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future we make. >> good afternoon from washington, i'm david gregory, we welcome to you this msnbc special, continuing coverage of the death of senator ted kennedy. by now, you probably heard the 77-year-old lion of the senate and patriarch of the kennedy political dynasty died late last night at his home in cape cod on hyannis port after a year-long struggle with brain cancer. today, friends, colleague and leaders worldwide are remembering kennedy as an extraordinary force who worked tirelessly on behalf of the working class and the poor. on capitol hill here in washington, kennedy's home for nearly half a century, the senator, the flags are flying at half staff this afternoon, as are those at the white house and federal buildings across the country. and there are tributes coming in from around the country and the world. former president george w. bush telling nbc news that he spoke to vicki kennedy a short time ago, earlier today, expressing his condolences, best wishes and prayers on the senator's

passing. the former president saying you the senator was a great man who lived a full life and we will miss him. he is a republican who also forge adieu sneak relationship with senator kennedy. we will hear from former president bush's former chief of staff, andy carr, later this hour. also response today and reaction from secretary of state hillary clinton on the passing of her friend and long-time colleague. brian williams is live from hyannis port, reporting for the day and from hyannis port tonight what is the scene there learning about burial plans for the senator? >> first of all, david, i know you are familiar with this part of massachusetts they call the cape and islands.

i said in the previous hour, the entire population could fit comfortably in a good-sized new york, boston or washington restaurant that should tell you something about the protective vote coating around the kennedy family. two things are said about ted kennedy here. number one, that he is a regular guy, we try to treat him as an ordinary neighbor, number two, everybody has a ted kennedy sto story in this region t is a local story first and then left to talk about the national ramifications of this loss. regarding plans, we're expecting something more formal from the family later. we have confirmed only a burial at arlington national cemetery, a period of repose at the kennedy library, a family mass at a catholic church that goes back in kennedy family history, but i think times, details,

routes have yet to be formally and officially announced. >> brian, as you talked about throughout the morning and now going into the afternoon and what struck me as well is that when you think about tragedy in the kennedy family, it was ted kennedy who give the voice to the sorrow. he gave those famous eulogies for his brother and for his nephew. and there is a kind of eerie silence from the kennedys with the patriarch now gone. >> who is going to do that role in the sadness started with his boyhood hero, his older brother joe killed in world war two then jack and bobby and so on, sad innocence his own immediate family. later in life, postchappaquiddick years largely, when he dedecided to put his nose not grind stone in the senate, do the kind of grunt work of the u.s. senate the sausage making of legislation, that's when he also changed his

family role, especially after the william kennedy smith case, when there was loss, when there were weddings. when were there brides to give away, sadly, nephews to bury, it was uncle ted, a very familiar picture, end of this road at that famous beachfront where we watched president kennedy drive that convertible packed with young children and those black and white newsreel photos, the very same stretch of coastline we stand before today. >> talk about your experience covering the white house, president obama, w president clinton, had a unique relationship with senator kennedy, strained last year, but senator kennedy after the '94 election, going for the republicans, during the height of impeachment, came to president clinton and gave him unique insight and really important counsel. >> and it was senator kennedy

who ran against the last democrat in office, jimmy carter. you covered the bush white house. it was senator kennedy who george bush came of a meeting and said he has grown to like him and has a lot of respect for him. he never made it to the white house, except in a guest capacity coming through the northwest gate, but you could argue, david that ted kennedy, for most of the adult lives of most of the americans alive has been that national political presence in this country. >> absolutely. brian williams outside the family compound, the kennedy family compound in hyannis port on the cape there. brian, thank you very much. you will, of course have much more on the life and legacy of senator kennedy tonight, a special hour-long edition of "nbc nightly news," live from hyannis port. please check your local listings. earlier today as we now take a live look at capitol hill this afternoon where flags are flying

at half-staff jerk hear from the president, president obama vacationing on martha's vineyard. he also forged a unique relationship with senator kennedy going back to when he first came to the senate back in 2006, really when their relationship began, senator kennedy looked to then-senator obama and saw such great promise and then went on to endorse him, not endorsing senator clinton but choosing, instead to endorse senator obama. we will hear from dan balls who wrote about that about the campaign last year, but president obama spoke about the loss of senator kennedy earlier today. >> he passionately battle others and do so peerlessly on the senate floor for the causes that he held dear. and yet still maintain warm friendships across party lines. and that's 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. >> go to capitol hill now, our

correspondent, kelly o'donnell, joins us live where kennedy's colleagues remember him and his legacy. kelly, are you there? >> good afternoon, david. this really was a home for ted kennedy as well, hyannis port, his professional life here was forged when he was just a young man, just 30 years old when he was elected to the senate seat that had been occupied by his brother who became president. and for nearly 47 years since, he has been really one of the most prominent figures to affect american life. some would argue that as a legislator who had such an influence, with more than 300 laws that bear his name, more than 25 husband bills written, more than 15,000 votes cast, that his influence actually spanned a much greater part of the united states and the people here than perhaps president obama's own influence. so depending on how you look at it, here in the senate, people realize the contribution of ted kennedy was enormous. one of the things we are

learning today so many people who have their own personal story to tell about times with ted kennedy, you hear from republicans today who are being very kind in their words and talking about moments when they had a meeting with kennedy or an opportunity to work on a peas of legislation and they found that he was willing to listen and find common ground. that's part of what made his reputation so enormous here. not only in death are people reflecting on this he has had that helpation a long time, david. >> in fact, kelly, it does harkin back to when congress was a different place with a different tone and there was a different way to get things done. particularly in the senate, called on senator kennedy's ability to forge those relationships and define early on he had to have republican support to get things done. >> one of the things we have learned about ted kennedy, we talk about him being the youngest joseph and rose's children. people say that the youngest in his family, he learned how to be

referential to those above him. look at all the ambition that was put upon his older brothers. for a long time, ted was in that shad develop so, they say that deference, that ability to work with some different expectations actually served him very well in the senate, because when he came here as a very young man this is a place where seniority rules and many big egos, he was able to navigate that and win confidence and friendships and he did so many personal things, he would give someone a painting that he had done. he was an artist. or he would write a special note. or he would be in contact with someone important to that other senator, lots of gestures that were done day to day to day that helped to really make a difference when a big issue would be facing crunch time. david? >> of course, the irony would be that some of these same colleagues would also -- if they were conservatives, republicans work know how to campaign, invoking his name in a different way. >> all the time. >> reaction all day long there on capitol hill.

thanks so much. a reminder, msnbc coverage of the death of senator ted kennedy will continue next with "washington post" dan balls. you're watching msnbc. i will be right back. >> re-election to the senate. i know that this decision means that i may never be president, but the pursuit of the presidency is not my life. public service is. i was in the grocery store when i had a hrt attack. my daughter was with me. i took a bayer aspirin out of my purse and chewed it.

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we are back now in washington. i'm david gregory you part of our special coverage here of the death of senator ted kennedy i'm joined by dan balls of the "washington post" and mark

lebovich "the new york times." dan, in your new book, you talk about senator kennedy's role in this incredible campaign of 2008 answered played a huge role with that endorsement of then-senator obama. take me through what led to that decision, because it was not an easy one and everyone wanted his endorsement. >> it was not an easy decision, it was a very difficult decision for senator kennedy and made all the more difficult, david, because of the pressure that was applied by the clinton team, particularly former president bill clinton, who, in a number of phone calls with senator kennedy during that period in january, was very, very anxious for him to support hillary clinton for president. those phone calls became exceedingly contentious in that period. senator kennedy was alarmed that race was being injected into that presidential primary between obama and hillary clinton and he believed that the clintons were, in part, responsible for that.

bill clinton took great imbranch at that he was furious at that charge and through a series of phone calls, david, the tensions rose, the conversation became more heated, words were exchanged that we still don't know the full content of, but in the end, the result was that senator kennedy gave his endorsement to senator obama at what turned out to be a very important time in the campaign. if you talk to the obama people, david axelrod said that today, that endorsement coupled with the victory in south carolina, which came just the day before was perhaps the pivotal moment in turning the dynamic of that election. >> it is interesting, dan, because senator obama at the time was pushing to get endorsement but wasn't overly aggressive. you write in the book that john edwards came right out and said it, that you will do the right thing, you will endorse me, and certainly, bill clinton and hillary clinton were on top of him to get that endorsement. senator obama was still flag kind of cool.

. that was his style, he was seeking the endorsements of ted kennedy and mothers the field later. part of that was i think he knew kennedy was drawn to him, he had had conversations, he went to see kennedy when he was thinking about running, he asked kennedy what he should do kennedy was one of those that said you should run now, not wait another four years or eight years, the more you are in the senate, the longer you will accumulate a voting record that will hang around your neck. get in the race now. he was particularly impressed with obama on the night of the iowa caucuses, when obama gave his victory speech, kennedy was watching it with his wife, vicki. he was struck by the to tone that senator obama then struck. he thought that senator obama could bring the country together, he was moving in that direction all along. i think that barack obama instinctively understood that. >> mark lebovich of the new york

times, talk about the senator kennedy you had an opportunity to profile this year as he saw his endorsement pay off with the election of barack obama to be president. of course, you know, the latter part of the year when he was diagnosed with the brain tumor was so difficult but he had an opportunity to reflect back on his life and those accomplishments, really seeing such an important moment with the obama election. >> very much so it is pretty striking the degree to which ted kennedy's own illness and eventual death was sort of tied in with the destiny of barack obama's rise to the presidency. i mean, ted kennedy was the only kennedy brother who had the opportunity to reflect and really, he had the 15-month period after his diagnosis that chris dodd jokingly said, every irishman's dream he got to live to see his own eulogy. so, you know, there was a series of tributes and testimonials which frankly, obviously,

kennedy loved, but he was more interested in sort of finishing his legislative work, obviously health care has been the cause of his life, he said. and also finishing his memoirs and really in the last month, as he got more and more sick, spending time with his family, spending time on the ocean. and, you know,'s said, have a good ending for myself. >> that memoir coming out this fall. we are going to take a break here. little bit later on the hour, hear from congressman john lewis about the civil rights legacy of senator kennedy. also the former chief of staff to president bush, andy card, who remembers a unique relationship forged there in pursuit of education reform as well. more of our special coverage of the life and legacy of senator ted kennedy continues right here on msnbc. >> it is good to be back in the united states senate after a brief absence. i'm very thankful to so many of our colleagues this side of the

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of senator kennedy's career, we seem to be to be witnessing the end of a political erthat. how would you define that? >> he came to the senate when it was a collegial institution in which there were conservative democrats and conservative republicansen and moderate republicans and democrats, he grew up in that era and learned to legislate in that environment. that is a diminished callity in the senate and house. the other element of his career i think that has been so defining is he was able to hold in a sense, two contradictory roles at the same time, one, a real symbol, vibrant symbol of liberalism in america in a tame of conservative aseine dance, one who knew when it was time to

compromise and make a deal and do that across party lines effectively. avenues rare quantity and quality that he brought to the senate. very few like him are left. >> mark, i wonder to younger people, does ted kennedy resonate as much as he does to older people in the country who remember him at different points in their lives? one of the things that he was able to do as a political force was to stay relevant from president to president to president. obviously, the height of that was senator obama and the resonance of that endorsement. but avenues liberal and proud to be a liberal and going back to the '88 campaign, thought dukakis could have done a better job fending off the attacks for being a liberal. he knew how to stay relevant in each presidency. >> especially the work at the end of the obama campaign, ted kennedy took on a tony bennett role of the mtv generation, all of a sudden, he was hip again.

i remember traveling with senator kennedy about two months before his diagnosis in new mexico and l.a. doing some events for obama and i was struck by how young the crowds were. and part of it is obviously the obama appeal but the other thing was he was really sort of looked to as not so much an icon bus that sort of implies, you know, almost i recall advance, but someone who was cool, someone who had had given their man, barack obama, an impri achmatuo and he got a kick out of it too. >> thank you, gentlemen, we will look for more from you the days we are on. senator kennedy holds a special spot in the history of "meet the press" for sure, the guest whose appearances on the program covered the longest span of time. kennedy first appeared on the program on march 11, 1962 at the

age of 30. he last appeared on the program january 21, 2007, at the age of 74. up on our website now, mtp.msnbc.com, you can watch a special conversation between ted ken day and the late tim russert about ted kennedy's long and important history with the program, mtp.msnbc.com. coming up here next, georgia congressman john lewis live in atlanta. you are watching continuing coverage of the death of senator ted kennedy right here on msnbc. (announcer) before they give you t,

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we are back, special coverage of the life and legacy of senator kennedy who died overnight at the age of 77 this is our continuing special coverage on msnbc, joined by gene cummings of politico, preparing a piece about senator kennedy's impact on health care reform. this has really been, gene, something we have talked about all day long, the fight he has been waging since 1966, this was the year when he endorsed senator obama, one condition, that is that you pursue health care reform from day one, which is essentially what president obama did. now, senator kennedy dies at a very difficult moment in this

health care battle. >> absolutely, david. it could be a -- have a galvanizing effect. already, senator byrd is calling on the senate to pass the legislation in his honor, trying to use this -- seal kennedy's legacy and that could happen. on the other hand it could be the lack of kennedy's presence, we have seen all along, a problem he is not there to broker the kind of deals that are necessary and it may become even more difficult now that there is no chance that he could weigh in through phone calls or other forms of communication to prod people together to the negotiating table. >> still got mark lebowich with us from the new york times, interesting what was said by allies in the fight for reform is that you know, the current cast of democratic, even in

democrat notice leadership of the key coast have not been able to produce the kind of grand par gain that a lot of people thought ted kennedy could produce and a lot counsel from the the senate, from congress generally to the white house. that has been missing as well. >> absolutely, senator kennedy's presence or absence has been so keenly felt to a point where everyone on both sides of the aisle invoked him as the one person who could bridge all of these interests over the, you know, real key periods, the next few months. in some ways, republicans invoked his name, not so much as a weapon but used kennedy's absence against the leaders present. they would say well, ted kennedy wouldn't do this, a bill would never get out of the health committee if ted kennedy were sitting in the chair. in a sense, his role might have been overstated but, you know, he was very version -- until a month ago, he was pretty closely engaged, deputized chris dodd

and chris dodd, you know, got the bill out of the committee, so, you know, at this point it, it is unclear what was going on. >> interesting, jeanne, here president obama has the problem with his base on this question of the public option, a government plan alongside private insurance plan to create competition. while that's become the area where the fight is really heated, you look at some of the things already achieved possible here carrying out, getting the insurance industry on board, not deny people based to on conditions, those things in agreement with pharmaceutical companies, individual mandate that alluded ted kennedy back in previous addition. >> he was one to say don't let the perfect get in the way of the possible. and it is -- it is easy to look at the health care debate right

now see how the president has tried to signal to his left he wants to give baucus room to of move the co-op deal if that is the compromise that has to be reached in the senate to get the legislation out because the president must have a senate bill in order to get to conference. there will be no final bill if there isn't a senate bill. we can easily see where it was senator kennedy who said, the owe cop, a good alternative for now, get it into conference, he were the one making that statement, some of the liberal senators in the senate would have tremendous cover and they would be under tremendous pressure to go ahead and go along with that let the process move forward and get it into conference, where the house is in all likelihood to send in the public option, it doesn't fall off the table it just arrives

from the house chamber rather than the senate. this is the kind of dealmaking that kennedy was extraordinarily good at. add great instinct for how the senate could come together and how to build up the kind of coalitions he needed to get legislation passed. >> larger question about the next generation of kennedy leadership. >> the issue of secession is very hot, not just massachusetts, democrats don't have 60 votes at this point. the kennedy family has obviously not said a word about this interest of good taste and decorum and so forth. there is a different generation, a next generation of ken dis, patrick kennedy in congress, joe kennedy, bobby ken day number of younger ken dis, caroline kennedy, on be veryiously, an interest in filling the senate

seat hillary clinton had in new york. that needs to shake out. i don't think it will know time soon this is ted kennedy's time and going to be remembered, you know, his passing will be the emphasis for the next few weeks. >> mark and jeanne, thank you so both very much. the office of mission church in boston tells msnbc news the funeral will be there but no information on timing. we want to turn to andy card, the former white house chief of staff under george w. bush until 2006. he is joining us now on the phone, andy, are you there? >> yes, david, good to be with you. >> good to be with you. thank you for calling in. your thoughts about senator kennedy. you have known him over the years but you were in a unique position by president bush to deal with him on education. >> i first met senator kennedy back in the mid '70s when i was in the massachusetts legislature and ran a forgettable campaign for governor 1982, ted kennedy actually went out of his way to show up at one of my places

where i was campaigning at a little grocery store down in osterville on the cape. he wished me well, the first phone call i got when i started working in the reagan white house was actually from code kennedy, congratulating me on my appointment to is serve in the reagan white house, but ted kennedy was a senator's senator. avenues great legislator and he would give you his word sometimes you didn't like the word, his word was always good. woe follow through. if he would help you, he would really help. woe search for common ground if he gave you his word he was working to try to get something passed and wanted to work with you. i remember his work on the ada, the americans disability act with the first president bush and obviously, the great education reforms that president bush number 43 put in place could not have happened if it hadn't been for ted kennedy helping along the way. >> andy, let me ask you that well documented now some of the

early meetings in austin governor bush convened on reform did not include senator kennedy and trying to overwhat was perceived as a slight. once he game came to washington, he went out of his way to invite senator kennedy and other members of the kennedy family to a screening of a new movie about the cuban missile crisis. and there, a very productive relationship began on the issue of education reform. remember, cull lynn nating, should say in that trip that president bush took to boston appear like a campaign-like event for education. i don't remember president bush being in boston a lot. >> that was -- a great trip and did give momentum to the efforts to reform education and bring no child left behind into reality. president bush did reach across the aisle's promised he would do, work with ted kennedy and following work with him. they had differences over the years new york doubt about it but worked very closely together to get that education reform bill passed, worked on mental

health reform, clearly worked on immigration reform, community health something, ted kennedy a champion of community health centers. i watched those two great leaders work very well together and both of them were people of their word. work toward a solution to try to find a way to make it become law, they did. when they fight each other, told each other they would fight each other. ted kennedy will be missed, he is missed in the senate now. he clearly -- his absence made a difference in the health care debate because he would force people to search for common ground and redefine what success would be, find mutual opportunities for success rather than partisan opportunity to us fight. >> andy card, calling in today, former chief of staff, of course to president george w. bush. thank you very much, andy. >> thank you, david. >> our continuing coverage here

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>> no problem that we have here in massachusetts is more important than providing medical car for our senior citizens. i believe it is essential we provide a medical care program which is financed under social security. >> that was, of course, senator kennedy talking about the signature issue of his career, health care reform, something he began working on in ernest when he was in the senate in 1966. democratic congress mack ed marquma -- congressman ed marky join us

now. you lost a friend and colleague. what are you feeling today? >> i had the honor of serving 33 years in the united states congress with ted kennedy and one of the great honors of my life, without question, especially since it was his brother who basically sent out "the call" not just to young irish boys in boston, but to people all across our country and all across the world, to ask not what your country can go for you but rather what you can do for your country. and what ted kennedy has done for the last 49 years is to provide that kind of leadership to our country that really does not have a precedence in our history. >> do you think, despite the impact he had in the senate, where that was his life's work and where he was so dedicated, do you think he regretted not being president? >> well, you know, i was -- i

was working with ted on his energy policy back in 1980. that was really one of the major dividing lines between him and jimmy carter and ronald reagan. he had a very progressive policy that he wanted to advance, energy conservation, solar, wind, the kinds of things we are talking about today in the united states. that was his platform and when he delivered his famous speech, the dream shall never die, he asked me to come up to his room after that speech. i was there with his family. and i will tell you, if there was defeat in that room, i did not see it. he was actually triumphant after having given that speech on the floor of madison square garden. and the last 29 years have been evidence that he continued on to have an impact on our country

that was greater than all but a small handful of presidents in our nation's history. >> what's most important political lesson that he taught you? >> he never gave up, he never gave in, he never stopped fighting for what he believed in. now, he was willing, obviously if people were willing to negotiate, he wanted to negotiate with people. and he would negotiate the very best deal from the progressive perspective. and whether it be orrin hatch, bob dole or nancy kassenbaum, that was the

leader. >> he said of himself, his greatest strength was perseveran perseverance, something he demonstrated more than wonce in the course of his career. congressman, thank you very much. >> thank you. reaction continue to pour in on this, the death of seine to tore ted kennedy. more on our special coverage coming up here next on msnbc. tonight, be sure to catch the kennedy brothers, chris matthews takes a special look at the life and the legacy of the kennedys, tonight at 9:00 eastern, only here on msnbc. back pain in the morning, back playing in the afternoon. excedrin back and body has two ingredients to block and relieve the pain. doesn't your whole body deserve excedrin strength relief? excedrin. what ache? great looking skin... it's in the dna. [ female announcer ] new regenerist dna cream with spf 25 doesn't just correct.

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david gregory back with you from washington and joining us is civil rights icon and representative from georgia john

lewis. congressman, welcome. >> thank you very much. i'm delighted to be with you. >> it's certainly a difficult day for you i'm sure as a friend and colleague of senator kennedy's and as a comrade in this struggle for civil rights. senator kennedy giving his first speech about civil rights in 1964, what was referred to as his maiden speech in the senate. it was something he cared a great deal about. >> well, senator kennedy emerged as our leader, our champion, our shepherd on the issue of civil rights and social justice. no one -- no one in the senate, no one in the house stood taller than senator kennedy. he was unbelievable. he believed in the civil rights with a sense of passion. >> indeed, it was not just in the '60s carrying on his brother's legacy but then into the '80s where he went out of his way to put this issue back

on the national agenda using and needing all of his political skill to do that. >> well, when the voting rights act came up for renewal in '06, he was out there fighting. when the civil right restoration act, the fair housing act, he was fighting for civil rights. he was fighting for all of those who have been left out and left behind. he spoke out in a clear and strong voice and he is going to be deeply missed by all of us, not just those of us in the house and senate but by all americans. no one did a better job than this one man. he was a wonderful friend. he was like a brother. >> describe the sense that you may have that i think a lot of people have of the ending of a political era that dies with

senator kennedy. >> well, with the death of senator kennedy, it is reminding me of the death of president kennedy and robert kennedy. when his brothers died, something died in all of us, and today something is dying in all of us because of the death of senator kennedy. it is so strange to me that one year after he delivered the speech in denver at a convention, we witness his passing. the last time i saw his brother, john f. kennedy, was on august 28th, 1963, the day of the march on washington. and these three brothers -- these three men helped to change all of us and change america

forever. we will never ever be the same and i say we are better people and a better nation because of president kennedy, robert kennedy, and senator ted kennedy. >> i remember speaking to you in denver on the floor of the convention as you were there to witness history with the nomination then of then senator obama and here it was for senator kennedy as well who made a decision about endorsing obama based in part of the tone of his campaign when he saw race was being used against obama, to see all of his concern, all of his passion about civil rights coming full circle with the election of the first african-american president. >> no one could have been happier. no one could have been prouder than senator kennedy. i think in the election of president barack obama senator kennedy saw many of his hopes, his dreams for america come true.

he was so proud. he called me in the evening of the election. he called me in the morning of the inauguration. and he started reminiscing about the changes that we had witnessed in america and by working and building together we can continue to have a better future. he believed in the future. >> congressman john lewis, thank you very much for your thoughts today. >> well, thank you. it is a very sad day for all of us. >> indeed, it is. finally here, some news to report. whth in boston confirms senator kennedy will lie in repose at the jfk library on friday and the funeral service will be at our lady of perpetual help basilica in mission hill in the mission hill section of boston on saturday. that will conclude our coverage for this hour. i'm david gregory in washington. andrea mitchell picks up our coverage next, live outside the

kennedy compound in hyannis port, massachusetts. you're watching msnbc's continuing coverage of the death of senator ted kennedy. he died last night at the age of 77. to silence headaches... doctors recommend tylenol... more than any other brand... of pain reliever. tylenol rapid release gels... release medicine fast. so you can stop headaches... and feel better fast. could save 'em hundreds on car just telinsurance.e geico it's actually doing it. gecko vo: businessmen say "hard work equals success." well, you're looking at, arguably, the world's most successful businessgecko. gecko vo: first rule of "hard work equals success." gecko vo: that's why geico is consistently rated excellent or better in terms of financial strength.

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