The man's deceased George.
His most grievous sin was Chappaquiddick. He deserved jail time, if not a prison sentence for that episode. He got off because of his family's money and connections. Sadly, this is a tiresome story ANYWHERE someone holds power, and also, an all too common one, that the elite are not treated equally under the law.
But it ruined any chance he would ever have of becoming President. And while his life has been charmed, it has also been grievous. That family, began from organized crime money, Joe was a bootlegger during prohibition, and Joe Kennedy's organized crime connections continued well after. He used them to help get his son John elected to the Senate.
You don't have to judge that family George, because God already has. The eldest son blown up in a plane. John fills the role of eldest son then, and becomes president eventually. He is assasinated. His brother Robert seeks to fill that eldest son spot. He is assasinated. JFK's son then later dies in a plane accident. Not only has Teddy Kennedy had to live with losing all his brothers, and his brother's son, an heir apparent to the throne, but he is marked for life because of Chappaquiddick, and dies an unpleasant death from brain cancer himself, BEFORE he gets to vote for Health Care, and BEFORE he gets to have his seat filled with another Democrat of his choosing.
Now for the good...
Teddy Kennedy has some grievous sins in his life. Most powerful men do. But he has been a respected statesman for 40 years or something. He has fought for his liberal principles (sure, you and I disagree with most of those principles, but thank God in America we have both to keep each other in check) and he was respected on BOTH sides of the aisle. Like Robert Dole, he was not afraid to compromise and work with the other side to get things done that BOTH could live with.
One thing you will hear often in these next days, even from Republicans, is that HIS WORD WAS ALWAYS GOOD. Republicans TRUSTED him to keep his word to them, and he always did. Because Republicans TRUSTED him, they would OFTEN seek his help, and get it, on issues that were important to conservatives. He cooperated when he could. He compromised when necessary. He kept his word to the other members of the Senate, conservatives included.
His signature is on some of the most important legislation this country has passed, like the Civil Rights Act and MANY others. He will go down in history as one of America's great statesmen. He is to be buried in Arlington National Cemetary, a high priveledge, and one he deserved for his decades of statesmanship in the Senate.
Try and remember this, knowing what we now know about Nixon, his racism and antisemitism and his illegal use of government power to threaten journalists he didn't like, and hell, just go on down the list. All the bad we know about Nixon... how many times have you heard a conservative praise him (and maybe you have as well?) for his accomplishments, like opening diplomatic relations with China, and so on?
Those on the left, were pretty respectful, when Nixon died.
Ted Kennedy deserves the same.
.