Teddy Kennedy's Gone West.

Edward “Ted” Kennedy, a Massachusetts senator for forty-six years, died of brain cancer Tuesday night at the age of seventy-seven. Alone among the Kennedy brothers, he lived long enough to mature, learn and excel.

A lot of men take a long time to mature, but the Kennedys were famous for it. At best, they preserved a boyish charm into adulthood. At worst, they flaunted a childish impulsiveness and sense of entitlement. Not a family of great students, they possessed native intelligence and if they inherited only a fraction of their father’s cunning, that was a lot. John F. Kennedy, our thirty-fifth President, was outspoken about needing to learn on the job. Tragically, he was assassinated before that was possible. A particular loss since the acknowledged master of legislation – before and since – was his Vice-President – and future President – Lyndon B. Johnson. If John excelled at anything during his short time in office it was at projecting an ideal image of our country – both domestically and abroad. Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated before he could even run for President. His primary campaign, however, showed signs that he had learned what not to do by working for Senator Joseph McCarthy and against Martin Luther King. Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., the eldest son, didn’t survive WW II. So, it fell to Teddy, the youngest son, to carry his family’s flag into battle. A risky job, regardless of family or battle, he not only picked up the flag, he ran with it.

With a career spanning forty-six years, Ted Kennedy had the third longest tenure of any U.S. Senator. He was an inspired orator and a dogged trench fighter. If this country ever sees universal healthcare, it’s because he saw it first. For nearly half a century, he excelled at serving his state, his country and his conscience as a proud and defiant liberal. Okay, his conscience took some time off during his personal life, but he bore the consequences of that with as much strength and tattered pride as he could muster. More importantly, he matured and learned from his mistakes. If not immediately, then eventually and finally. His record of national service remains untouched and unimpeachable.