teddy said, you've got to do this. i said, that's not what we said. we told these guys we reported that. teddy very politely said to me, no, it went on for a few minutes. john stood up and said, biden, what the hell do you think this is, state? -- boy state? i know we're all here to celebrate the life of an incredible man.

but i want to say to the kennedy clan, i want to give thanks for your father, thanks for your husband, thanks for your uncle, thanks for your brother. in an astonishingly and totally unexpected way, they're playing an important part in every part of my adult life. he crept into my heart, and before i knew it, he owned a piece of it. today, i was thinking about how teddy was -- i would not be standing here as it were not for teddy kennedy. i would not of been the president -- the vice president, i would not have been a senator.

he was the catalyst for an improbable winner of a 29 year- old kid running for the senate when the senator mcgovern only got 3435% to the vote in my state. i was running against a fellow who was extremely popular. the incumbent senator. it surprised the hell out of people. we can astonishingly close. we needed something else. out of the blue, literally, about eight days before the election, ted kennedy showed up. he showed up at a neighborhood we will refer to as little italy. he drew a crowd at a dinner of a couple thousand people. a community that would vote nationally for the democrats, but in all the statewide offices

voted republican, including for the senate and house seats. i ended up winning that neighborhood, winning the election by 3100 votes. although i don't know for certain, it seems highly unlikely congress would have ever been seen if your father had not been energizing people the way he did at the very end. he stood there and ended this speech by saying it, i only have one problem with joe biden. i think he is a little too young to be a senator. the next day, the wall street journal played it straight. kennedy says biden to youno you. when my wife and daughter were killed and my two boys were injured, i got a call from your

dad. i didn't know him too well. i just met him at one time. i was just an irish catholic kid from scranton pennsylvania who only thought of teddy kennedy and the entire kennedy family in sort of distant terms, hushed tones. here you was on the phone. -- here he was on the phone. he called me in the hospital almost every day. i turned around, literally, there is another specialist from boston, mass. sitting next to me. i did not ask for them, and i did not know i needed them.

he was the prod that convinced me to go to the senate, because i had told my governor after that election, that we're going to appoint someone else and i did not want to go to the senate. your brother came to see me and said i owed it to my deceased wife and children to be sworn in. and stay for at least six months. and when i got to the senate, he would literally come by once or twice a week to my office in the middle of the afternoon. i did not want to be there. i wanted to get the hell home. he took me aside and said -- and he would take me to the senate gym.

this was the first time i met any of these players. i got sworn in late. i'll never forget walking in and him introducing me to senators who were stark naked. i remember oh, my god, senator, how are you? [laughter] he sort of took on the role of being my older brother. he was just there all the time, and i never asked. i could never really understand, to tell you the truth. i did not understand why he was going out of his way for me. he got me on the committees that i ended up sharing -- chairing. he was sort of my tutor, exposing this kid to a world

that i had never seen and did not fully understand i went home every night as soon as the senate was out, and i never once accepted in the invitation, not out of desire to not be in washington, i just wanted to be home. he came to my office one afternoon and said, have to give you a piece of advice. this is the fourth invitation you have gotten from the governor to come to one of his dinners. i did not know enough to know that it was a big deal. he said, you have got to go. i will go with you. i will never forget going to the home in georgetown and sitting -- he was sitting in an armchair, i was in a couch next

to the chair. teddy was next to me. henry kissinger was across from me. and arms control experts were around us. i was this 30 year-old kid that had a way of trying to include everybody in the conversation. we were talking about a complicated arms control agreement. this discussion was going on, and all the sudden he looked at me and said, well, joe, what do the young people think about this? i did not know what to say, i did not want to make a fool of me. i reached over and pick an object up of the coffee table. i was nervous, and i was flipping it back and forth as i answered the question. i noticed everyone stiffened up when i was talking. the butler came in and said,

time for dinner. everybody immediately got up and bolted for the dinner table. your debt grab, arm and said, put that thing down. that cost more than your house. i was flipping a faberge egg and my hands. the sophisticated kid from delaware -- [laughter] it seemed like every single thing i did, he was there. when my character was under attack, he said maybe i should not chair this committee until -- i said maybe i should not chair this committee until it gets settled. he said, you say -- you stay right where you are. he said, we know you. you do not have to explain a single thing. you have no idea what that meant

to me at that moment. because my character had never been questioned. i was in wilmington, delaware after recuperating from two cranial aneurysms and a major embolism. i was feeling sorry for myself. up the driveway comes a cap. out jumps teddy kennedy. he had a great big -- it turns out to be a picture frame under his arm. it was about 2.5 by 3 feet. he said, where can i change? he had a bathing suit with him. he came back out and said, i want to give you this. he gave me this picture of a big irish stag. he said, come back.

i need you. he sat there for six hours with me. he called a cab, got back on the train, and went back. for 36 years, i had the privilege of going to work every morning with teddy kennedy. i had the privilege every day for 36 years to witness history. i had the privilege the last 20 of those years to sit next to him every single day. in the process, he had an incredible impact on me and everyone around him. he constantly renewed my faith and optimism. i never once saw your father with a defeatist attitude. i never saw him act in a small way. as a consequence, he made us all

bigger. both his friends, his allies, and his foes. his dignity, his lack of vitriol, his lack of pettiness forced some of the less generous members of our community to act bigger than they were. it was remarkable to watch. people say, and we all have our theories of why teddy was so successful as a legislator. one of them was people did not want to look small in front of him. even the people who were small. the astounding thing to me after 36 years of having a consequence -- my mother would say, living longer. i have gone to meet almost every

major political figure in the world. that is not hyperbole. and your father was one of the few who i ever met, at the end of the day, it was never about him. it was always about you. a truly remarkable character trait. when i got down to the end -- when it got down to the end, for some many others, it was about them. for teddy, it was never ever about him. the interesting thing to me is that i think the legacy of teddy kennedy -- it might be presumptuous of me to say this, but i think the legacy of teddy kennedy can be measured in no small part as a consequence of how we in america look at one another.

how blacks look at whites, how gays looked straight, house traits lookit days. -- house streets look at today's -- how straights look at gays. and how we look at ourselves. when you were with him, you had to measure yourself against him. it always requires you to be larger than you were inclined to be. his death was not unlike his life. as we all know. overcoming pain and loss with a sense of dignity and pride that is amazing. he met his death in the same grave, generous terms that he lived his life. they could've been thinking

about your father when he wrote, the will the fis fear when duty throws the gauntlet down the fate, when scorn compromises with death. this is heroism. your father was a historic figure. he was a heroic figure beyond that. i will remember and celebrate his life every single time i see a young, adolescent kids coping rather than cowering about having to make a decision about his sexuality. i will celebrate your father ever single time i see my granddaughter stand up to those boys and smack something over the second baseman's head. i will think of your father every time a woman stands up and

demands, and is granted, exactly what she is entitled to. i will think of your father every time i will see an individual walk out of recovery and start a new life. the key, -- vicki, i will recall you every time i think of christopher marlowe who said, come with -- come live with me, be my love, and all present -- pleasures prove. that is exactly what the two of you did. everyone can see it. the pundits are writing, and they mean well by it, that this is the end of an era. that this is the end of the kennedy era. but i watched at guinness's funeral -- at eunice's funeral,

and i invite everyone to look around today. take a look at this incredible family. [applause] i mean it. take a look. take a look at this generation of kennedys. it possesses more talent, more commitment, more grit, more grace than any family i have ever seen. so when they say that this is the end of the kennedy era, i want you to know that i realize your parents collectively left america lot more than is great library. a lot more than landmark legislation. a lot more than inspirational

leadership. they left us you. as your pop would say, it is because of you that the dream still lives. thank you for the honor of allowing me to be with you. [applause] >> our final speaker is senator kennedy's lebanese -- loving niece.

i have had the privilege of introducing her many times. i am pleased to do it. the president of the foundation, caroline kennedy. [applause] .

welcome to this library that teddy built and brought to life with the spirit and dedication to public service. as many of you know, over the last two years, for most mice in my adult life when my part-time jobs has been introducing teddy to crowds of people who already knew him incredibly well. although this process was unbelievably stressful for me, it is just another one of the guess that he gave me. when he saw that you -- i was nervous, he would give me a pat on the back. he would call up and say, i have a great idea there is a convention coming of. maybe you'd like to introduce me. off i would go on another adventure in public speaking. the matter how nervous i was, i knew when i stepped down i would get a big kiss and hear him whisper "now i'm going to get you back."

i cannot believe that will not happen tonight. it was a beautiful summer night. the moon had said. there is no wind. the stars were out. i looked up and there was a one star hanging low in the sky. it was bigger than all the rest. it was brighter. it sparkled lawler then all the others. i know it lives in jupiter, but it was acting a lot like teddy. his colleagues as book about his work and the joy he took in helping others, his thoughtfulness and compassion, and his commitment to the ideals of peace and justice that his brothers gave his allies for and that he fought for his entire career. we were lucky to see the passion, self discipline, and generosity of heart every single day.

he had a special relationship with each 28 nieces and nephews, and 60 people but called him great uncle teddy. here is there for every baptism in school trip to washington, every graduation and wedding. he had a big heart, big shoulders, and a big hug. if we knew we were having a tough or great time, he would show up and say "time to go sailing." it was ok if we did not come as long as we tried our best he did it by letting us know that he believed in us. we should believe in ourselves. he taught by example and with love. he showed us how to keep going a matter hard things are, to love each other in a matter how mad we got, and keep working for what we believe in. he never told us what to do. he just did it himself. we learned through his example.

although sometimes it was overshadowed by his other guests, he was a creative spirit. he loved painting and singing in the natural world. he was always looking for new ways to bring people together to make a better world, to get things done. he was always doing things that other people could have done, but he was somehow the one that did it. this is true in the senate as we heard tonight, as it is in our family. i thought i would tell you a little bit about when the best known examples, the creation of the annual family history trip. this is an historical sites is something anyone can do, but he made into something special. he realize that a family reunion was wasted if it was just a cookout, so he may get a chance to learn and share the love history that he got from his mother. in my trout, the stress or relatively simple affairs. -- in my childhood, and these

were relatively simple affairs. we went to where dollar bills were printed in the studio where the statute abraham lincoln was painted. no visit was complete without his recitation of the midnight ride of paul revere. when i was young, i thought he was just entertaining guests, but as i grew up, i realized he was passing down his belief that each of us has a chance to change the course of history. teddy lived for the future. we love the past. when a new generation came along, in typical teddy style, he decided to take it to a new level. he wanted us all to share the love of being together, the passion for history, and to learn about the sacrifices upon which this country was built so that we would understand our own opportunity and obligations. he took this on with enthusiasm.

it was held by the extraordinary team better off here tonight and will be working for him for ever. [applause] jedi eliminated the world around him and brought the past to life. -- teddy illuminated the world around him and brought the past to life. we visited the monument of washington by night and not vernon by boat. we walked to the civil war battlefields and gettysburg. in richmond with salt iron works and the church that patrick kenny -- henry made his speech. we walked across the brooklyn bridge and learned about the battle of long island. the culmination of this tradition with our trip to

boston. we took a ride and learned about the building of the cape cod canal. we went to plymouth rock. when we got here, we visited the uss constitution. paul reveres house, the old north church, the house where grandma was born, and the spot where the irish immigrants came ashore. we toured the committee -- kennedy library. the history trips were day trip only. he had a surprise for us. we are going to get the chance to camp out on the island. he did not tell us that for most of the year, it is used for a juvenile detention -- [laughter] until after we had set up our tents in the dirt. the bugs were out. the planes from logan were taking off and landing over our head. [laughter] figured you is trying to teach

us something. after a 16 hour history day, we were not sure what it was. that was one teddy decided that even he had had enough of history, finally, and is not out under the cover of darkness on is to get to a boat in fetid home. -- and headed home. [laughter] he had it all figured out. yesterday we drove the same route. i thought about all the kids he gave us an incredible journey he taught. i thought about how lucky i enter a traveled some of that journey with him -- i am to have traveled some of that journey with him. i thought about how he touched so many hearts and did so many things that only he could have done. i thought about all the things he did that we all could do, but we just figured he would do them instead. as he drove through the boston that he loved and all the

thousands of people who loved him back, i realized that it was our final history trip together. now he has become a part of history. we have become the ones that have to do all the things that he would have done for us, each other, and for our country. [applause] >> in no celebration could close it it is an honor a senator kennedy without a song, as he has close on many times.

oftentimes closing with a song about his heritage. tonight, when irish eyes are smiling, we have the pleasure to have two irish tenors lead us in that song. khalid sheikh mohammed wilkinso colm wilkinson.

♪

there is a tear in your eye and i'm wondering why. it never should be there at all. with such power in your smile sure a stone he would be guile, so there is never a teardrop at all, when your sweet lilting laughter is the like some very sound, and your eyes twinkle bright as can be you should laugh all the while

and all other times smile, and now, a smile for me -- and now, a small for me when irish eyes are smiling sure, it is like the morning of a sprained you -- in the lilt of irish laughter you can hear the angel same when irish eyes are smiling -- happy all the smiling, a share, a steal your heart away. ♪ for your smile is a part of the

love in your heart and did make even sunshine more bright. the lynn sweet song, kerning all the day long, there is never a real care every grant wellspring time -- and wellspring time is through this -- let us smile each a chance we get. when irish eyes are smiling, sure it is like the mourn this

spring. in the lilt of irish laughter you can hear the angels sing. when irish parts are happy, all the world seems bright and gay, and when irish eyes are smiling, sure they still your heart away. ♪ when irish eyes are smiling, you can hear the angels sing. when irish parts happy, all the

world seems bright and gay. and when irish eyes are smiling, a share, they still your heart away. . ♪ when irish eyes are happy, the world seems bright and gay, and when irish eyes are smiling, sure, they still your heart away. they will steal your heart away. ♪

♪ ♪

>> and we are life here at the presidential library in boston, and memorial for senator edward kennedy. it it just ended. friends and colleagues and family members celebrated the live, sharing personal experiences and stories. our coverage continues tomorrow. we will be live at the funeral mass, which will be had at our lady of perpetual help in boston. it is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. eastern. after that, and the casket will be flown back to washington, d.c. for burial. at 4:00 p.m., the person makes a brief stop at the u.s. capitol, where staff members are expected to offer prayers. then we will also be like for the burial service at arlington national cemetery. that is scheduled to begin at

5:30 p.m.. next a look at how medicare operate in the impact that health care legislation have on the. this is the third part of our series. it is one hour and 30 minutes. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2009] we have looked at medicare part "a" and "b". today we will look at part "c". what is this? guest: it is the part of the program that pays private insurance plans to provide benefits to medicare beneficiaries. mostly through hmos or health maintenance organizations but through other kinds of private

insurance arrangements as well. it offers an alternative to what is sometimes referred to as traditional medicare instead of having the benefits provided directly through government contractors, the benefits are provided through private insurance companies. host: it someone has medicare parts "a" and "b" would you get "c"? what is the purpose of it? host: say the average medicare payment is a certain amount of light $1,100. instead of having "a" "b" and

"d", you can get a medicare like hmo with parts "c" because it is all compiled into one private option. it is covered but your private insurance company. they provide medicare-like benefits. they are very different, but they have to be equivalent. it has the same value of medicare. 22% of the singers do that. host: this was developed in 1977? guest: it goes back to 2003. managed-care plans have been participating in medicare since

its deception in 1966. payment on the basis not just on the cost but on a formula designed to try to attract more private insurers that has occurred since the mid 1980's. in number of changes upwards and downwards in the payment rate has occurred. the base rate idea of giving people the alternative of enrolling in a private plan has given medicare -- has been in medicare throughout its history. guest: it has gone up and down. mistakes have been made. there were about 7 million people in 1977 on medicare on medicare choice plans. congress made some changes.

they cannot agree upon the name. in 1997, congress passed a bill to improve it. it pushed more money into rural areas. it kind of backfired. it reduced the money in urban areas. the payments in new york, chicago went down significantly. the program went from 7 million to 5 million seniors. we made changes in 2003 and made payment changes trying to lower the premiums a little bit. it was overdone accidentally. the trend has gone back the other way. 10% of the population on

medicare advantage went up to 22%. in a lot of areas, it is a great option. if you are low income, the hmo is a cheapest option. you have lower co-payments and deductibles and out-of-pocket costs. and if you can get a dual coverage, you do not have to generally by a medigap insurance. it the cost $300 a month which many seniors have to buy. you do not have to buy that. for a lot of people, it is more attractive to low income people. it is not for everybody. i think it became le

attractive in the late 1990's. when a payment adjustments that have affected the attractiveness of it. host: explained medicare part "c"/ . guest: in the early days of medicare, and number of medicare beneficiaries were people to have retired and enrolled in the old fashioned hmos. they were not even called that back in the '60s and '70s. they wanted the option to keep the care. that thinking was transformed in the 1980's when a large parts of congress became enamored with the belief that a private enterprise could always do better than government could in

the provision of health insurance or health care. it began pushing a systematic way to shift medicare out of government administration into private insurance hands. even talking very openly in the 1990's and the contract with america congress about eventually privatizing medicare altogether. most of the debate over the last couple of decades as an ideological. it troubled me a little bit because we have 30 years of experience with private health insurance plans in the medicare program. their performance in terms of quality of care people get does not look dramatically different from the traditional fee-for- service system. when we pay the plants to match,

they operate with generous benefits and not the people sign up. en we tried to equalize the amount we pay private insurers which medicaid costs in its traditional form, many of the private insurers leave. private insurers leave. we have to out whether we are going to make the determination about the role of private land on an ideological grounds for whether we are going to establish a level playing field and see if the private sector can outperform government. so far, it has not done so. guest: i think we agree. we have been friends for a long time. bruce is a little more skeptical. he is right. you want to get to the idea we are comparing apples -- to the

area where comparing apples to apples. now they are overpaid in most of the country. if you are trying to make the argument -- guest: who is overpaid? host: let's say you are in philadelphia. the average payment in that county toward medicare is very different. it is $11,000 a year. if you are a medicare part a or b, the government will spend $11,000 a year on year. that is the traditional medicare program on top of that coming you can buy an additional private not related to medicare supplemental. is a confusing enough? or you can stay independent across or anna -- aetna, i want

to buy your plan. the government is one to pay $11,000, they are likely playing aetna of thousand dollars. if you say, how does it happen? the numbers of people in managed care were dropping because the payments were too low. we were trying to make it more attractive for a few years. some technical errors were made in the drafting of it. some were paid more. it is not that the plants make our money. hmos are regulated and they make 85% profit by the regulator. -- a 5% profit by the regulator. it is difficult for congress to fix this because seniors are

happy. they get lower premiums and more benefits. there is a great debate on how much should we cut medicare at the damage payment. -- medicare advantage payment. one person has a reaction that is unfavorable. the horses out of the barn. we clearly made some technical errors and overcompensated by making it almost too attractive. getting that money out of the program so we can have an apple to apple comparison is typical because they are working against some seniors across the country who are happy with their benefits at low cost. host: does medicare part "c" say

the government money? guest: yes. host: what was it developed if it cost the government more money than original medicare? guest: originally in did not. $10,000 as the average cost of medicare. then someone says will pay united $500. you pay -- will pay $9,500. now you go off and take care of that patient. in the late 1990's, we cut their payments. the plans to not want to be in private medicare. they were dropping.

i wanted things to come back on an even playing field. congress in 2003 primed the pump to catch up. dollar for dollar -- we could debate four days which program was better the old or the new. the average person in the medicare advantage plan which is a private health plan, their plan is subsidized about 12%. guest: there has always been an alice in wonderland type of character in this discussion and debate. if you go back a few years, you can find the congressional record of members of congress saying we need to reduce medicare spending so we have to pay them more. the data and the evidence has

been clear for 20 years that you cannot save medicare any money by encouraging greater power dissipation of private plans, get the ideological thought that having private plans in the system will save you money has been so powerful that congress made a decision that to save money, we will pay private plans more than we would have if people stayed in the other system. i never quite figured out how that was supposed to work. i can tell you that forever -- every dollar over and above what traditional medicare would cost, that the government pays to private plans, there are substantial benefits, additional benefits that go with that. the beneficiaries have noted this. but about 30 cents of every extra dollar that the government pays for private plans stay with the plans. it does not show up in actor

benefits. it shows -- show up in extra benefits. while 25% of medicare beneficiaries benefit from the extra payme, the other 75% bears some of the cost of that because those higher costs are included in the part "b" premiums. everyone who does not participate in the private plans pays a surtax to help subsidize them. guest: this is difficult -- philosophical debate. medicare is 18% part of the population. they consume more health care. medicare pays every hospital and

doctor the same thing. it drives most of the behavior in the system. if you go to a hospital in of a perkyone area -- there is very competition in insurance plans. price-fixing causes a lot of volume problems. it is one of the fundamental flaws of medicare. it drives that behavior. we were trying to get as many people in medicare as we could because of better benefits and getting people back in insurance companies that pay different rates to different people. the level of health system if you let this area pace different rates. they do not pay every doctor or hospital the same thing.

we think it concerns us to have the bulk of the consumption of health care go to the system where the government is fixing prices. medicare is a wonderful program. no senior or disabled person is uninsured. but it is horrible because of price fixing drives bad behavior volume-wise. there is no differentiation between cost and quality. that is probably the basis for the philosophical disagreement between republicans and democrats. host: in any health insurance company participate in a part "c"?

guest: it depends on certain requirements. we would pull out 25 and say if he did not change the benefit, you are out of here. about 600 plans are offered. an average of 34 plants private available to seniors. host: there are 45 million medicare beneficiaries today. the figure $11,000 per each person per year. for medicare part a there is a deductible. for part b. there is a 40 cent premium.

what is the premium that a medicare part c person would have to pay? guest: if you turn 65, your premium for part b and is taken out of your social security check automatically. or if you sign up for the medicare advantage plan. host: how much would that premium be? guest: the part a and b payments go to human of. -- humana. 94% of seniors are offered a plan with no additional premiums. most of them have drug benefits

which is a part d premium. ceo of a traditional plan which is -- say you have a traditional plan apart eighthof part a, b, . if you'd say i want a united health plan. you will pay no additional premium and get more benefits in most cases. in some cases, they can rebate some of the premium end it will come down. you would get some of your part d premium back. it is very attractive to seniors.

is it overdone and unfair to the traditional program? that is the question. in most cases, singers like it -- singers like it. many seniors of by a supplemental insurance the cost around $300 a month. you could get one package that is a lot cheaper which is what people go with it. the issue basically is, easy to do. getting extra money that makes congress want to say, do have to take some of that money back. host: anything to add to that? guest: no, i do not disagree

with his description of the process other than his notion that the overpayment of the plan over the last few years has been the result of an accident. he may have been intending something different, but i'm pretty clear that the congressional leadership was very clear about wanting to induce medicare beneficiaries in the private plan so that sometime down the road, they could politically the squashed the game as much more easily than would be the case if they tried to take traditional medicare. guest: i was the it ministration negotiator for this. is law and the people deal with this. we look at eight other. -- each other pretty wanted to

get people back into medicare advantage. we wanted people to realize this is a good deal and get them back in. i left the government. i came back. there were a lot of old laws. we were trying to get people back into the private health plans. it did work. but we overdid it a little bit. it was a technical error. host: our phone lines are divided differently. they are divided by age and there is a health-care professional line. we are talking about medicare part "c".

when you turn 65, what are your options and which options will you choose when it comes to medicare? guest: 5 primary optiomy great e purchasing an individual supplemental policy, a medigap policy in new york state. by the time i turned 65, it is so far away, maybe $400 a month or enrolling in a medicare advantage plan says the positions i use most regularly to not participate in most of

the medicare advantage plan, i would expect i would do the subjecpart "a" and "b" and by ag benefit plan. host: what about a private plan? caller: i would need to buy debt as well. -- guest: i would need to buy that as well. host: what would you buy? guest: i would put my mom in a minute cut advantage plan. -- medicare advantage plan. her costs are lower and she is not playing $300 a month for a private, medigap, supplemental plan. she is in northern virginia.

i signed up for a bold plan. she is pretty happy. there are differences. she has out of network doctors trained ppo. -- through a ppo. in some cases, it is better and in some cases it is worse. it is confusing. seniors have to look for all other options. i think medicare advantage is very good for some people. if you have significant resources and you do not mind the cost, i think taking the old medicare program and going to any doctor and hospital you want to emplane the supplemental premium is the last option with

hassle. basically it is hmos and ppos. host: if someone is a member of parts "c" do they have recourse with medicare if they have a complaint? guest: they do with the insurance company first. eventually then medicare. you appeal to the insurance company first and then if it is not taking care of for really an appeal to medicare. you can only drop out of parts "c "c" once a year. there is an open season. it is much clearer. the seniors did bush year --

get brochures once a year. they make the choice they want generally in november and december of each year. they can change once a year. that is generally. you can also change in the spring for a couple of months, but you cannot change if you are involved in a drug benefit. host: 45 million people in the medicare system right now. 22% of them are in part "c". guest: some type of private health plan that is an alternative, yes. if you are happy with what you have and you retire at 65 and happy with what your company has, they can roll you in to medicare and still keep a chunk of that.

there are a number of companies that have a retired reemployment plan that works and to the medicare plan. host: it is mandatory to be in medicare at age 65, correct? guest: it is not amended -- mandatory. eligibility for part "a" it's automatic. if you do not wanted for some reason, you are not required to enroll. you are automatically entitled to it and eligible for that if you have a work history in the united states. host: when you turn 65 years old, do you get a letter from medicare? guest: before your birthday at the age of 65, you will get information about it when you

become eligible for social security. . to pay for the commercial insurance reform which is to lower it. is it the right thing to do? it is. but for every other grandmother

smith that is getting aetna or blue cross, it's a great benefit. that means the premiums are going up, the coverages are out -- the politics of taking away the subsidies from seniors who are oversubsidized and redistributing it to long-term uninsured which is what the issue is a big piece of what's going on in congress right now. host: bruce vladeck. guest: well, i think from the 1990's through the middle of the decade wanted to buy it to benefit the insurance industry and to promote the privatization of medicare in and of itself because once you've given it, it's difficult to take them away. i think the administration and

democrats in washington would argue that the reason the benefits will be taken away is not because they're reducing the payments . they are single payer government plan. and if they can't, the notion that all medicare beneficiaries should pay higher benefits is sort of hard to justify i think. host: now, we went a little longer in our conversation than normal this morning because we have these two gentlemen here. tom scully and bruce vladeck. kathy, your first question. go ahead with your question. caller: thank you, and i appreciate c-span for having this on. this is crucial to medical

companies. last night i caught your show at about 4:30 in the morning as a rerun. and mr. vladeck and there was mary agnes carey from the health news. they are very misinformed about what's going on in the home medical equipment industry. i've been in the business for five years. i'm of the baby boomer, and as i understand it if you take a person and they're in a nursing home, it costs about $45,000, as i understand, for about a year in a nursing home, is that correct? and these were statistics i read. and we would like to keep our family at home. they're more comfortable. they do better at home. they have an opportunity to get

healthier. so we as a home medical equipment company, we are the people that work with the families, with the caregivers, we're the ones that work between the doctor. we have to almost be like social services. we have to have respiratory care therapists to do cpap machines. the patients have 10 times -- we go out there to use a roll -- host: kathy, what's your point? caller: this national competitive bidding which may try to eliminate thousands of our home medical equipment companies for -- they're going to take away the quality of it. and we've just gone through a tremendous accreditation program that cost my company about $8,000 and i only have five employees. and if i don't get into the competitive bidding program i'm going to be out of business.

and in the united states there's between 12,000 and 15,000 small mom and pop home medical equipment companies. we don't set the price on what we're paid on equipment. equipment comes from china and it's not in too good of sturdy condition. all of it comes from china. host: kathy, do you get -- do you know -- do you get paid through part a, b or c? caller: part b. caller: do you have any -- host: do you have any c customers? caller: no. host: i know both gentlemen want to answer. bruce vladeck, if you want to start? guest: i'm all for providing medicare beneficiaries who have home medical equipment and the education and service that goes with it. but i still don't understand why medicare should pay three times for certain equipment what it would cost if an individual went on the internet. i think our argument yesterday was not if home equipment was a

good thing or a bad thing. it was the extent to which congress at the behest of the industry continues to insist that medicare significantly overpay. guest: and i watched your program last night, bruce and marying a sess and i agree with what they said. this gets into it ties us back to part c. it's a very political system. when government fixes price and durable equipment is based on a 1982 fee schedule, it's been adjust -- it hasn't been adjusted for inflation since and that's what you get paid. this equipment is overpaid from a price list from 30 years ago when you can buy the stuff for a lot less. i spent years trying to fix wheelchairs and scooters. i had an operation, wheel ordeal. medicare paid $6,000 at a time no matter what it looked like or how many gizmos it had. there are some wonderful wheelchair operators and a lot

of scam artists selling wheelchairs to the wrong market. every got -- everybody got paid for a 1982 fee schedule. when the taxpayer money is at risk in the trust funds and you're making decisions like this on how to pay for d.m.e., people at c.m.s. care and try but every time you try to fix it and god bless it, the demi provider in every shopping mall in america. everyone goes nuts. i understand it's a business but it's a crazy business in many cases. you're a small provider and you sell wheelchairs and bed pans. if you give money to blue cross and aetna and said, you know what, it's your cash, they don't overpay for wheelchairs and bed pans. it changes the behavior. i know that bruce disagrees with me. to me that's the behavior. when aetna's money is at risk

or blue cross' money is at risk they are not going to pay too much for a what he will chair or bed pan. when the political money is at risk, whoever shows up at the town hall meeting, that's the town hall meeting, that's the fundamental cha host: next call from illinois. caller: thank you for c-span and taking my call. not to get off the subject, but that the part of the problem is when you had c zero's of like united healthcare take a one $1 billion golden parachute to walk away and $500 million. it is in the part of the problem, that we are wasting the money? guest: there are two ways to look at. it is outrageous and cause a lot of problems over the years it is certainly bad for the insurance industry. if you want to look back at a longtime ceo of united healthcare,