who weathered at the storm, went through it all and became the most effective united states senator in our time. it's a remarkable story. you are right. it's a battle after his marriage to vickie suggests he won. >> there's a great transition here. ted kennedy and what happened to his brother. two of his brothers with political motivation. the first act of terrorism against this country. the irish american guys who told the gunman, we are not on your side, anymore. we're not going to sit in the bronx and raise money anymore. we're not going to be part of the irish-american caucus. that's over. it's where it's going to change. it's going to become a

peacemaking effort. we're going to find a way to live together. they are loyal and are going to learn to live together and govern together. ted kennedy, o'neal and perry are going to make it happen. they dictated it. it's a case of leadership. you don't follow the crowd like these guys. >> maintain order. >> you want to hold the kucount together. reading, so the kennedy's understood how guns kill and they came out against the gunmen in ireland. it worked. we have not a happy piece, we have a cold piece. but it's great. they learn from violence. the only time in my life, you remember, i wrote a congressman,

it was after bobby was shot. johnny carson came on television and said write your congressman and tell him to do something about the handguns. i wish the nra would take a stand. take a stand and say we have to have reasonable gun control. we have all the power in the world with the second amendment. we can dictate it. let's do it right. instead of bringing guns to presidential events. it's getting out of hand. people shouldn't bring guns to presidential events. too much history. bring it to a saloon with you, if you have to. that's a stupid idea. take it to a target range. i love to go and shoot skeet. that's where you bring a gun. >> i can tell you, chris, as a guy with a 100% nra record --

>> they are not going to do that. >> i said the same thing. keep your guns at home. not only are you -- you are making the job of the secret service that much harder. you are making the job of law enforcement officers that much horder. do i think some of those guys carrying guns are a threat? no, i think they are trying to make a statement. they are pulling the secret service and cops away from the real threats, away from the people that our law enforcement officers need to take care of. the conservative maintains social order. chris matthews, thanks for being with us. i know you have to go. let's go to anne thompson. anne, we are at the top of the hour. president obama was going to give a speech at 8:30, a press conference talking about the life and legacy of ted kennedy. it's been pushed back.

what is the latest? >> reporter: we understand president obama will address reporters about 9:30 this morning. we do not know what the delay is. i can tell you here, at hyannisport we have seen a priest go into the kennedy compound. we could see someone walking one of senator kennedy's portuguese water dogs by the ocean. he loved those dogs. they were very, very dear to him. he passed away late last night according to a family statement issued at 1:30 this morning. in the statement, the family spoke of the irreplaceable man, the center of their lives, who fought for justice, they were so proud of him. he was so optimistic. it's hard to believe he will no longer be here. in may of 2008, senator kennedy was diagnosed with a malignant

brain tumor. he traveled to duke university where part of the tumor was removed. he came back, received chemotherapy and radiation. went between here and a rented home in florida. in recent days, spent most of his time here in hyannisport. two weeks ago, his older sister died. he attended the private wake. he was not able to go to the public wake or public funeral. the staff said no, no, nothing is wrong. he's not up to it. last week, when senator kennedy sent to duval patrick, a democrat in massachusetts and the democratic leadership of the state legislature suggesting a change in the law -- again,

eyebrows were raised. calls were made, the staff said no, no, nothing is changed. early last evening, the extended family came to the compound. his immediate family was around him. his wife vickie, his son, teddy, jr. his daughter and two stepchildren, caroline. we don't have information on funeral plans. we hope to get those later today or tomorrow. >> anne, mike barnicle and i went to hyannisport for a golf tournament. i always thought kennedys are there, you're a democrat. not the case. there's quite a few republicans out there. mostly republicans. >> true. >> ted kennedy would not have won an election for the mayor.

you said something earlier this morning. even though they don't agree with him politically, they take care of their own. they have always taken care of the kennedys and protected their privacy. you said that's in effect, again, this morning. >> reporter: yeah, it's very true. here, there are only about 130 homes here. people are very respectful of the kennedy's privacy. they do protect them. he does have several friends here. i have spoken to many of them. they are not all of the democratic persuasion as you would say. there's great respect here for the kennedy family and in particular for senator kennedy. it's been since 1946 that a kennedy represented massachusetts in some form or another in congress or senate or president of the united states. kennedys in massachusetts are absolutely inseparable.

kennedy's in hyannisport are more inseparable. it's here they watched the kennedy's celebrate great joy and endure great sadness. through it all, hyannisport protected them through many decades. >> all right. anne, thanks a lot. we'll go back up to massachusetts. barack obama is going to be speaking at 9:30. mike barnicle, there's a lot of republicans around there. >> it's largely republican. it's growth period was after the depression when large elements of the carnegies and melons from the pittsburgh area bought homes in this very small. it's a hamlet. largely a republican hamlet. while it was probably extraordinary differences

politically with all the kennedys, but specifically senator kennedy among the residents there was this congenial neighborly aspect to the relationship as well. especi especially, you know, it revolves around the water. the boats. it's a boating community. in the end, last night, despite the fact he was a citizen of the world and known throughout the globe, he died at home. >> yeah. >> in hyannisport. >> where he wanted to die. it was important to make it through the summer. >> make it through the summer. there's something metaphor about the hurricane passing. the calming effect it has. there's a vibrancy to the air. the humidity leaves. he had that in the last few days

before he passed away. >> speaking of republicans, do you read the short story about jfks -- every time the motorcade came in, he'd turn on the lights. at the end of the great story, they talked about how the kennedys were replaced by republicans. he was forced to turn it off as the president stepped out. hey, turn the light back on. it's the only way i find my way home at night. >> i remember the story after a heldish day. president kennedy came for a meeting and he said so you want this expletive deleted job. the sense of humor was genetic, i think. >> yeah, it was. >> president kennedy and barry gold water.

>> savannah get us up to date. >> reporter: about k 30, we'll hear from the president. he's working on the statement. it's not out of character for the president. on big speeches and big moments, he's making speeches. it makes speech writers crazy. that's what he's doing. ron allen is in martha's vineyard. we will promise we won't see too much of the president this week. now, it appears we'll see him twice. yesterday with the bernanke announcement. >> indeed. it's turning out to be a very busy time for the president. he was out last night, in oak bluff, one of the towns here on the vineyard, with the first lady and a number of friends for dinner at a restaurant on the main drag, circuit avenue in oak bluff. it's what the people wanted. the people wanted to see him out

and about. they wanted to catch a glimpse. he didn't sign autographs, but he was there, nontheless. his remarks have been delayed because he's in a secluded part of the island. a farm, an estate of 25 acres. it's taking efforts to get the ability for him to do this live. we had a piece of paper earlier this morning, but i believe the next statement is going to be live on camera. i think, in part, it's because the president feels strongly about senator edward kennedy. he has a deep connection to him. he talks about how senator kennedy helped him in the senate some time ago. the role kennedy played in his campaign when he endorsed him. again it's a personal thil for

obama. >> thanks so much. john meacham, you're not as fun as you used to be. you now have a day job. editor of "newsweek." you have a job to do today. >> those were the good days. but, give us your final thoughts on ted kennedy and what's "newsweek" going to say about this great leader. ? >> we're going to explore the things we are talking about. it's not an uncomplicated celebration of a life. it's a complicated one. the life was complicated. it's therefore, i think, more interesting and ultimately more inspiring. one of my favorite things about the kennedy's at large is the great poem to strive to seek to find to not to yield, that they

quoted so much. the poem is about a bored king who the idol of the king who was you listen he was trying to engage himself after all the drama, all the vigor of the journey home to ithaca. that's both sides of the kennedys. there's a wonderful strive to seek, find and not yield. there was also another side. that's what makes the family interesting. we all live in the shadow of what this family did. we're better off for it. remember john and robert kennedy avoided nuclear armageddon in 1962. we live in a country that's better because ted kennedy spent those years in the senate. i think as we go through the next couple days, remembering the complexity of the legacy is the most important thing. >> thanks a lot.

>> thank you. let's go to pat buchanan now. the president of the united states we learned from savannah guthrie is going over the text of the speech that he's going to deliver. as he delivers it on time in the next 15 minutes or so. pat buchanan is a presidential speech writer and communication writer. if you are writing a speech about ted kennedy for a president, what do you highlight about his life? >> i think you certainly highlight the length of his service to the country. you highlight the achievements he has -- what he has done and accomplished in those 47 years or how ever many he was in the united states senate. i think you talk about the individual as a friend, as someone you knew. you talk about how, in a moment, in your own presidential aspirations you came to help you

out. i think you talk about the -- i would talk about the close of an era. maybe because it's not our generation is a kennedy generation. from the 1950s, with jack kennedy was married to the 56th convention and teddy kennedy coming on, following that. it's a half century of time when the kennedy's are the most famous family of time. the reckless times, what they have accomplished. i would deal with that and had my speech writers up as soon as i got the news and i would have been dictating i want this and that included. i would not make it too long. i would just make it several minutes, i think. then i would step out. >> all right, pat. we want to bring into

conversation michael. >> thank you. >> we have been talking about legacy this morning. you are in the business of helping to shape legacy a bit. is it an overstatement to say, as many have said, ted kennedy is the most effective senator and one of the two or three bests? >> i think close to it especially when you consider the fact this is a guy who served for 47 years, third longest serving senator in history. the may azing thing is this is something no one would have foretold when he came into the senate in 1963. he was elected at the age of 30. he was the first to admit. when he ran in 1962, he debated with his primary opponent. eddie said, you know, teddy, if your name was anything other than kennedy, your candidacy would be a joke. to an extent he was not wrong at that point.

looking back over 47 years, even if his name were not kennedy, this would have been a great senator of american history. >> talk about the irony as many pointed out jfk being tapped as the one the carry the torch, then robert kennedy, then joe jr. down to edward kennedy, you after 47 years his being the most powerful political of them all. >> the last shall be first. when ted kennedy ran in '62, i can't be a great senator, i'm only 30. it's going to take me awhile. one thing you in massachusetts can depend on, i have a great relationship in the white house. it's going to produce results. in the middle of 1963, he said i i thought i'm going to have

influence in the white house. i told jack his administration was putting a lot of people out of work in massachusetts. jack told me tough expletive, four letter expletive beginning with f. >> we know them all. thank you so much michael. greatly appreciate it. little known facts. gillibrand and mike bennett were born since he was senator. >> michael spoke about the '62 senate race, a jumbo event of emotions come spilling through my head. one is current country about

massachusetts legislature whether they could have an appointed senator, interim senator before the election. there wasn't an appointed senator after he assumed the presidency. announced he would not run in 1962. open up the seats of events. 30-year-old ted kennedy. the event that michael eluded to took place at the high school, the scene of great furor when it came to bussing. ted kennedy came up to scorn. mccormick, nephew of mccormick said if your name is edward moor, your candidacy would be a joke. at eddie mccormick's funeral, ted kennedy spoke. and said he remembered that night vividly and remembered

vividly eddie saying iflcoáu yo name were edward moore, your candidacy would be a joke. some thought he was tough on me and others thought he wasn't tough enough. i agree with both groups. >> pat, you want to get in here? >> yes, i would. i was there writing editorials and we had that quote in the editorials. i would like to ask mike. my recollection is that bobby kennedy and jack kennedy were ap hencive. jack is the president, you have a 30-year-old young fellow who hasn't accomplished a thing in his life. they wondered whether he should really run. whether teddy should run for the seat. joe kennedy, sr. said you boys have what you want.

this is now teddy's turn. if teddy wants this, i'm going to help him out and so are you. is there truth in that story, mike? >> i think there's a lot of truth in that story. joe kennedy assigned a fellow to ride with ted kennedy throughout the course of the 1962 campaign, which was his first venture into elected politics. he worked for both brothers. he worked for jack kennedy. in '56 he ran. he beat him by 900,000 votes. i think the ambassador kennedy told president kennedy and attorney general robert kennedy his youngest boy teddy was going to run for senate. he didn't care what they thought it would do to the status as

president. he didn't care. it's what teddy wants and deserves. the guy assigned to be with teddy in the campaign, legend has it, he was reporting back to the ambassador every hour from pay phones what teddy was up to and doing. teddy got so sick of it, in mid-september after the debate with mccomerica parkic, he stopped at an event and let the guy out. wouldn't let him back in. he wanted to be on his own. a footnote to the story, the reason kennedy made the comment when gold water was in the oval office is gold water walked in and kennedy wasn't there. he looked at the famous rocking chair kennedy used for his back. gold water was sitting in the rocking chair, rocking back and forth when the president walked in. he said barry do you want this

blankty blank job. >> that's funny. >> mike barnicle, let's talk about your personal relationship with ted kennedy. >> he watch ed this show all th time. >> yes, he did. >> he had an amusing expression, i must say. those of us of this generation don't understand. what did he tell you about being on this show? >> this was about nine or ten months ago, during the winter. i was with him and he watched the show every day. watched the show every day. loved the show. he was talking about something you had done and said on the show that morning. i said oh, yeah, joe's a great guy. he said you know, you have fallen into a tub of butter. >> you're in high cotton. that's a tough one. talk about your personal relationship with him and your

wife's personal relationship with him. your first article you ever wrote was about teddy kennedy and your wife present that to him, not so long ago. >> yeah, it was january of 1973. i spent the day with him. it was the first column i wrote for the "boston globe." my wife found it and took it to him. my relationship with him changed considerably in the summer of 1998. we had, as i spoke earlier, we bought a home in hyannisport. they took us in. in august of 1998, i was involved in a terrible personal slash professional dilemma. i thought maybe my professional life was over.

i had tv cameras in the front lawn, down the cape and it was my son nick's birthday. i was on the front page of the "new york times." i was being lit up. it was about midnight that night, after the tv cameras left. there was a knock on the screen door, the front door. i went to the door. i mean, i was devastated. i didn't know what was going to happen to me next for income, for a profession, i didn't know. i went to the screen door and standing there was ted kennedy. encouraging me to come down the hill with him to his home and sit on the front porch. as he told me that night, nobody knows how to hide out like we do. you know, these are the things

you never forget. everyone who ever encountered him or had difficulty, whether a private citizen or brian hart who i spoke about earlier who lost his son in iraq or someone who works at the ge plant. he would be there. he would be there. >> that's why it's so remarkable that everybody this morning remembering ted kennedy and those who knew ted kennedy, those that were touched by ted kennedy's life. just saw this man as personally a remarkable man. we keep going back to the letter that trent lott wrote him. if everybody else knew what i knew about you. if america knew what you were like, one on one, personally. i would tell people about my encounters with him. just a few. but what a warm, wonderful guy,

with a great sense of humor. again, guy on the opposite side politically of me, but a guy with no problem trying to reach out with republicans who used him as a punch line. >> you were talking a while ago about the issue of guns and the second amendment and conservatives and republicans. we don't know what the president is going to say when he steps up in front of the cameras at 9:30 or there abouts. one thing you can say about ted kennedy, take it to the bank truth, he was a man without cynicism. he was a man with no hate in his heart. in this day and age, when the bloggers and some of the cable chatter and the divisions in this country is so deep at that level, at the media level and

the things that were written and said about him, right up until the moment he died. he had no hate in him. >> right. >> no cynicism about our government and our country. >> as doris said, he became stronger in the broken places. he took that and turned it into compassion. not just compassion for the left, compassion for everybody with the things he did day in and day out. >> to mike's point, something to think about, 40 years later, if it happened nowadays, he would be run out of town the next day. he went on to have a long, as we said, 40 year career. today, if you are caught on youtube saying something offensive, you're out. ask george allen or anybody. do we want to weed these people out with the pricks here and there whether on youtube or a blog. it's something to think about.

ted kennedy recovered. >> do we leave space for redemption stories. >> we don't. to your point about the bipartisan response, president george w. bush put out a statement, in a life filled with trials, he never gave into self-pity and despair. he went on to talk about how he worked closely on things like no child left behind and immigration reform. president george h.w. bush speaking out sending condolences and wishes. tony blare, we have heard from him and governor arnold schwarzenegger as well. >> pat buchanan as conservatives like you and me say kind things about ted kennedy, it might be surprising to those outside of washington d.c. who see political figures on their tv and read their quotes in

newspapers but ted kennedy was different. like you are different in the fact people that know you in washington, d.c., republicans or democrats, conservatives or liberals all seem to have a nice thing to say about you. is that just -- is that old school? is that the way things used to be? can they be that way, again? can you have somebody who is the liberal lion of the united states senate, that the most conservative republicans have deep affection for him? >> well, the reason they have this affect for kennedy is this is, in a way, i have always said there's basically two or three towns in d.c., the african-american community, the community i grew up in, nothing to do with pollices and a very small political community. in that community, ted kennedy, everything we said about him, he's a friendly, likable guy, a

lot of people know that. an awful lot of people know that. in the country, they don't. in this modern day and age, joe, i don't know that it's possible. the savagery. i don't read commentary on blogs because you look at it once or twice and it's so awful. i think there's -- the country is being increasingly polarized more and more and some groups are moving into these, watch these channels, others watch those channels. that is -- i just don't know, joe. there's one point i was thinking we talked about '62. we have to realize, teddy kennedy was 30 years old, no real accomplishment. six years later, he's 36 years old. his two brothers are dead. all of that is gone. there's enormous pressure on him to run for vice president. everybody is looking for him to

be the president of the united states. that must have been extraordinary and it's probably that pressure that influenced a lot of his behavior in those years. >> the burdens piled on a 36-year-old man. just really remarkable. let's go to norah o'donnell. she's in the nbc bureau in washington, d.c. norah, washington will be remembering ted kennedy and his life. we'll be talking about his legacy. but you can't vote in washington, d.c. now, democrats have 59 votes. how does it affect the health care debate? >>reporter: there's no doubt it's already had an effect. because teddy kennedy was not in the u.s. senate there twisting arms, calling on his friends, republican friends like orrin hatch to get it done, they

weren't able to move forward. on the discussion about the hemingway quote, the world breaks everyone after some are stronger in the broken places. kennedy's life, i mean he was presiding over the united states senate on november 22, 1963 when the wire service ticker comes over that his brother has been assassinated in dallas. then, he has to go and tell his father that his brother has been assassinated. a year later, he's campaigning for re-election. there's a plane crash. the pilot dies in the plane crash, one of his aids die. senator birch pulls ted kennedy and saves him. talk about the broken places he's suffered in his life. truly remarkable. the senate historian was telling me under his desk was a stool to keep his feet on. he broke his back in the plane

crash. in the senate, there are all these seats. as you gain seniority, you sit in the front. he didn't want to do that. he could keep his foot stool there because of his back. i think it's remarkable. to his son, was diagnosed with bone cancer at 12 years old. his son, teddy kennedy, jr. his leg was amputated. there was so much tragedy in this man's life, it's remarkable when you think of those things. the record in the senate, nearly half a century in the senate, we talked about that. the only two other senators who outdid that are strom thurman and bobbi byrd. 2500 pieces of legislation he authored, hundreds of them becoming bills. we talked about s-chip he did with orrin hatch to give kids in

governorty health insurance. once thing i was reminded of in 1982, you know who he teamed up with? dan quayle. he needed a republican senator to reach across the aisle. it was dan quayle. that's how dan quayle became more famous on the national stage. as the senate historian pointed out to me, there was no other senate. when he stood up and spoke, could focus national attention on an issue like ted kennedy. all the legislative issues. when he spoke out about bourque it was a turning pounlt. i'm not sure if there's an equal to that, certainly, now. finally one other thing, as you know, i'm big about women in politics. you pointed out, there are two senators currently serving who are younger, weren't alive when

ted kennedy came into the senate. gillibrand and bennett. when he came into the senate, there were two women. smith and newberger, two democrats. during the '70s, he served when there was no women in the senate. now, there are 17. he spanned the history of the senate, not just the country, but the senate. it's strange to have someone in office that long. >> it is. nearly half a century. and you managed to get dan quayle's name in. >> we have not heard from him yet, but there's an instance where he teamed up with kennedy. >> thank you so much. we'll get back to you later. chris matthews, we want to remember ted kennedy pleasantly. >> no jack kennedy. >> no jack kennedy. is it possible we are overstating or can you over state the importance he had in the senate? >> well, you know, his brother

had a commission to run in '57. we're still allowed to do this, go to the u.s. capital. one thing you should do as americans, i always say, come to washington. you have already paid for it. it's already here. everything is free here. you paid for it with your taxes. if you go to the senate side of the capital, there's a reception area where lobbyists hang out or anybody can. they have five senators on the wall. they are considered the five greatest. the progressive from wisconsin. of course, the great guy, clay calhoun and webster. then robert taft from the post war period. mr. republican, mr. conservative. in picking the names, jack kennedy was smart. there was home cooking there.

there's always some home cooking. he's unable to look forward. he would have picked his brother. if you talk to hatch and the others, the great joke was kennedy was compared to webster. he said what did webster do. "the new york times" are going to have full pages tomorrow. for anybody who wants to do the homework, read the newspaper, you're going to see the full legislative record there. it's online, of course. you will see the role he played in reducing the voting age to 18. title nine that gives women athletes the same opportunity as male athletes in college. these kind of things you will see in there. the dan quayle legislation and s-chip. you will see the record. it's amazing. the fact is, i think his personality was in tune to the senate. not everybody is a happy

senator. some just don't fit in. some senators like pat don't have to fit in. teddy wasn't a presidential type. he's a comrade or colleague type. he's a colleague, a brother. that's the role he's suited for and he played it better than anybody. >> to willie's question -- >> did i not get to that question? >> as we wait for the president of the united states to speak to us from martha's vineyard, i guess it's possible to overstate anything. i guess it's possible, obviously possible to overstate the importance and impact offedward moor kennedy. i don't think it's possible to overstate the fact, something we were just talking about. here is a man, if anyone would be allowed the luxury of cynicism about what happens in life and government, if any man

would be allowed to hate things that happened, it would be him. >> yeah. >> because of what happened in his lifetime. he was uniquely without hate and without cynicism. >> well, you knew him better than i did. i think that came through late at night when he had his chance to be an irish begrudger. he was not black irish at all. i think many times in my life, i have thought about this as a role model question. imagine every time you get on an airplane, a commercial or waiting to hear from the president ere time you get on the plane or every time you bump into a group of people, most of them would prefer you weren't there. most of the people with money wish there wasn't a ted kennedy period. if the plane could crash without them on it, they would be not that unhappy with it. nice to meet you today, how are

you doing? how are the kids? knowing they don't think you are appropriate. imagine living like that all the time. r reagan, through a good part of his career lived like that. you were the odd man out. >> let's draw comparisons between reagan and ted kennedy. >> sticking to what you believe. >> '76 ronald reagan running against a republican. delivering a remarkable speech that overshadows that republican and led to his defeat. ted kennedy doing the same in 1980. the remarkable thing about ronald reagan, i found, was like ted kennedy, he didn't notice. he did not notice when people didn't like him. i remember reading the story about ronald reagan after he passed away. he lost in '76. nancy reagan asked somebody to get a group of ten people together. thought leaders in new york. i think mike wallace she asked.

he called back, cancelled the dinner. she said that's all right, we'll meet with five or six. he said, i can't find one. reagan never noticed it. he was going to talk to reagan on a day when he was all over the front page of the "l.a. times." iran contra and deficits. reagan was enraged looking at the "l.a. times." reagan said, did you see in the paper today? morris said yes, mr. president i did. he rose the paper at him and said could you believe they would think of selling the dodgers to murdock. flipped it over, on the bottom left. i thought that was the secret of reagan. he stuck by his principles.

this morning, teddy kennedy, these two leaders shared that in common. didn't notice. maybe that's why ted kennedy was tr like that. >> they both noticed. they didn't carry the easy resentment that comes too quickly now in politics and in the media. explode in public. they didn't have that about them. >> yeah. is pat buchanan still with us? talk about that? again, you knew ted kennedy and worked with ronald reagan. you wouldn't usually team them together, but there were quite a few similarities. >> sure in terms of what mike was talking about. there's no bitterness, no sin similar in ronald reagan. n

n none at all. he was a popular kid. loved life. goes hollywood becomes a movie start. a troubled first marriage. he didn't go through the tragedies and jolts and tremendous hits that teddy kennedy took when he was a boy, when his brother was killed in the war, jack kennedy and his other brother bobby killed within five years of each other. he's 36 years old and everybody saying you must run for president of the united states. kennedy went through a troubled life and didn't have that cynicism. ronald reagan had almost a charmed life. he had a tough time when he was a kid, with his dad. his dad was a heavy drinker. it must have been tough at home. they were happy irishmen. they were not dark irishmen as chris and i and mike would have

met some of those in our lifetime. >> you recognize the type, pat. bill o'reilly, for example. >> let me say, i would sariy richard nixon did not have that style. >> i think people benefit from, well, the thing that is don't turn out right. >> right. >> ronald reagan, his first marriage didn't work out. he found television. he game bigger on television. i have a fan in the '50s. he was number three one year. that's big business. the tv career faded. he lost the contract with ge. he went on and was desperate at that point.

he was doing death valley and reviews in vegas, just introducing the talent. he was pretty much out of work. every stage, when the first marriage failed, he found nancy. he found television, then politics. ted kennedy didn't win at harvard the first time. he was kicked out of harvard. he didn't win the presidency. he wasn't going to get it, ever. he became the greatest senator in history. the fallback position is the best. >> right. >> especially, even though he was given a lot. my favorite line is what you do with what you got is what counts. what he got was the ability to get along with other people. better than almost any other senator in history. he had that gift that none of us, at this table have. to have this ability to think

about 1,000 other people at the same time. keep them like a traffic controller in your head. it's an amazing ability. >> it is. >> i think he had it. i guess great mayors can do it. they can think about the different board leaders. others like pat can only think of one person at a time. it worked for him, too. >> attack an irishman. first bill o'reilly. irish civil war here from chris matthews. >> ronald reagan did lose his job from ge television theater, but before jack welsh took over. >> just remember, he hired john mc. >> when are we going to hear from the president? >> i think it's closer to 10:00.

two things going on. the president is working on the statement. he's personally involved in it. if it matters, he makes efforts. they are on martha's vineyard. yesterday, they did it as a press filing center. he walks in, it's ready to go. in this case, the pool, the television camera is traveling to him. they have to set up a live signal. there's logistics going on as well. that's why the time has slid at this point. >> it's a long winded way of saying our director is involved. for all of you, for the millions of you that wake up every morning and watch way too early, at 5:30, this is a special day. a special day of remembrance of senator ted kennedy.

will is wearing a tie. i don't think i have ever seen that. >> i thought a tie was the appropriate thing in honor of senator kennedy. >> i know senator kennedy would be more shocked that mike barnicle was wearing a tie. his shirt is almost tucked in. >> no, no, no. >> almost. it's almost tucked in. a lot of people are remembering ted kennedy in their own way. tell us -- >> we received word from senator john kerry, his colleague. he taught us how to fight, how to laugh, how to treat each other and turn idealism into action. that's from john kerry. how about orrin hatch. ted kennedy lost his idealism. was a rare person who could put aside differences and look for common solutions. he said on "meet the press" that

ted kennedy is mized more than anyone in the health care debate. mitt romney chiming in. he was the kind of man you could like if he was your add vi sar. >> we should point out that vice president biden called in earlier. even though, i think probably his feelings encapsulate a lot of feelings. senator kennedy's passing was imminent. it was expected for weeks and months on end, if you have it. it was still for the vice president, i suspect many, many others who worked with senator kennedy, shattering news. >> no doubt about it. everybody seems, whether you talk about joe biden or yourself or everybody has a story this morning about how he reached out in a time of need and helped his friends and helped even people that he didn't know. >> well, you said it best earlier when you were talking about people in public life when

they pass, you know, someone comes up with one story. >> in this case it's bottomless pit of these stories and gestures you hear for the first time. it's also -- i think chris mentioned it, too. it's so rare for a public figure to hold on to that quality of being able to put himself in someone else's shoes particularly someone who lived an extraordinary life yet all of the stories seem to have that common feature where he is thinking about what it must be like to be that person, for example, liddy's daughter at her graduation for him to come up and put his arms around her and just to put himself in her shoes, how must she feel at this moment? i think a striking feature. wesh getting close to the president's statement because i think we each have a shot of the camera where the president will appear in few moments at martha's vineyard so i think we're probably five, ten minutes away right now. >> it strikes me listening to your story, mike, you've been friends for 35 years.

we take that for granted. you were a newspaper writer covering the guy. i don't know how often you would see that today esteemed senator with a friendly name becomes friends with a guy who writes about him. >> positive column. >> yeah. i did write a pretty -- couple of pretty tough pieces about him, for me, pretty tough pieces about him about the palm beach episode and obar episode. >> what was your kicker line? >> you know, i forget. maybe it was something like maybe he should just spend the rest of his time at obar rather than on the ballot, something like that. but it was tough enough that, you know, he called me up and said we got to get together and we did and, you know, he had taken care of me in about 30 seconds and i'm back on board. i'm nod ashamed to knit it. you know, i was a newspaper columnist and not a reporter. not ashamed to admit it. i liked the guy and admired the

guy. we talk endlessly on these shows and radio talk shows and blog people out in the blogosphere about the divisions and we call each other names and much of it is anonymous but you can go through massachusetts or any state of the union and go into a high school classroom grammar school classroom and see the impact of it. a hospital emergency room on a friday night in the smallest town and the biggest city you see the impact of it. go to a v.a. hospital you'll see his impact and look at the equipment they carry now in afghanistan and in iraq and you'll see the impact of edward moore kennedy. got an assisted living facility and you'll see his impact how the elderly are living. it's throughout our lives. >> i think jay leno said he is the only 60-year-old who still goes to florida for college week. >> i think that was pat buchanan. >> pat said that? >> yeah. >> good for you, pat. >> might have gotten it from leno. go ahead. >> pat told an interesting story, though, after giving that

speech, after playing hardball politically with ted kennedy and using ted kennedy as a bunch line and i'm sure ted kennedy used pat buchanan as a punch line as well who invites pat and his wife shelley over to meet the cardinal, but ted kennedy, he didn't keep score, pat, did he? >> no. he got over it pretty quickly. he probably laughed at that line himself. chris is right. i think jay leno might have used that before i did but we certainly made it famous. >> he didn't copyright it, did he, pat? >> no, no, he didn't. but i will say that, you know, after -- i ran into teddy kennedy numerous, numerous times, not only over at his own house there, but down there at various studios and things. every time he comes up graciously as though we were high school buddies and he's that way. he's so easy going and so forthcoming and in that sense,

as i said earlier, he was a natural politician in the way his bobby certainly was not an even jack kennedy the arift craft of the family in my judgment was not. teddy kennedy had a natural irish politician's aspect of him as well as a young man, a tremendously handsome young fellow. then he had the kennedy charisma and kennedy name. i think that combination enabled him to do things in the senate that if his name were edward moore he would never have been able to do. >> chris matthews, what is the impact now with the passing of ted kennedy on what has been before us over the past month or two? health care reform. does it further damage the president's ability to pass health care reform, sweeping health care reform, or does this give the president a rallying crying like lbj had in 1965.

>> well, everybody here is a student of history and now grown up with a lot of romance about the u.s. senate. certainly john is sitting here talking about one of my favorite books about the great senate of the 1950s. it you look at lbj, just look at eisenhower could he have operated without johnson? no. in the '50s. could johnson have gotten civil rights without everett -- without everett dirkson, the republican leader? i don't see a leader of that caliber on the hill right now who can be the quarterback on the field, while perhaps this president calls in the plays. i don't think that quarterback. i don't see, in fact, even that larry o'brien moxie in the lobbying operation of the white house, the person who can really figure out how to put it together. we'll see if rahm emanuel can do it. he hasn't done it yet, but we'll see. i think a lot of modern

education on the hill you let the kids do what they want to do in class and it hasn't worked out. the stimulus package was a grab bag, a pinyata. condoms and junk like that in their heads embarrassed the president. pelosi has not served him well in that regard in terms of the notion putting people to work and getting people back out of the recession and i think this health care bill requires somebody to go out there on the floor and say this is what we need and this is what we're going to do this year and do the rest later. >> perhaps the man we're hearing from in the next 30 to 45 seconds, the president of the united states, barack obama. >> he is at bat and he better start swinging. >> perhaps this is the time that he steps forward and takes control of his legislative agenda. he has deferred to the hill and there is no doubt he has been hurt by the fact that ted kennedy was not up on hill to

confer with him. kennedy, again, while a partisan and proponent of health care reform longer than a lot of people who are alive watching this right now, ted kennedy was somebody that could walk over to orrin hatch's office and talk to him and could talk to olympia snow and susan collins and ask the question, what do you need? how do we get from where we are to where we need to be? i need your vote. ted kennedy is not there anymore. president obama. we've got dylan ratigan on the other side of president barack obama remembering ted kennedy. >> i had the honor to call teddy a colleague, a counselor, and a friend. and even though we have known this day a was coming for some time now, we waited it with no small amount of dread. since teddy's diagnosis last year, we've seen the courage with which he battled his

illness and while these months, no doubt, have been difficult for him, they also led him here from people from every corner in our nation and from around the world just how much he meant to all of us. despite a he has given us the opportunity we were denied when his brothers john and robert were taken from us. the blessing of time to say thank you and good-bye. the outpouring of love, gratitude, and fond memories to which we've all bourn witness is a testament to which this single figure in american history touched so much lives. his ideas and ideals are stamped on scores of laws and reflected in millions of lives. and seniors who know new dignity and families that know new opportunity, in children who know education's promise, and in all who can pursue their dream in an america that is more equal and more just, including myself. the kennedy name is synonymous

with the democratic party and, at tiles, ted was the target of partisan campaign attacks, but in the united states senate, i can think of no one who engendered greater respect or affection from members of both sides of the aisle. the seriousness and purpose was perpetually matched by humility, warmth, and good cheer. he passionately could battle others and do so purelessly on the senate floor for the causes that he held dear and, yet, still maintain warm friendships across party lines. and that is one reason he became not only one of the greatest senators of our time, but one of the most accomplished americans ever to serve our democracy. his extraordinary life on this earth has come to an end, an extraordinarily good that he did lives on. for his family, he was a guard yawn. for america, he was defender of a dream. i spoke earlier this morning to

senator kennedy's beloved wife vicki, who was to the end such a wonderful source of encouragement and strength. our thoughts and prayers are with her, his children kara, edward and patrick. his stepchildren kurran and caroline. the entire kennedy family, decades worth of his staff, the people of massachusetts, and all americans who, like us, love ted kennedy. >> the president of the united states barack obama, his comments, of course, on a day that america wakes up to the death of one of its great leaders, ted kennedy, dead at 77. anne thompson in hyannisport with the morning we lost one of our great leaders. hi, anne. oh, okay. karen finney is also with me as

we wait for anne to prepare herself. we were talking about this as we were watching chris matthews and the people talking about this, that this opens up a string of wounds in terms of the lost leaders that preceded ted kennedy and for those for whom ted kennedy carried the torch, not only his brothers but those who aspired to the value systems that he and his brothers represented. >> that's very true. at the convention, the democratic convention last summer, there was that -- this feeling that might be one of the last times we really saw him in that arena. this morning, i was reflecting that i was so glad that he got that moment to be there and feel the love of the party and the appreciation of the party because there was this sense that when he passed, you know, we would lose a generation of leadership and that it would reopen those wounds as you and i were talking about. >> and now with us in hyannisport is ann. good morning, ann. >> good morning, dylan. i was struck by listening to the president on a couple of remarks that he made. first of all, calling senator

kennedy a singular figure in american history and saying that he left the legacy of america more equal and more just for people, including myself, and i thought that was really extraordinary. he also called teddy kennedy one of the most accomplished americans in history. there had been a lot of speculation in recent days that perhaps president obama, who is vacationing on martha's vineyard which is about five miles off the cape cod coast, would come over here and visit senator kennedy. that visit never materialized but he got the call about 2:00 this morning that the senator had passed and within a half hour, called the senator's wife vicki, who, friends say, has just been extraordinary. she settled him down 17 years ago and when he was diagnosed, they say that she guided his life, she made sure he got rest when he needed, that he had some medical care he needed, he had friends when he needed them, he

could go sailing when he need it, and, most of all, they say that they think what she did in the last few months helped extend his life as much as the medicine and the treatment that he received. he was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in may of 2008 and then he went to duke university a couple of weeks later and had the tumor removed and then underwent chemotherapy and radiation. he has spent much of this summer here at hyannisport and is recently as two weeks ago, was sailing on his beloved mia. the sailboat he has taken out to the nantucket sound for decades. it is where he has found solace and excitement, racing in an annual race here on nantucket sound. hyannisport is what he loves. it is where his family has been for decades and they have been here in good times and bad. you can date their sort of

public appearance here in eye an nis port all the way back to november 1960 when jfk awaited election returns here to caroline kennedy's marriage in 1986, the reception was held here at the kennedy compound, to most recently, the funeral of eunice kennedy shriver who died here in eye an nis port hyannisport here two weeks ago. we have not heard any point at this time on funeral arrangements. we are hoping we will get some word either by the end of the day or possibly tomorrow. dylan? >> thank you very much, anne. kennedy family statement captured the importance and relevance of this man to this family, forget to the country and to policy. kennedy family says the following. allen lichtman joins the conversation, a presidential

histori historian. we were discussing ted kennedy's role not only in his own career but what he represents in the torch that he was carrying on behalf of the brothers that fell before him and in the torch that he wasn't carrying on behalf of those who aspired to the value system they believe he represented. put his death in the context of his brothers and the political values that ted kennedy fought for. >> this is very important, because there is real substance behind the so-called kennedy mystique. what the kennedys truly represented was, of course, children of great privilege who could have lived a life of ease, who, instead, dedicated themselves to uplifting the less privileged, to providing opportunities for those who are struggling in this country, and for inspiring people to no blur ideals beyond the day-to-day toil of their lives. we tend to forget that there is

such noble idealism in this era of politics, of big money, special interests, lobbying, politics of lives and destruction. there are higher values that we can aspire to and that is why we look back so fondly to the period of john f. kennedy's presidency as representing higher ideals. let us also remember that the kennedys were critically important for rededicating the democratic party and the country to liberal reform that had lagged since the era of franklin roosevelt and to the modern civil rights program that really had never been part of either of democrat irliberalism up to that time. kennedy did not live to see the land mark civil rights act of 1964, but he laid the foundation for that by becoming the first president to take a moral stance

against segregation and to begin drafting that legislation, and throughout his career, ted kennedy carried the torch of humane reform and civil rights being so critical in crossing the aisle and working out the compromise, for example, for the renewal of the voting rights act in the 1980s. let us also remember, too, that john kennedy came in as a dedicated cold warrior determined to fight the soviets and net yet in the final year of his presidency turned around and pursued peace and his greatest legacy was the comprehensive test band treaty. so, too, ted kennedy at first was a supporter of the war in vietnam and later bake a critic of the war and critic of military intervention and a force for dimt diplomatic approaches to the war. these are vastly leg sis we must not forget. >> mark whittaker is with us. if you were to look at

legislatively the themes that could be picked up from this man from those who are in the senate now, where would you even begin to do that? >> interesting, dylan. we've been talking about haermt raerlt. health care reform this is his great cause and may leave a void and make it harder for president obama to pass a comprehensive health care bill. the fact is if you look at his legislative record, ted kennedy's record, since he joined the senate in 1962, can you say that he single handedly was responsible for a lot of health care reform that has already taken place and that we now take for granted for port ability, for the cobra plan that gives you insurance for leaving a job and for extending medical benefits to children, to the disabled, to people with hiv and aids, to the military. it's really remarkable. i think another hallmark of his

record as a legislator was that contrary to some of his belief that he was a liberal fire brand who would go down with the shift for the causes he believed in, in fact, when it came to the craft of legislation, he was willing to compromise. he was willing to take 80% or three-quarters of a life. he operated under the principle of there are no permanent enemies. so he would not only work with republicans across the aisle, but some of the most conservative republicans in the senate, not just his friend orrin hatch, but strom thurmond in the past and james eastland, one of the most conservative southern republicans for many years. so i think that he will be missed both for his passionate defense of championing of causes from health care to workers rights and to civil rights, but

also for his approach to legislation. and i think that is really what is missing right now, i think, on health care and on other issues on capitol hill is what it takes to actually get legislation passed. >> senator kennedy one year ago to the day compelling in his comments at the democratic national convention last summer in his endorsement of barack obama for presidency -- for the presidency, i should say. take a listen. >> for me, this is a season of hope. new hope for a justice and fair prosperity, for the many, and not just for the few, new hope and this is the cause of my life -- new hope. that we will break the old gridlock and guarantee that every american, north, south, east, west, young, old, will

have decent quality health care as a fundamental right and not a privilege! >> ron allen is traveling with the president. ron, how important has kennedy been for obama in forming his policy view, his political tactic, his agenda? what is the connection between these two men? >> well, much of the connection you saw in that speech that you just played back during the democratic national convention a lot of people will tell you the kennedy endorsement was a huge turning point in the campaign at that point. kennedy was thought to be neutral or going to be neutral through the entire campaign. he had a close relationship with the clinton family as well. when he came out for barack obama back then in january of 2008 that really swung things in obama's favor along with a lot of other factors. they are very close, my impression of it, and obama describes him as a friend.

i think obama, president obama has also said on a number of occasions that a lot of the work that senator kennedy did, especially during the '60s, created the circumstances where there could be a president obama and interestingly president obama was born in 1961 and kennedy began serving in the senate in 1962. so obama's life marks senator kennedy's career in the u.s. senate. when he first arrived here on the island a few days ago, we thought president obama would stop off across the bay in cape cod in hyannisport. that was a real sign that perhaps senator kennedy was very, very ill, even more ill than we thought and perhaps with hindsight we perhaps now know that may have been the reason perhaps that president obama did not stop on cape cod on his way here because i'm sure that he wanted to. i don't believe that they have seen each other since back in april, april 21st when kennedy was at the white house for the signing of the kennedy serve america act and they last spoke we understand on july 10th after

the president had delivered a letter to the pope on senator kennedy's behalf. dylan? >> ron, thank you so much. mark hit something i think and we talked about it a lot. savannah guthrie is joining the conversation. it's not what the laws or policies are, but it was a way of making laws that ted kennedy represented and a way of conducting yourself in political dialogue which intended on its best days to be constructive, not deconstructive. >> also a way of conducting yourself in political life. at the end of the days we have these partisan battles. no question, he was a democrat of the best kind one that i aspire to be. but, yet, you still have to work with people and he understood that and knew how to do that. he never flinched on his principles and ideals but showed can you do that and still work with the other side. sometimes you're going to agree and sometimes you're not going to agree. >> i was reminded of a story that vice president biden tells about a lot in his early days in

the senate where he had somebody he disagreed with and he made some remarks about him and senator mike mansfield said never question the guy's motive. we all have different views but never question his motives. i think that is the spirit people are talking about with regard to senator kennedy today. he may have opposing views but there was this reservoir of goodwill the way he would reach out and be there to people of all political per situations even if he couldn't vote for the bill. . we heard stories this morning, look, i'm going to vote against you. i can't do this for you but let me see if i can hook you up with this republican on this side. a constant dealmaker and somebody very principle but somebody who really tried to work and play well with others and i think that's why we're hearing these kind of tributes. >> obviously, you covered it but i wonder if that is part what have we lost today, a generation of and we have a few senators who are in that style, but he was really the constant dealmaker as you say and stylistic way of being a senator that we lost.

>> norah o'donnell joins us. senator kennedy on his best days, on his most effective days had the intent to make a deal as opposed to the intent to score a political victory even if that meant killing a deal. what piece of the political universe right now that we cover today represents an honest intention to try to make a good deal and how do we get more of that basically? >> it's a great question, dylan, because i'm not sure that there is an equal in the senate or anyone close in the senate now that can draw on the personal reservoir of support and friendships in order to get difficult legislation passed, especially in the type of political climate that we're certainly in. i was speaking with many people this morning who said, you know, ted kennedy was the first person to call when something happened, like when there was a death in your family, because his life has made him acutely aware of

pain. senator gordon smith, a republican from oregon, his son died tragically. it was a democrat, ted kennedy, who was the first person on the phone. republican senator trent lott, the senate majority leader a letter in ted kennedy's office signed that if only the rest of the world knew. i mean, he was able to finally make these deals with republicans because his word was his bond. senator mccain points that out even in his statement today about you could trust him and that level of trust is so important in a partisan environment like we have now. and i don't think that that exists and that is sad on many levels and i think his passing means a passing of an era in terms of that. i'm just also -- my own -- i've spoken with the senate historian this morning. this is a man who served nearly a half a century in office. 2,500 pieces of legislation he

authored and hundreds of those becoming law and not weird pieces of legislation that we don't know about. big things. everything from title ix, americans with disabilities act. the legislation cobra when you lose your health insurance! every aspect of our lives in some ways have been touched by ted kennedy's 50 years in office and not because he is a democratic lion in the senate but he did a lot of great legislation by teaming up with republicans! dan quayle in 1982, jobs legislation. i mean, orrin hatch to get health insurance for children, poor children. i mean, on and on and on, a number of these things. even john mccain on immigration reform which mccain paid a huge price for in the last election saying what is mccain doing up teaming with ted kennedy, that liberal in the senate? those i think, are long gone. i think the personal part of his

life, too, should be mentioned. he was certainly -- it was certainly a mixed bag. i think john meechum put it this morning he liked wine, women and song and that was true. had he problems with alcohol and as someone pointed out to me, he was someone who engaged in a lot of singing late at night. he was a happy man but it was also tragic. not only his personal life, his family, certainly his brothers' deaths and his son having cancer at a young age, his other son battling addiction as well. on and on and on, the tragedies truly remarkable but part-wise think the kennedy family has captured our imagination. not just the glamour of it all but to the tragedy that has befallen this family. >> again, even some of his -- people you would believe would be his most vicious political opponents, respect for the man, specifically because of his political tactics going to the constructive, going to the effort to come up with a

resolution, to come up with a deal, not to kill a deal. former president george h.w. bush just this morning. we're joined now by david stuffen, a former senate judiciary committee member and worked with the council until 2002. >> yes. >> david, talk to us about the importance of period of time well after the presidential ambitions had gone away. the period of time where he embraced his life exclusively and entirely in public service as being that of a u.s. senator and how important that in really defining his legacy because there was so much controversy or presidential ambition that came

into play in the earlier portions of his political career. >> well, there's no doubt, dylan, that when i joined the senator's office in 1999 it just happened to be the first week of the impeachment trial. he had been in that phase of his senate career for quite some time. you know, for a young lawyer on the committee and doing senator kennedy's civil rights work when he was at the peak of his influence was, you know, a life-changing experience and you couldn't expect anything more as a young lawyer. listening to the conversation earlier, i was struck by -- i recall early on in my tenure the senator describing some of the things that had changed in the senate during his years there. he used to always say when i first came to the senate, people would look at a glass, some might see it half full and others might see is half empty but everyone would agree that the water was at the middle level. the challenge now with is we can't even agree if there is is walker in the glass.

i think that captures some of the frustrations and things people have felt recently about the bipartisan in the senate. despite that reality to everyone's point he still managed to find ways to bring people together on issues that often divide and to find that the essence of a compromise which is, i think, a gift. >> we have talked about that next generation of leadership and i was thinking so much about how last summer he really passed the torch on and so lovely to hear from you just your experience having worked with him. that responsibility i think he passed on to all of us in this next generation. >> no doubt. i mean, i think, for me on a personal level just working for an iconic figure like senator kennedy and being in a position where, you know, after a period of time when he comes to trust you and your judgment, that he just gives you so much room to kind of be a leader, learn how

to negotiate, learn how to help shape legislation and i think for a generation of kind of post civil rights era, people of color in particular, you know, his legacy of work that every has talked about all morning, whether it's the voting rights act or, you know, health care and the like have essentially created this platform for all of us to grow and thrive and it's not just in the civil rights context. i think it's across a broad swath of society and i think, you know, what really amazed me about him is his capacity to connect to everyone that worked for him and who had the ability to work closely with him. >> how do you draw the line between those who are able to truly look at these jobs and this type of work as service for america and that the responsibility in this job is not to serve myself or not even to necessarily serve exclusively the interests of my constituency if the interests of my

constituency are against those of the country, but that my job here is to be a servant of the interests of this country, and that is the greatest aspiration anyway, the greatest ideal whether you're a senator, president, congress, whatever you are, we are talking about the fact that senator kennedy represented so much of that. even if there were days he didn't live that way and everybody is, but the idea that he represents and his family represents, savannah, is that. i'm curious what your sense is of how we get more of that from our politicians and from ourselves and how we diminish the self-serving aspect that i think so many people on every side of the aisle end up being so frustrated. >> in this particularly toxic environment, i think, people will grieve that aspect of senator kennedy perhaps more than any other. he really did seem to embody that statement to whom much is given, much is expected. he seemed to live by that. he seemed to have that most rare

of qualities, at least in this day and age, that ability to kind of put himself in the other person's views shoes. here he lived an most extraordinary life, brother of a president and had this great privilege and great wealth, yet he had this ability to actually see and think about how others were living and come o put an arm around and reach out to people in trouble. >> not only identify with him but then attempt to move the agenda in the interest of those with whom he had identified. let's go to the department of energy right now. looks like the secretary of energy is speaking moments from now. we are expecting live comments from the vice president joe biden. >> to lead america towards a clean energy economy is the task we embrace. the president made a down payment on a clean energy system through the recovery act. he made wise choice when he charged vice president biden to making sure the money is spent, both quickly and wisely. we've been working hard at the department of energy to do our

part. i want to thank all of the staff who have made these first few months a time we can all be proud of and i'm pleased today to make another recovery act announcement. we are now seeing $300 million through the recovery act for a clean cities program, which helps state and local coalitions find alternatives to oil for their buses, trucks, taxis. we will speed the transformation by putting more than 9,000 alternative vehicles and energy-efficient vehicles on the road and more than 500 refuelling charging stations and save approximately 38 million gallons. >> the secretary of energy giving a brief on some of their energy initiatives this morning in advance of comments from the vice president who will offer his comments on the passing of senator kennedy. we will, obviously, monitor the comments as they are made at the department of energy and we await the arrival of the vice president but it goes back to, again, the reason i suspect you and so many others even get

involved with politics is with this ambition, this aspiration to represent some aspect of service in american life and really in service of america as a country and as a people. >> yeah, absolutely. also you look at senator kennedy's life. i mean, think about, you know, from his brother joe to jfk to bobby, at each moment, helping to pick up that mantle and keep going and keep giving to this country. that's the kind of person that inspires you and inspired me certainly into public service. when i worked in the clinton administration i tried to remind myself every day at the end of the day that is what it has to be about. >> to the vice president we go. >> thank you and your staff for the privilege of being with you today. on what, as i prepared last night, was to be a joyous occasion, announcing another step in the direction of energy independence and you said the president made a wise choice.

wisest choice the president made was asking you to be -- i mean this sincerely, to be the secretary of the department of energy. you have assembled a first-rate staff and taken on a role that is going to be -- is in large part determine the success of these next 3 1/2 years whether or not we make a genuine dent, genuine progress in moving towards an energy policy that can america lead the world in the 21st century as it did in the 20th century. some suggest we're trying to do too much, but my response is is there any possibility of america leading the world in the 21st century without radically altered energy policy? it is not possible. and that charge has been given to one of the most remarkable men to serve in a president's

cabinet, a nobel laureate and a man assembled a staff that can corral a bureaucracy and we are all part of it in a way that i haven't seen in a while. and i had planned on speaking to the clean cities program as one of the several initiatives we have to begin to reshape our energy policy. but as if teddy were here, as we would say in the senate, if you excuse a point of personal privilege i, quite frankly, think it would be inappropriate for me to dwell too much on the initiative that we're announcing today and not speak to my friend.

my wife jill and my sons beau and hunter and my daughter ashley -- and i don't say that lightly because they all knew teddy -- he did something personal and special for each one of them in their lives. truly, truly distressed by his passing. and our hearts go out to teddy jr. and patrick and kara and vicki, with whom i spoke this morning, and the whole kennedy family. you know, teddy spent a lifetime working for a fair and more just america. and for 36 years, i had the privilege of going to work every day and literally not figuratively sitting next to him and being a witness to history every single day, the senate was in session, i sat with him on

the senate floor in the same aisle. i sat with him in the judiciary committee physically next to him. and i sat with him in the caucuses. and it was in that process, every day i was with him and this is going to sound strange, but he restored my sense of idealism and my faith in the possibilities of what this country could do. he and i were talking after his diagnosis and i said, you know, i think you're the only other person i've met who, like me, is more optimistic, more enthusiastic, more idealistic, seized greater possibilities after 36 years than when we were elected. he was 30 years old when he was elected and i was 29 years old. and you think that would be the peak of our idealism, but i genuinely feel more optimistic about the prospects of my country today than i have at any

time of my life and it was infectious when you were with him. you could see it. those of you who knew him and those of you who didn't know him, you could see it in the nature of the debate, in the nature of his imprem embrace and in the nature of how he, every single day, attacked these problems. and, you know, he was never defeatus. he never was petty. never was petty. he was never small. and in the process of his doing, he made everybody he worked with bigger, both his adversaries, as well as his allies. don't you find it remarkable one of the most partisan, liberal men in the last century serving in the senate.

and so many of his -- so many of his fauxes embrace him. because they know he made them bigger. he made them more graceful. by the way in which he conducted himself. you know, he changed the circumstances of tens of millions of americans and in a literal sense literally, literally. he changed the circumstances. he changed, also, another aspect that i observed about him. he changed not only the physical circumstance, he changed how they looked at themselves and how they looked at one another. that's remarkable, a remarkable

contribution for any man or woman to make and for the hundreds, if not thousands, of us who got to know him personally, he actually -- how can he say it? he altered our lives as well. to the grace of god and acts of history, i was privileged to be one of those people, and every important event in my adult life, as i look back this morning and talking to vicki, every single one, he was there. he was there to encourage, to counsel, to be empathetic and to lift up from 1972 as a 29-year-old kid with three weeks left to go in a campaign, him showing up at the delaware armory in the middle of what we

call little italy and never voted nationally for a democrat, i won by 3,100 votes and got 85% of the vote in that district or something to that effect. i literally would not be standing here were it not for teddy kennedy, not figuratively. it's not hyperbole, it was literally. he was there. he stood with me when my wife and daughter were killed in an accident. he was on the phone with me literally every day in the hospital. my two children were tempting and god willing, thankfully survived very serious injuries. i turn around and there would be some specialist from massachusetts, a doc i never even asked for literally sitting in the room with me.

you know, it's not just me that he affected like that. it's hundreds upon hundreds of people. i was talking with vicki this morning and she said -- she said he was ready to go, joe. but we were not ready to let him go. he's left a great void in our public life and a hole in the hearts of millions of americans and hundreds of us who are affected by his personal touch throughout our lives. people like me who can rely on him. he was kind of like an anchor. and unlike many important people in my 38 years i've had the privilege of knowing, the unique thing about teddy was he was never about him.

it was always about you. it was never about him. people i admire, great women and men, but at the end of the day it gets down to being about them. with teddy, it was never about him. well, today we lost a truly remarkable man and to paraphrase shakespeare, i don't think we shall ever see his like again, but i think the legacy he left is not just in the landmark legislation he passed, but in how he helped people look at themselves and look at one another. i apologize for us not being able to go into more detail

about the energy bill, but i just for me, at least, it was inappropriate today. and i'm sure there will be much more that will be said about my friend and your friend, but he changed our political landscape for almost half a century. i hope we say lightly we remember what he did. i just hope we remember how he treated other people and how he made other people look at themselves and look at one another. that will be the truly fundamental unifying legacy of teddy kennedy's life if that happens, and it will for a while, at least? in the senate. mr. secretary, you and your staff are doing an incredible job. i look forward to coming back as a happier moment when you are

announcing even more consequential progress toward putting this back in the position. we once again where we can control our own economic destiny. thank you all very, very much. >> the vice president of the united states referring to the passing of senator ted kennedy as a man who lost a close friend and a close friend who helped him tremendously as you just heard, to where he is in his life. joe biden not speaking as a vice president, would speak of a senator, but speaking as a close friend would speak on the morning of the passing of one of his closest friends and closest allies and confidants clearly in his own experience in washington, d.c. and in his life. emotional words, so say the least. a man president obama calls the greatest senator of our time has passed. kennedy passing away late last night at his home after a long battle with brain cancer. today, flags at the white house and, for that matter, on capitol hill will be at half-mast and

reaction pouring in from political colleagues around the world and message are universal in expressing respect and add miles an hour rigs for the 77-year-old irrespective of poise points of view. we heard from the president earlier. >> his extraordinary life on this earth has come to an end. an extraordinarily good that he did lives on. >> and it was, of course, his time in the senate that secured kennedy's legacy. 46 years of service have been exceeded, only twice in american history, in fact. some 300 of his bills were made into law. the vast majority of them addressing the needs of working, poor, children, seniors, disabled, but he was most vocal about the need, as you likely know, for universal health care and was reportedly frustrated by being sidelined for the current debate, now his fellow democrats say they will now redouble their

efforts to get it passed in kennedy's honor. nbc anne thompson is outside senator kennedy's home in hyannisport, massachusetts. anne, what can you tell us? >> hi, dylan. we have been watching a priest go into the compound. we have seen several cars go into the compound. we saw someone walking, one of the senators portuguese water dogs along the beach earlier this morning. so far, at least at this hour, we have no word of funeral or wake services for the senator. he died last night, late last night and the news was released by the kennedy family in a statement about 1:30 this morning. i would like to read that to you. we have lost the joyous light in our lives but the inspiration of his faith, optimism and per va verns will live out in our hearts forever. he loved this country and devoted his life to serving it. he always believed that our best

days were still ahead, but it's hard to imagine any of them without him. ted kennedy called hyannisport home for many, many decades. the kennedy family literally put hyannisport, massachusetts, on the map, as rose and joe kennedy brought their nine children here and president kennedy awaited election returns that made him president here. there have been weddings and bapt tichls and baptisms and all kinds of wonderful family events at the compound but there have also been very sad moments. ten years ago the death of jfk jr. who died in a plane crash off the waters of martha's vineyard and two weeks ago, the death of eunice kennedy shriver, maria shriver, her daughter, is ted kennedy's niece and she is married to the governor of california arnold schwarzenegger and governor schwarzenegger issued this statement this

morning saying maria and i are immensely saddened by the passing of uncle teddy. he was known to the world as the lion of the senate, a champion of social service and a political icon. teddy taught us all that public service isn't a hobby or even an occupation, but a way of life and his legacy will live on. when you talk to his friends who know him here in hyannisport and then you listen to people like vice president biden or president obama, it is that constant thread is that commitment to public service, how important it was to him, to his family, and that is perhaps the greatest legacy he leaves. dylan? >> anne, thank you very much. we will take a brief and return after this. >> i have lived a blessed time. now with you, i look forward to a new time of aspiration and high achievement for our nation

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literal since literally, literally changed the circumstances. he changed also another aspect that i observed about him. he changed not only the physical circumstance, he changed how they looked at themselves and how they looked at one another. >> an emotional joe biden just moments ago speaking at the department of energy about his friend edward kenly kennedy who passed in the night. ron allen is at martha's vineyard traveling with the president with more. >> vice president joe biden and senator edward kennedy share the same way of getting into the senate. they were both elected at very young age, 29, 30 years old and had to deal with the minimum age requirement before they could be seated. joe biden a passionate man. i covered his part of the campaign last year and i'm not surprised that he would be so emotional in his remembrance of his good friend ted kennedy.

president obama came out earlier this morning here at martha's vineyard and delivered a heartfelt president. here is what some of the president had to say about the senator who was ted kennedy. the outpouring of love, gratitude, and fond memories to which we've all bourn witness is a testament to which this single figure in american history touched so much lives. >> he touched so much lives, the president said, including his own. he was, of course, referring to the fact that senator kennedy was involved in much of the legislation for 1960s for civil rights and that, in fact, voting rights made it possible for barack obama to become president obama. very personal message delivered by the president. they were very close friends. a lot of speculation when he arrived on martha's vineyard he would go over to cape cod and see senator kennedy and perhaps he even the good but perhaps in

hindsight senator kennedy was too hill for that visit to take place. we can perhaps infer. we know the president has been involved and in touch with the kennedy family and had a long conversation with senator kennedy's wife early this morning and after he got word of the passing of the senator. >> ron, thank you very much. senator kennedy endorsed barack obama well before he became the president. in effect, passing the torch. take a listen. >> i'm joined in this historic journey to have the courage to choose change. it's time again for a new generation of leadership. it is time now for barack obama. >> joining us now is american university professor allen lichtman a political historian and analyst. how stud sturdy is the bridge

between the kennedy value system and the obama agenda? >> i think the bridge is very sturdy, but shaken by the different politics of our time. obama clearly has tried to embody and live up to the kennedy legacy in many ways by trying to be an inspirational president, just as john f. kennedy was an inspirational president and ted kennedy was an inspirational senator. he's tried to carry forth the idea of bipartisanship. you know, joe biden put it very well when he said that it was never about ted kennedy. he was partisan, but never partisan for partisanship sake always because he believed in certain ideals. barack obama is trying to follow through on that and we could see the kind of difficulties he's having in the politics of our time and he also has tried to follow the tradition of liberal reform and particularly ted kennedy's great dream of

universal health care. >> what presidents in the past do you think have done the best job of using the power of hope, the power of inspiration to affect real change as obama would seek to do and what the kennedys have represented? >> well, one can go back, of course, to abraham lincoln who led us through the great scourge, the horrible bloody civil war, but he always held out a higher ideals with mallass towards none and with charity towards all with the idea we can bind up the wounds and get past this. franklin roosevelt took office in the midst of the greatest economic crisis in the history of the world and he told us, we have nothing to fear but fear itself. and in his first hundred days, he passed 15 major bills and laid out a new vision for the country. lynn lyndon johnson before he came involved in the vietnam war inspired us with his goal of

equal opportunity for all americans embodied in the civil rights act of '64 and the voting rights act of '65 and the idea that government could, indeed, again, uplift all americans. ronald reagan at a time of economic crisis, at a time when america was very uncertain about its role in the world, held out the promise of a brighter future, both in terms of revived america and an american standing tall in the world again. all off our. all of our great presidents have embodied that. ted kennedy never had a successful run at president but came as close as can you come without being president of the united states to being a truly great american. he stands with daniel webster, the great senator who stood for the union in the 19th century and robert f. wagner who was so critical in passing the new deal legislation and eric dirkson who

was pivotal in 1964 and played a similar historical role even over a longer period of time. >> professor, thank you so much. another thing on the long list of things that will strike is awe you look at the history of this man's career and the connections he has had not only inside the political sphere but in the cultural sphere of this country and in his family. one that stands out is -- or are his comments made in 1964 about his brother and segregation and racism in america. take a listen to senator kennedy. >> my brother was the first president of the united states to state publicly that segregation was morally wrong. his heart and his soul are in this bill. if his life and death had a meaning, it was that we should not hate, but love one another. we should use our powers not to create conditions of oppression that lead to violence, but

conditions of freedom that lead to peace. >> david stuffen is still with us. former senate judiciary senate counselor and worked with the senator from 1999 to 2002. barack obama the first african-american president and it was, of course, senator kennedy's older brother who was so aggressive in the early '60s with the civil rights movement. make the connection, if you could for us, between the kennedy family's role and the civil rights movement, and the current state of american politics and the presidency. >> dylan, it's interesting. i guess i can make that connection very personally. my parents met in 1962 in kansas city, missouri and it was still a felony for an african-american to marry a white person. and so they had to take the bus across state lines to kansas to get married and it wasn't, of course, until the supreme court struck down those laws a couple

of years later it was legal everywhere in the united states. in many ways, i am kind of living proof of the progress that we've made and, you know, one of the personal things that struck me and you've heard it a lot today about the senator is my mom, unfortunately, died of cancer ten years ago, about a week after jfk jr. died. as a tribute, i think, to the humanity of the senator, he was one of the first persons to call me and called me every single day in milwaukee to see how i was doing despite going through the craziness that was going on in his own personal life with the loss of his nephew. so i think for any of us, whether we've had a personal connection to the senator like i was lucky enough to have, or for people who have just grown up in this country over the last 40 years, whether it's your religious freedom, your ability to have health care when you lose your job, or your ability to be at your family's bedside in their final days which

oubles, obviously, his family was, it's the legacy of the senator and i hope that people remember that and take that to heart when we think about the impact he's had on this country and our lives. >> david, thank you for your time this morning. karen, thank you for yours. we will take a momentary break and give you a brief series of messages and then ed schultz will pick up msnbc, special coverage today, right after this. ♪ pollen. when i really liked to be outside, i did not like suffing from nasal allergy symptoms like congestion. but nasonex relief may i say... bee-utiful! prescription nasonex is proven to help relieve indoor and outdoor nasal allergy symptoms like congestion, runny and itchy nose and sneezing.

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