Senator Edward Kennedy was, without question, an institution himself.
Though the Senate existed before him, and will go on without him, it won't be the same. The voice and passion he lent to an issue will not easily be replaced. Nor will his extraordinary ability to work in the Senate to accomplish so much no matter which party was in the majority.
In 2001 I went to work on the Hill in Washington, DC and few events had a greater impact upon me than the first time I actually saw Senator Kennedy in person. It was just in passing, walking down a corridor, but it was seeing a legend in person.
The way many felt about being near Joe DiMaggio or Elvis Presley, this was how I felt. A man who was larger than life and whom I had grown up listening to, as had so many before me.
His legacy was one I loved and for which I had an undying respect. It was, more than anything else, a literal lifetime spent in the US Senate. Crafting the actual mechanics of our country and toiling in the trenches of democracy. He understood the difference he could make there and the lasting change he could offer.
He fought for fairness and equality. For working men and women and for those who had no voice in the great marble Capitol. His unyielding dedication was an inspiration to me as a young boy, as a naive staffer and is still today.
