BY WC WINDBAG:

Last night, one of the most infamous Senators ever to occupy a Capital Hill office died, ultimately losing his battle with cancer:

Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, a son of one of the most storied families in American politics, a man who knew triumph and tragedy in near-equal measure and who will be remembered as one of the most effective lawmakers in the history of the Senate, died late Tuesday night. He was 77.

The death of Mr. Kennedy, who had been battling brain cancer, was announced Wednesday morning in a statement by the Kennedy family, which was already mourning the death of the senator’s sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver two weeks earlier.

“Edward M. Kennedy – the husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle we loved so deeply – died late Tuesday night at home in Hyannis Port,” the statement said. “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.”

As readers of this blog would obviously know, we disagreed with Ted Kennedy on almost every controversial issue in our time. That does not take away any of his work he did on behalf of his party and his constituents over the last 46 years. As the news media and political talking heads use the next few months to talk about his life, we will also take time for a debate on his legacy.

But for now, our prayers are with his family in this time of loss.

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