rememberi an icon, senator edward kennedy. a family, state and nation begen the good-bye to a man who made a lasting mark on american life. >> that's what we're going to do in the next few days, is celebrate its life. it's a remarkable life. >> from his beloved boston ballpark, to the hallowed hill where he served for nearly half a century. today, details on plans for his

final rest. and what may become of the family's legendary seaside home. welcome to "america this morning" on this thursday. ir. 'm ii' >> i'm jeremy hubbard. setenar tod nnr edy leaves hised cherished hyannisport home for y e last time today.ke lwinnwillie in repose at the jfk library in boston, beginning tonight, where thousands are expected to pay their respects over the next two days. >> president obama will deliver a eulogy at kennedy's funeral mass on saturday. >> and a special election to fill kennedy's senate seat is scheduled for early this year. that is unless lawmakers change the state succession law. this morning, the kennedy family is gathering to say farewell to a much-loved father, uncle and brother. >> reporter: good morning, jeremy and vinita. after a day of tributes, this is the first of three days of farewell for senator kennedy. there will be ceremonies for him

in boston and in arlington, virginia, before he's laid to rest on saturday night. today, senator edward kennedy begins the long, final voyage of a statesman. >> he was ready to go. >> reporter: with flags at halftaff on capitol hill, and among his neighbors here at hyannis. >> he was looking out for people. >> reporter: kennedy's family begins a farewell through boston, to the john f. kennedy presidential library, where he will lie in repose through friday. his funeral, here at our lady of perpetual health on saturday, will be attended by president obama. >> his ideals were stamped by scores of laws and reflected in millions of lives. and seniors who know new dignity and families know new opportunity. >> reporter: the president was just one of dozens of polical leaders who paid tribute to a statesman who spent nearly five decades in public service. >> we have lost a titan. his shoes will be very difficult to fill. >> so many of his foes embrace

him. because they know he made them bigger. he made them more graceful, by the way in which he conducted himself. >> reporter: already colleagues are saying they'll give him one, final legacy, the health care reform bill that bears his name. >> sorry we didn't get the bill done yet. but we will, in time. >> reporter: after the funeral, kennedy wi be taken to arlington national cemetery, to be buried next to his two, slain brothers. the last of an american political dynasty. jeremy and vinita? >> john hendren on cape cod, thank you. and as john mentioned, senate democrats are vowing to push lu health care reform, in honor of his champion from the start. kennedy fast 15,235 votes. many of those were bills he authored, aimed at improving health care for all americans. here's abc's jonathan karl. >> reporter: he was there to vote for the creation of

medicare in 1965. and would make health care his signature issue. >> this is the cause of my life. >> reporter: in 1971, kennedy worked to defeat a nixon health care bill because he thought it was too watered down. >> it's really a partnership between the administration and the insurance companies. >> reporter: he would come to regret that. in the years to come, kennedy, the liberal lion, would get things done by working with republicans and compromising when he needed to. he worked with arch conservative orrin hatch, to expand health coverage for poor children. >> we've been adversaries for 32 years. we've also been partners. >> reporter: he worked with the first president bush on the americans with disabilities act, opening access for the disabled in public places everywhere. >> presint of the united states, george bush. >> reporter: and in an even more unlikely alliance, he joined forces with the second president bush on education reform. >> then, of course, there's senator edward kennedy. the folks at the crawford coffee

shop would be somewhat in shock when i told them i actually like the fella. >> reporter: he could also clash mightily with republicans, as he did over the iraq war. >> you, basically, have mismanaged the war and created an impossible situation for military recruiters and put our forces and our national security in danger. in baseball, it's three strikes, you're out. what is it for the secretary of defense? >> well, that is quite a statement. >> reporter: the liberal lion could certainly roar. jonathan karl, abc news, capitol hill. some conservatives are lashing out at democrats in the wake of kennedy's death. talk show host, rush limbaugh, is accusing the left of exploiting kennedy and his legacy to push through health care reform. and the group conservatives for patients right, says out of respect for kennedy, it is temporarily suspending its tv ad campaign, to defeat the government-run insurance option.

to many fellow politicians, he was a mentor and a close and thoughtful friend. from across the country, they have been sharing what kennedy meant to them. >> the country lost a great advocate. millions of people who counted on this guy every day to stand up for them. and for decades to come, history will talk about his legislative accomplishments and the differences he made in public policy. for me, i lost my best friend in the senate. >> diane and i will miss his company. his humor and his stories. his spot-on impersonations of other people in public life. his songs. >> a number of times over the years, and in every case, he was always asking what else could be done, to support our troopers and to support their families. >> he was always a great inspiration. you know, he will be missed dearly because, you know, he was the rock of the family. >> that, of course, governor

schwarzenegger, who married into the kennedy family and was recently in hyannis for the funeral of his mother-in-law, the senator's sister, eunice. now, the family will come together again. a motorcade will carry the body from hyannisport to the jfk library in boston this afternoon. tomorrow, the library will be open for a public wake, beginning at 10:00 in the morning. p and on saturday, a funeral mrasz be celebrated. he will be buried at arlington national cemetery next to his brothers. and stay with us for continuing coverage on senator kennedy's death. we'll hear from john mccain and orrin hatch coming up on "good morning america." and later today, abc news will provide live coverage when the motorcade arrives in boston. in other news, it could be a stormy day in boston for senator kennedy's funeral on saturday. drop cal storm danny is gaining strength and is forecast to be a category 1 hurricane by

tomorrow. danny is on track to make landfall on cape cod saturday night. some areas could get six inches of rain and 12-foo waves. in southern california, fire crews are bracing for a third day of battling flames in a dense forest area outside los angeles. two fires are now burning through heavy brush, choking the air with smoke. containing those wildfires is proving especially difficult because of extremely low humidity and blistering hot temperatures. and now, for this morning's wehe ar omfrllll around the nation. strong storms from dallas to des moines, with large hail, fldagima winds and a chance of l gih asooding. showers and thunderstorminh florida, georgia and alabama. and the drought continues in south texas with a hot, dry day. it's also hot for much of the west. >> an excessive heat warning for phoenix as it hits 111. boise up to 98. a stormy 70 in chicago. 74 in detroit.t. and 79 in the twin cities. 75 in boston. and 80s from new york to

atlanta. meanwhile, dallas will hit 92. and new orleans, 89. we'll have more of the day's other news when we come back, including a major recall for toyota owners this mororni. e e scsce of t thefamily's's hahaiestst and sadaddest moment. the legendary home could soon be open to the public. more from hyannisport ahead. p

well, the sun will soon rise over hyannisport, massachusetts.

and today, senator kennedy's body will leave the town for the last time. we'll have more on his life coming up. there's another notable passing this morning. dominick dunne was best-kwn for best-selling novels and for his profiles of the rich and famous in "vanity fair" magazine. dominick dunne died of bladder cancer yesterday in new york. he was 83 years old. august could turn into the deadliest month for americ forces in afghanistan. two u.s. troops were killed yesterday in separate attacks, bringing this month's total to 43. in this morning's "moneyscope" report, evidence the economy may be picking up some steam. new home sales jumped last month. and factory orders for long-lasting, durable goods, like appliances, rose in july.

today, kweel get an estimate of gdp and jobless claims. tokyo's nikkei average fell 1.5% today. hong kong's hang seng is lower. in london, the ftse opened higher. wall street barely budged yesterday. the dow inched up four points to close at 9543. the nasdaq was essentially unchanged, closing at 2024. toyota is recalling more than 95,000 vehicles. the automaker is concerned about a possible problem with the brake system. toyota is recalling 2009 and 2010 corolla and matrix cars. also being recalled 2008 and 2009 scion xds. toyota was the biggest beneficiary of the cash for clunkers program. the automaker accounted for 19% of all sales. and had two of the top three best-selling models. overall, japanese cars outsold the american cars in the program. in total, the program helped

sell 690,000 vehicles. as always, you can get the latest business news anytime on our website, abcnews.com. still ahead on this thursday, senator kennedy's role on the global stage. world leaders on what he meant to peace in their country. and the future of the kennedy compound. should it be open to everyone?

remembering edward kennedy this morning. the senator's body arrives this afternoon at the jfk library in boston for a public wake. the funeral is saturday, followed by bial at arlington national cemetery. hundreds of mourners gathered at dupont circle last night, paying tribute to the senator with a candlelight

vigil. and at fenway park in boston, kennedy's red sox remembered one of their fans. ted kennedy was a beloved figure on the international stage, as well. his work is being remembered from ireland to the middle east. >> sonia guy ya duo joins us from london with international reaction to kennedy's death. >> reporter: good morning, jeremy. tributes poured in from all over the world for ted kennedy. he inspired respect and affection. in particular for his liberal stance as a consistent defender of rights for those who are in less fortunate positions. on the world stage, his contribution to the northern ireland peace deal, a cae close to his heart, paved the way for the u.s.'s part in the deal. >> i'm saddened that ted kennedy has died. i think he made an enormous contribution to the peace process. he made an enormous contribution to u.s. politics. and is a giant in u.s. politics. and probably the influencial senator in the last century.

>> reporter: cutting a sometimes controversial figure, he was seen as big a sympathizer of the i.r.a. at the time of the troubles. but senator kennedy's influence was recognized. he was given an honorary knighthood, for his involvement in the process. and from his desire to see international resolution, he forged his opposition to the war in iraq, an opinion that he would vocalize strongly. in the middle east, his democratic and liberal heritage was recognized. on a tour of the region, president carter paid homage to the man he said was one of the most effective men in congress. as did israel's president, sh shimen perez, who spoke of his work on the international stage. >> ted kennedy was a great friend of the state of israel. he has had a strong and original

voice that was h heralded and respected all over the world. >> reporter: his opinions have been echoed by other leaders throughout the world. and while senator kennedy's passing may indicate the end of an era, many are looking to see how his contributions are helped play their part in conflict rezlation. jeremy, vinita? >> thank you. few private homes have as much mystique as the estate as known as the kenennedy compound. we're learning that it may not be private for much longer. according to "the boston globe," the compound could be turned over to the public like many other presidential homes. david wright, on the seaside perch, the scene of much joy and pain. >> reporter: outside the kennedy compound, the flags were at half-staff again. the trucks parked close. the reporters outside, peering in, as the kennedys gathered behind closed doors to mourn another loss. >> it was really there that we first saw them.

the family all running around the yard. throwing footballs. the women and the men. and the sailboats. the constant pictures of various family members on the sailboats. >> reporter: hyannisport was camelot's beach house. the kennedy castle on nantucket sound. the home that produced not just one, but three sons who aspired for the highest office in the land. joe kennedy bought the dutch colonial with the wraparound porch in 1929, three years before his youngt was born. the compound included adjacent houses, owned by other members of the kennedy clan. >> this is my brother's house. >> reporter: in 2004, senator kennedy gave george stephanopoulos a tour. >> it was in that house that he heard he was elected president. 7:15 in the morning. caroline woke him up and said, you're president of the united states. >> reporter: this was where the family gathered in those moments of triumph. this is where they've come

together for generations during tragic times, too. the compound has seen plenty of happy memories, too. family weddings, including caroline kennedy's, where a proud uncle gave the bride away. so powerful is the lure of hyannisport, that plenty of others managed to elbow their way in. arnold schwarzenegger married maria shriver in hyannis. with the brain tumor, kennedy loved to be out on his 50-foot sloop, the "maya." even in these last months, he never failed to miss a chance to sail. >> we always enjoy it. >> reporter: as sad as it is he passed away, it's important to remember, ted kennedy is the only one of the brothers who got to live out his days and die in the place he loved. i'm david wright, in washington.

and here is that place he loved, once again this morning. a police that could, soon, be open to all americans. when we come back, in honor .or ted keshedy, the athlete. you weren't always my favorite day. with all the pet hair in the air, i'd spend class preoccupied, bothered by itchy eyes. but now i have new zyrtec® itchy eye drops. it works fast, with just one drop, to relieve my itchy eyes from allergies for up to 12 hours. no other allergy itchy eye drop works faster or longer. which is good, 'cause there's a lotta paws to shake. with new zyrtec® itchy eye drops i can love the air™. (announcer) find it in the allergy aisle next to other zyrtec® products.

as word of senator kennedy's death spread yesterday, many mourners gathered at the jfk museum in hyannis. they left momentoes and messages in kennedy's honor. one admired him for fighting for the average person. after expressing condolences over senator kennedy's death, president obama ventured out with his family on martha's vineyard. he spent the morning vacationing on a private beach with the first lady and their daughters. they ordered takeout seafood, before heading to the home of valerie jarrett. quick look at sports now. michael vick gearing up for his debut in philadelphia tonight. animal rightocatdv es advocates prested two weeks ago, when the eagles signed vick, after he

served 18 months on dogfighting charges. and harvard's football team is payg tribute to ted kennedy, hanging the 88 jersey all alone in the locker room. they also lowered the flag to half-staff at harvard. for some of you, your local news is next. >> for everyone else, "america this morning" continues after this. r choice: all free clear 2x concentrated detergent. all free clear's powerful clean is free of the ingredients you'll find in most detergents: no perfumes... no dyes... no preservatives... free clear is specially designed for people with sensitive skin and has powerful stainlifters, so you can trust it to get the job done right. free clear is the number-one detergent recommended by dermatologists... so, for a pure clean, all free clear is all you need.

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> anand finanally fr us ts aware that his p privilelegedly background c came th price. >> he said from an early ag their chdren must give bac byll serving the publ.. re's howow ted kennedy approached thatassigngnment, in his n words. >> during my svice in unit states senatei i have ofteten n en called a liral. and it usually was not meant to be a compliment. but i remember what my brother said about liberalism, shortly before he was elected president. he said, if by a liberal, they mean someone who looks ahead, and not behind, someone who

welcom new ideas, without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the people, their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, their civil liberties. someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspion that grips us. if that is what they mean by a liberal, i am proud to be a liberal. since i was a boy, i have known the joy of sailing the waters off cape cod. and for all my years in public life, i have believed that america must sail towar the shores of liberty and justice for all. no, there is no end to that journey. only the next, great voyage. we know, the future will outlast