john f. kennedy, jr. p she was the sister of john f. and at the time g a look at traffic. >> the incident south of 175 has cleared so all of the lanes are open on the bw parkway. all of the lane are open northbound as you travel from the capital beltway headed up towards the exits there. southbound 270 in the clear with no incidents to report. light and easy as you continue down on the southbound spur. they were checking for an accident on the southbound spur. nothing has popped up so far so the lanes remain open. it is a quiet trip on the beltway between college park and death he is da. eastbound 66, we have tea lays as you travel through manassas coming eastbound from at least haymarket. you will find traffic slowing briefly as you make your way on 395 from duke street on seminary road. that's a check of your fox 5 on-time traffic. >>> how are you going to keep my employer from stopping offering insurance and forcing me on to the public option if that is cheaper for their bottom line? >> senator ben cardin there gettingrilled at his o

john f. kennedy jr. ten years ago, ted kennedy among the kennedy men of his generation alone would live to comb gray hair and we as a nation are better for it. our fifth story, senator kennedy's passing made no easier even with the foreknowledge it would be coming nor the praise it inspired. the death of senator kennedy leaving a gaping hole in the political life of this country and an equally large void in a political dynasty. that family issued a statement reading in part, quote, we've lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives but the inspiration of his faith, optimism, and perseverance will live on 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. the ninth and final child of joseph and rose fitzgerald kennedy born on february 22nd, 1932 precisely on the 200th anniversary of the birth of george washington. his brother jack having writte

john f. kennedy, jr. these are people who knew senator kennedy was sick. they were mournful but quiet and i think i'm talking about his family's legacy more than anything else. >> did you get a sense of the family, their -- were they appreciative of the crowds who came out to see the grave site? >> reporter: i know it was made clear that the senator's wife wanted some quiet time but clearly the ken ski di site is so frequently visited i think the family is so appreciative so many people pay respects to the family. >> thank you, stacy cohan. >>> another exhausting and very difficult week for the kennedy family, a family that has endured so much. today we got some perspective from two of the senators's nieces. former maryland lieutenant governor katherine kennedy townsend and maria sliefer spoke publicly about the loss of their uncle and out pouring of support from the entire country. >> i'm telling you we were talking earlier in the green room how it is tough not to have a father, and there is a real loss in not having that. and he came through. and he real

john f. kennedy jr., is ted kennedy's final resting place. >> it is nice for people who want to remember them, that the brothers are all together. it is nice to have them all together. >> groundskeepers are busy at work making the site to meet and pristine. the burial will receive military honors with a bugler playing "taps." before the. is closed, and visitors came here to reflect on history. >> ey work a great family. we have lost a great politician, a person who cares about people. >> he spent a lot of time here visiting fallen soldiers and his two brothers. he will finally be reunited with them. a private funeral will be held in boston tomorrow morning. in number of high-profile dignitaries are on that list. presidents carter, bush are expected to attend. pamela brown, abc 7 news. >> thank you. >>> senator kennedy's casket will proceed to the u.s. capitol. >>> students in the washington area are remembering senator kennedy for the time he spends with them. meant third students a few blocks from his capitol hill office. >> he was a vernice guy. ni he listened. hestened. he gave me books. >

john f. kennedy jr. after his death in a plane crash in 1999. and during the battle for iraq kennedy became one of the loudest anti-war voices in the senate, just as he did during vietnam. in 2008 he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and kennedy would once again show resilience. while still undergoing cancer treatment he traveled to denver and gave an impassioned speech at the democratic convention. >> the work begins anew! the hope rises again! and the dream lives on! [cheers] >> reporter: ted kennedy was heir to a glamorous political tradition, with more than 45 years in office, one of the longest-serving senators in united states history. abc news, washington. >> i think many of you will remember ted kennedy standing on the rail of a caboose going through the woods next to his brother's casket draped in an american flag. >> it's the memories, we're remembering those moments. linda so is live at penn station. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. people tell me they will remember senator kennedy as a man for the people. he worked to change

john f. kennedy jr.he small group, the family and only invited guests will move into the cemetery for the private burial. >> the lion of the senate, but also they will be getting a full military burial? >> reporter: it will be. as fitting, a rifle salute to honor the senator. and the flag, of course -- a lot of security, obviously, as they await the motorcade which is scheduled to arrive here imminently, jim. >> it will be a powerful moment when it happens. we're going to turn to susan milligan who covered ted kennedy for 20 years for "the boston globe." and also author of the autobiography "the last lion." something very close to his heart, an issue that he ran for president on back in 1984, health care. and also a powerful driving force with his legislation. what does his loss mean now for president obama's health care initiative? >> well, i think it's an enormous loss, not only because that could be a critical 60th vote, but senator kennedy had this sort of fatherly way in the senate, when they were p

two other sons, robert kennedy, the former attorney general of the united states and president john f kennedy jr. >> rachel, this is the first public event where the public can attend. you've been speaking to to them. what are they saying about the senator? >> reporter: as we mentioned there are thousands who have shown up to play tribute, homage to senator kennedy. we spoke to one couple who actually had their daughter in tow whose flame is kennedy. they named their daughter after the kennedy family. they thought it was important to thing her here to learn what contributions to america's political landscape that ted kennedy had made and indeed the kennedy family and the other two brothers. and we spoke with people in general who simply wanted to say good-bye to a man. he worked tirelessly on behalf of civil right. he's passed and worked on scores of legislation, that very familiar legislation, to many people who work for minimum wage. that's something that ted kennedy felt was very close to his heart, obviously, health care. so, many people out here to say their good-byes today. >> a plan at th

john f. kennedy jr. after his death in a plane crash in july of 1999.and during the battle for iraq he became one of the loudest anti-war voices in the senate just as he did in vietnam. in 2008 he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and kennedy would once again show his resilience. while still undergoing cancer treatment he traveled to denver and gave an impassioned speech at the democratic convention. >> the work begins anew! the hope rises again! and the dream lives on! [cheers] >> reporter: ted kennedy was heir to a glamorous political tradition, with more than 45 years in office, one of the longest-serving senators in united states history. abc news, washington. >> we'll have more on the passing of ted kennedy coming up today on "good morning america" at 7:00. >>> a look now at some of the other top stories we're working on. three young men from baltimore county have been charged with gang raping three women. police say on july 27th two women accepted a ride from two men near north calvert and west fayette streets in downtown ball. -- baltimore. police

john f. kennedy jr., his wife carolyn, and sister-in-law lauren. >> reporter: then it was last year when senator kennedy was diagnosed with a brain tumor. his illness, though, did not affect his spirit. he was back on the senate floor soon after surgery. he made a surprise appearance at last year's democratic convention. >> nothing -- nothing is going to keep me away from this special gathering tonight. >> reporter: and he was there on inauguration day. >> how are you? good to see you. >> reporter: all the while, his wife of 17 years, victoria, by his side. with his death, the senate has lost one of its stalwarts, and the kennedy family at the center of the american political scene for 50 years has now lost its center. and we are joined now by our chief washington correspondent george stephanopoulos, and cokie roberts, our political analyst. and george, so many people see ted kennedy, in sort of the frame, with his two brothers. but i think few people realize, really, what a force he was as a legislator. >> 47 years in the senate, charlie. and look at the volume of legislation from ted kennedy.

john f. kennedy jr. -- john f. kennedy, rather, and the founder of the special olympics leaves behind a lasting legacy of helping those with special needs. k carrie kennedy, her niece, talks to us this hour. >>> good day, i'm andrea mitchell in washington. president obama wants americans to know that health care overhaul will not jeopardize the coverage that millions already enjoy. and eahe's doing so in a state where 89% of the population is covered. pennsylvania governor ed rendell joins us now. before we get into health care, governor, i want to ask you about your longtime friend, secretary of state hillary clinton. this is what happened when she was asked, she thought, about her husband. she was traveling in the congo yesterday. let's watch. >> wait! you want me to tell me what my husband thinks? my husband is not the secretary of state, i am. so you ask my opinion, i will tell you my opinion. i'm not going to be channeling my husband. >> governor, we've seen today the new york tabloids are all over this. look a

john f. kennedy jr. -- when john kennedy jr.he plane crash, and there were so many tears, and if that goes away, things will be quite different for all of us. whether you love them or hate them or are in different, they are all part of us, and they have been woven through the fabric of us in this nation. >> yes, jusu0look at the coverage this is getting. people are pulled over onç the highway, and there is some question about him being laid to rest at the capitol, and now he is being laid to rest with his brothers. he even people who hate the kennedys are riveted by them. when all grew up with them, and so, i think it is a loss for the nation. -- we all grew up with them. shepard: thank you. lois' article is at the website right now. >> thank you. shepard: ed klein, i was looking at the ratings. we tv people to a lot of that. there was the one that cbs did that was quite good. nobody watched it. it did 0.9 in the only ratings that matter, and that is the demographic, and i wonder if because we are in the northeast and so close

john f. kennedy jr.ied in a plane crash just a few miles from where i am standing now, and really, in so many ways, ted kennedy epitomizes the compassionate activist, the eloquent, charismatic politician and statesman. the fact that the democrats did not have him, that barack obama did not have ted kennedy to lead the way in the health-care debate is one of the reasons is baily. he is sorely missed, and for me, personally, to have bogan's, interviews from when we are very young -- and to have bookends, from when we were very young to now -- bill: did you have that kind of relationship with them? >> sort of. i interviewed him just last year. we were in the senate building, and there he was. again, it was very close with the awful raid by immigration authorities in southeastern massachusetts. they had arrested these women who were selling knapsacks for gi's -- sewing them. senator kennedy told me it was one of the worst days of his public life for him to hear about these families being separated, so that w

john f. kennedy jr. when he died in the airplane crashed flying into martha'ins rd in the city of intelsat, there is aoh kennedy museum -- in the city of hyannis. they're signing a memorial book, putting down thoughts. ted kennedy meant a tremendous amount to this state, not only legislatively but personally. of the 77 massachusetts families affected by 9/11, ted kennedy contacted every single one of them personally and put him in touch with state and local ople. >> you have known and covered ted kendy for years. when you got the word he had died, any particular memory come to your mind? >> a lot of them. i knew them professionally because i got my start in the news business in massachusetts just about the time he was getting his start as a u.s. senator. i move to washington in 1969 and covered him there, covered him in 1980 when he was running for the democratic presidential nomination. it i remember one interview that always stands out in my mind. i had a very specific question to ask him, it was a live

john f. kennedy, jr. so popular i is martha's vinesaturday, lyndon johnson used to complain this his cabinet was missing from almost every monday morning meeting because they were fogged in on martha's vineyard. fog may be the least of the problems here. i'm joined with steve from the times. even though it as category one storm, it seems as though residents are taking it seriously. >> most of us moved to safer anchorages and tied down things, just taking precautions. >> geraldo: do you have video, new york? are you okay? okay. are we okay? okay. all right. so they are tying down boats and battening down the hatches. even though it is a category one, they believe that it is serious enough to warrant caution? >> there is a tropical storm watch up which means they expect winds up to 40 o knots here overnight for a brief time. the storm is moving very fast so it should go by quickly. >> geraldo: we are joined by dr. bob arnat. a man who wears many hats. dr. danger one of them. he flew his own plane here. a li

john f. kennedy jr.'s funeral and he said we dare to this this john kennedy would live to comb gray hair.hite hair and become the senior statesman, so it's a different mourning we're seeing now. >> can you talk about the relationship between ted kennedy the sort of regular citizens in boston where this motorcade is going to be in just a couple of minutes. >> absolutely. ted kennedy was in jack kennedy's estimation the most natural politician of the brothers. that's saying a lot. obviously, jack kennedy became president and became an iconic figure in american politics, but ted kennedy learned at the need -- knee of his grandfather. he had an easy equation with the people, regular people, and so did ted kennedy and he felt comfort in the presence. he was more aloof and more detached and removed. ted kennedy was in the thick of it and most comfortable there with the people. >> nbc news contributor neil, thanks so much. your thoughts about some of ha we're hearing right now. >> when you look at the video from '68 and see the people standing out just wanting a glimpse and today we see a simila

john f. kennedy jr. ed, jackie was dead, jack was dead, ted i did had to become the member of the family who represented the family and had to carry the burden of the funeral. >> kennedy's resilience helped him not only personally but politically as well. he is at home in the senate, the consumate legislator, the liberal lion. >> this has been the go-to guy for countless organizations dealing particularly with american who's don't have much of a voice. >> it's hundreds of thousands, tens of thousands, millions of people whose lives are -- >> he believes the government exists for ordinary people, not for the powerful. the powerful don't need government in the same way that ordinary people do. >> it is a mark of ted's greatness that he does not care who gets the credit as long as the job gets done. >> do you love america? >> yes! >> he's fought for the poor. he's fought for the disenfranchised and children and the elderly. he fights for people who don't have big lobbying budgets and big k street representat

john f. kennedy jr. ennedy's resilience helped him not only personally but politically as well. he is at home in the senate, the consummate legislator, the liberal lion. >> this has been the go-to guy for countless organizations dealing particularly with american who's don't have much of a voice. >> it's hundreds of thousands, tens of thousands, millions of people whose lives are -- >> he believes the government exists for ordinary people, not for the powerful. the powerful don't need government in the same way that ordinary people do. >> it is a mark of ted's greatness that he does not care who gets the credit as long as the job gets done. >> do you love america? >> yes! >> he's fought for the poor. he's fought for the disenfranchised and children and the elderly. he fights for people who don't have big lobbying budgets and big k street representatives. >> we must demand in america that helps the homeless, feeds the hungry, breaks the cycle of poverty, and replaces welfare with work. >> in his fifth deca

john f. kennedy, jr. died in a plane crash. will see a coming of the circle of life when it was ted kennedy who was often the one who spoke for those who had passed before him and now we will see caroline kennedy fulfill that duty for her uncle. >> thank you, kelly o'donnell reporting from the jfk library. thank you so much. >>> joining me now is congressman jim clyburn of south carolina, the house majority whip. jim, good to have you with us on the program tonight. we've heard so much in recent days about the awesome accomplishments of ted kennedy as a legislator, 2,500 bills introduced, 550 have been enacted into law. but i think one that really sticks out the most was just how brave he was back in the '60s in fighting for civil rights legislation in 1964. that has to have a tremendous impact on you as well. what about that? >> absolutely, absolutely. as you know, just maybe two years after he came to the senate, we were in the throes of the 1964 civil rights act. a year later the 1965 voting rights act. three years later the

john f. kennedy jr. after his death in a plane crash in july 1999. before and during the battle for iraq kennedy became one of the loudest anti-war voices in the senate. just as he did during vietnam. in 2008 he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and show once again his resilience. while still undergoing cancer treatment he traveled to denver and gave a speech at the democratic convention. >> the work begins anew! the hope rises again! and the dream lives on! [cheers] >> reporter: ted kennedy was heir to a glamorous political tradition, with more than 45 years in office, one of the longest serving senators in united states history. abc news, washington. >> there are many people reacting to the death of senator kennedy. we start with a statement from the family. they write that they lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives but his faith and optimism and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever. he always believed our best days were still ahead but it's hard to imagine any of them without him. >>> former first lady

john f. kennedy jr. he was always the junefying force of the family when there was a challenge and too often in the kennedy family when there was a tragedy. he was a legendary figure in american politics and legendary figure -- i grew up in massachusetts. the kennedy name was the gold standard in politics in massachusetts. this is a generational passing, as ed noted, his sister eunice dying as well. the kennedy family has had such a giant stamp on american politics and on american life. it is a generational passing as well as an individual passing and the fact he has been on the sidelines in what was the most important debate in his lifetime, the fight for health care reform, was a sign of how debilitating this cancer was in his final years. he was also a flawed character. that will be part of the history and analysis, now, that he has passed. he was a public figure who had tragedy in his own life and in more recent years it was remarkable, he remarried his wife, vicki, by his side at the end here and who

john f. kennedy jr. had gathered because john f. kennedy, jr. passed away.if you can, for a moment, separate yourself as a news guy, a news anchor, from the weight of all the memories as they have to do with us as individuals, not just news people. >> well, it's unbelievable, mike, the amount of american history this one family has colled, produced, created and stood witness for. remember those scenes when jfk, jr.'s plane was missing. ted was among all the other things, a chronic pain patient, all his life after the plane crashed, pulled out by senator birch. bad weather, small plane, he walked with great difficulty of breaking his back. ran for senate on his back. taped television commercials, shooting up at a camera to talk to the people of the commonwealth. the weight of being patriarch, seemed mike, during those scenes when the coast guard chopper landed on the lawn, seemed to further push him into the ground. he walked with great difficulty in the last two to five years of his life. it's that weight he almost bore physically in the pictures. one of the

john f. kennedy jr. i think he was so eloquent. d, we dare to think in that other irish phrase, that this john kennedy would live to comb gray hair with his beloved caroline by his side. like his father, he had every gift but length of years. i mean, i think that is so illustrative of his eloquence. what a tremendous loss for this country. >> trey.he il there will be a special on cbs tonight such. >> that's right. an hour primetime special at 8:00 p.m. because of the rricess of the cbs archives and so many cbs co porresndenrr had access to him through the years, this is a very moving look back at his life, primarily through his own words and the people who loved him. >> katie, thanks for coming in this morning. now here's maggie. >> reporter: president obama issued a statement from martha's vineyard. he called senator kennedy the greatest u.s. senator of our time. chip reid is in martha's vineyard this morning. >> reporter: good morning. the president was notified at 2:00 a.m. of senator kennedy's death. he issued a statement shortl

john f. kennedy jr. ten years ago. eunice kennedy shriver two weeks ago. and now senator edward kennedy. ann and matt, back to you. >> anne thompson, thank you so much. president obama who is spending the week on martha's vineyard spoke with senator kennedy's wife overnight. ron alan is covering the president's vacation. ron, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. yes, president obama was informed the senator kennedy's passing around 2:00 a.m. this morning and he spoke with mrs. kennedy shortly thereafter. there had been a lot of speculation president obama was going to try and visit the kennedy compound but of course that was not meant to be. the president attributes much of his own success, in part, to the efforts of senator kennedy. his legislative efforts in the senate, his efforts for him on the campaign trail, and to a close personal relationship. the president's statement reads, in part, "i valued his wise counsel in the senate where regardless of the swirl of events he always had time for a new colleague. i cherished his confidence and momentous support in my race for the

john f. kennedy jr., like his father, gone too young. senator turned to irish poet troy explain the loss saying, we dare to think in that other irish phrase that this john kennedy would live to comb gray hair, but like his father, he had every gift but length of years. ted kennedy had length of years. and the burdens that come with surviving. for toad, anne thompson, nbc news, boston. c >>> and wll be right back, but first, this is "today" on nbc.d >>> still to come on "today" what were you doing when were you 16? >> this guy was sailing around the world solo. you'll meet him. >>first these messages. 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. (announcer) side effects were generally mild and included headache. viral infection, sore throat, nosebleeds and coughing. ask your doctor about symptom relief with nasonex. and save up to $15 off your refills. go to nasonex.com for details, terms and condition

john f. kennedy jr., like his father, gone too young. turned to irish poet troy explain the loss saying, we dare to think in that other irish phrase that this john kennedy would live to comb gray hair, but like his father, he had every gift but length of years. ted kennedy had length of years. and the burdens that come with surviving. for toad, anne thompson, nbc news, boston. >>> and we'll be right back, but first, this is "today" on nbc. dealer: during the autobahn for all event, you can get great deals. yeah it's great. i just really want to be sure. whoa, it's us from... ...the future. 11 days in the future. look, you love your new routan. you love the german tuned suspension. you love not having to pay for scheduled maintenance,you- i love what you've done with your hair. we'll take it. >>> still to come on "today" what were you doing when were you 16? >> this guy was sailing around the world solo. you'll meet him. >>> first these messages. but nasonex relief may i say... bee-utiful! prescription nasonex is proven to help relieve ind

john f. kennedy, the would be a picture of john f. kennedy, robert kennedy, martin luther king jrnd a picture of jesus. tavis: i have some church fans in my personal collection. everybody who would go to this churches would see those pictures on those fans. i was thought it was amazing that it would be in churches all across america. >> i have some of those also. somehow, in some way, these men gave people a sense of hope in a time of hopelessness. tavis: you were there, one of e ft ld dr. king. we know that you were beaten and almost killed on a number of locations. you were the youngest person to speak at the march on washington on that day where king gave the "i have a dream" speech. your resume is intact and regard to your duty and service on the civil rights front. because you were there, you were there, and dr. king was not always happy with john kennedy or bobby kennedy. edward kennedy seemed to take a different tact. what you make of that? >> -- what do you make of that? >> we were not always happy with the president of -- the position of president kennedy or robert kenned

john f. kennedy jr. would and, of course, he passed away 10 years ago already. brian: and congressman kennedy, too, patrick, who is in the house. then you have the daughter. you have ted who had cancer himself and had a leg amputated as a young person. so the kennedys aand that family in particular have dealt with a lot of tragedy. i also hearken back to a year and a half ago -- is it that long? when senator hillary clinton becomes secretary of state and we have to find a replacement and ted kennedy stands again as word goes out that ted would like to see caroline get that spot and see her get into politics. gretchen: and as you were discussing earlier, the importance of ted kennedy endorsing barack obama over hillary clinton a year ago. and many believe that that had a lot to do with barack obama getting the nomination and ultimately becoming president of the united states. let's go now to our boston affiliate reporter. our affiliate, wfxt. she joins us with the latest. good morning. >> well, good morning. we are here outside the massachusetts state house, the f

kennedy and teddy jr., kara kennedy. a remarkable collection of the family. and, again, a reminder, it was senator kennedy who held the family together for so many of these events when john f. kennedy jr.'s plane crashed in the waters off martha's vineyard, when jackie kennedy onassis was put to rest, other family funerals and tests and trials. it was the gathering at hyannis port was organized by him. and now vicki kennedy in his place, with his direction, has organized a remarkable scene. we are seeing play out here at the john f. kennedy library here in boston. >> john, i don't know if we can hear much, but if we can hear some of the events going on right now as they get ready to retrieve the coffin from that hearse, let's just listen in briefly and see what we can hear. >> well, we clearly can't hear a whole lot. we can't see the family. they've gathered outside. they're beginning to get out of their respective vehicles and make their way as the honor guard gets ready to take that coffin and move it inside the john f. kennedy presidential library. and once that happens, i want our viewers to see it because it will be an emotional moment. earlier we saw that coffin bein

john f. kennedy jr.ash but all the way back to the terrible situation that happened in chappaquiddick island. some people say that really is the biggest scar or mark on an otherwise storied career. how did those tragic events sort of shape the person he ended up becoming? >> i think well before chappaquiddick he had to learn to soldier on. he was 12 years old when somebody drove up to the door and told him that his older brother joe had been killed in world war ii. he got just more and more of these things and early in the game he learned simply to go on because there was no other option. he was mourning deeply but he just kept going on. i know when he returned to the senate in 1981, having lost the nomination fort presidency, he was getting a divorce. he was alone. he'd lost -- his party went out of power. and people i talked to who knew him well like now vice president joe biden said he just shouldered on and he did not demonstrate outwardly any of the darkness that he must have felt inside. i think th

research, and study to produce what i think is a stunning look at those historic brothers, joseph kennedy, jr., john f. here is a look at the role of the youngest of the kennedy brothers. this will be in the documentary next thursday night. >> of the four kennedy brothers, ted, the youngest was the most connected to the others. in 1946 the family gathered in hyannis port to celebrate jack's 29th birthday. when teddy rose to speak, the 14-year-old raided his glass and said i'd like to drink a toast to the brother who isn't here. he stunned the room into silence. >> i think the three of them were not only a kind of band of brothers all their own in mythologist but in reality. >> whatever your politics i think it's unimaginable to have lived in this country the last 40 years without the kennedys. they they'd mare impact. they were tough and they made an difference. they took our breath away. we'll talk about the kennedys next thursday night here on msnbc. i hope you'll watch it next thursday and friday night at 7:00 eastern. >>> up next, tom ridge's disclosure he was pushed to raise the terror threat, yo

john f. kennedy museum. members of the public pay their last respects to senator kennedy. kennedy's widow vicki spoke to reporters and "state of the union's" john king caught up with robert f. kennedy jr. watch. >> i just want to thank them so much for coming and showing love and support for my husband. i just want to let them know how grateful we all are. >> thank you. thank you all. >> this is deeply, deeply moving for all of us. >> about a week before he died, he -- he was out on his boat. and he was very sick by that. he was losing some of his ability to find words. and he was so very cognizant and he was able to steer his boat and to reason and understand all the conversation. but it was sometimes during some parts of the day that were difficult for him to find words that he was looking for. >> larry: joining us to begin things is senator john kerry, democrat of massachusetts 2sh00 democratic party nominee. he's on the phone with us. the loss of ted kennedy is the topic of the day. i know you've been in close contact with the family. how are they doing, senator? >> well, they're much, much moved by the events to have day. you know, they're an extraordinary, strong group of indivi

kennedy jr. was killed in world war ii. he was supposed to be the president in that family to john f. kennedy.y turned out to be quite a politician. when he was lost, robert kennedy and when he was lost ted kennedy took over for some 40 years now. the torch has been passed now to barack obama. how well will we be able to handle, barack obama, this enormous responsibility of being the new brother? >> well, that's quite a responsibility to be the keeper of the torch of camelot. that's quite a thing. that the torch exists, this legacy being passed down from holder to holder. clearly now obama is the repository of the hopes and dreams of the people -- of the acolites of camelot, who believe in that vision of america. but he's not of the family. there's not the sense that there was with the kennedys. none of them had to do this. there was a -- there was a sense that these were people of great privilege who were giving something to the country. their time, their effort. barack obama is a different ce inspiring. and he is noless compelling as a personality, but it's a different set of circumstances.

john f. kennedy memorial library and museum. there you see the family. >> and behind us right now in line, caroline kennedy and her family, robert f. kennedy jr., membersst kennedy family here to greet those who have come to pay respects to ted kennedy. >> senator kennedy to be buried at arlington national cemetery on saturday. that morning his funeral including an obituary from president obama. tomorrow, kennedy will lie in repose at 7:00 p.m. a memorial service, joe biden and senator john mccain among the speakers. join me, wolf blitzer, john king for live coverage. that will happen right here on cnn. >>> kennedy coverage, wherever you turn today, lots of pomp, boldfaced names. but still the most poin yent reflections coming from average americans telling how the legendary senator touched their lives with small acts of kindness. >> gloria gomez holds something dear to her, a letter senator edward kennedy wrote her weeks before his death. >> july 31st. i received it on august 7. >> the letter was a response after she wrote kennedy, thanking him for an act of kindness about his family decades ago. abc news reporter john carl was driving with