Praise and criticism have a direct correlation to power.
Thus it was with Edward M. Kennedy.
He was adored by liberals and often reviled by conservatives. But he was an unmistakable force in the U.S. Senate for almost 50 years.
Kennedy died early Wednesday morning after a valiant battle with a brain tumor.
He was a member of a family that came to be known as American royalty. Patriarch Joseph Kennedy was determined to make the family name known far and wide. He was equally determined to put a Kennedy in the White House.
His dreams came true.
However, there was a disposition toward service, selflessness, that marked the aristocratic Kennedys. Joe Jr. died in the line of duty in World War II. John was a war hero and one of the United States' most revered presidents. Robert was a bold, effective U.S. attorney general.
These things escaped little brother Ted. So, he became the consummate Democrat, a formidable politician whose personal stamp was on almost all major legislation during his long tenure in the Senate.
He accepted the mantle as head of the Kennedy clan with elan. He continued the pursuit of equality and universal opportunity embraced by John Kennedy.
So it was that Democrats looked to Edward Kennedy for leadership, which he freely gave, and Republicans crafted virtually all opposition strategies with him as the focus.
Kennedy's considerable stature made his failings extraordinarily conspicuous. The tragedy at Chappaquiddick, his machine-gun-toting bodyguards and his reputation as a womanizing party animal sullied his reputation. His acknowledged errors did not derail his political career.
He was Massachusetts' favorite son for life.
For all the partisan emotions he stirred, Kennedy was also known in the Senate as a unifying element in touchy negotiations. His colleagues, liberal and conservative, respected his work ethic, his candor and his willingness to talk with opponents in an effort to pass legislation he considered vital.
Kennedy was a champion of entitlement programs and government assistance to deserving, qualified Americans. Long before "no one left behind" became part of American political vernacular, the senator's personal goal was that all people would have a viable chance to realize their dreams. Government, he said, has the wherewithal to help.
For sure, there are enemies who will never praise Kennedy, although some detractors gave him grudging credit for his refusal to bow to cancer. Nobody could be ambivalent about the man known as the Lion of the Senate.
Extol him or reject him, one fact cannot be ignored: Sen. Edward Kennedy got things done.
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