R.I.P. Edward Kennedy!

Massachusetts Senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy died last night succumbing to complications from a brain tumor diagnosed about 16 months ago. Kennedy was the last living male from the Kennedy political dynasty who served nearly 50 years in the Senate. Kennedy's support of President Barack Obama was instrumental in continuing Obama's political momentum last year.

While Kennedy was a major political force in the Senate, he also had his dark side with the Chappaquiddick incident from 1969 in which Mary Jo Kopechne died while a passenger in a car with Kennedy that overturned in a tide of water being prominent. Kennedy left the scene of the accident leaving Kopechne in the car and didn't report the accident until hours later. This incident dogged Kennedy's political career, and likely prevented him from becoming President of the United States. Kennedy did continue to be an influential Senator despite this incident, but his political effectiveness was always somewhat diminished because of his past.