Teddy

My heart broke when I realized he would never be President.  My heart breaks again knowing that he is gone.  He was my first candidate, the man I so wanted to reach the White House.  But that night in Chappaquidick kept him from being President, and as he would probably agree, rightfully so.  It was a huge lapse in judgment.  But eventually he took full responsibility and did his penance through a life of service.  He was a visionary in regard to what it took to make this a better world, and a realist in regard to what it took to get there.  He had the strangest bedfellows – conservatives who he would team with to pass monumental legislation in so many areas.  Ask politicians like Sen. Hatch who they respected most – it would likely have been Sen. Kennedy.  The fact that health care reform is on the table is due to him, and if he was in good health the last few months, we would have it today.  He crushed me when he endorsed Obama over Hillary and part of me will never understand that, but I respect his reasoning.  Respect he deserves; tribute even more.  So much of what is good in our world we owe to him.