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religion
Kennedy exerted enormous power thanks to his seniority and committee chairmanships, his willingness to work with Republicans, his unusually energetic staff, and the celebrity accorded the most famous name in politics. More than any senator in recent decades he was the master of legislative legerdemain: handling negotiations over broad policy goals, vetting the smallest details, negotiating with the concerned lobbyists, orchestrating the public hearings, briefing and leaking to the media, crafting compromises, cutting deals with the White House and with conservative Republicans, and designing a legislative path through committee and onto the floor to get his legislation passed.
Kennedy exerted enormous power thanks to his seniority and committee chairmanships, his willingness to work with Republicans, his unusually energetic staff, and the celebrity accorded the most famous name in politics. More than any senator in recent decades he was the master of legislative legerdemain: handling negotiations over broad policy goals, vetting the smallest details, negotiating with the concerned lobbyists, orchestrating the public hearings, briefing and leaking to the media, crafting compromises, cutting deals with the White House and with conservative Republicans, and designing a legislative path through committee and onto the floor to get his legislation passed.
Kennedy garnered the nickname "Lion of the Senate" for his long and vigorous career in public service. In the club-like atmosphere of the U.S. Senate, Kennedy enjoyed personal support acreos s the board. Conservative Senator [[Orrin Hatch]] (R-Utah) said "he's like a brother to me,"<ref>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-wallis/the-lion-of-the-senate_b_103322.html</ref> while Senator [[John McCain]] (R-Arizona) said that he has "the highest respect for him," calling him a "skillful, fair, and generous partner" in the times they have worked together<ref>http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1807447,00.html</ref>.
Kennedy garnered the nickname "Lion of the Senate" for his long and vigorous career in public service. In the club-like atmosphere of the U.S. Senate, Kennedy enjoyed personal support acreos s the board. Conservative Senator [[Orrin Hatch]] (R-Utah) said "he's like a brother to me,"<ref>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-wallis/the-lion-of-the-senate_b_103322.html</ref> while Senator [[John McCain]] (R-Arizona) said that he has "the highest respect for him," calling him a "skillful, fair, and generous partner" in the times they have worked together<ref>http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1807447,00.html</ref>. President [[Obama]] called Kennedy "the greatest United States Senator of our time."<ref>http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Senator-Kennedy</ref>
The [[Kennedy Family]] has been a major part of the Democratic Party for a century, beginning with his grandfather as mayor of Boston, and his older brothers President [[John F. Kennedy]] (assassinated in 1963) and [[Robert F. Kennedy]] (assassinated in 1968). Ted Kennedy was long a presumptive nominee for president himself, but the [[Chappaquiddick]] scandal in 1969 caused him to delay his candidacy until 1980, when he was whipped by incumbent Democratic President [[Jimmy Carter]].
The [[Kennedy Family]] has been a major part of the Democratic Party for a century, beginning with his grandfather as mayor of Boston, and his older brothers President [[John F. Kennedy]] (assassinated in 1963) and [[Robert F. Kennedy]] (assassinated in 1968). Ted Kennedy was long a presumptive nominee for president himself, but the [[Chappaquiddick]] scandal in 1969 caused him to delay his candidacy until 1980, when he was whipped by incumbent Democratic President [[Jimmy Carter]].
==Religion==
Kennedy was raised [[Roman Catholic]], and though he disagreed with church leaders on such issues of abortion and gay rights, he was described by USA Today "as a devout Catholic who clung to his religion's belief in the potential for human redemption".<ref>http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-08-26-ted-kennedy-obit_N.htm</ref> His mother, Rose Kennedy, was a strong Catholic who often attended Mass twice daily. She once told her now adult son that he was guaranteed to go to heaven if he went to Mass seven straight Fridays. Ted's close friend Dick Clasby recalls, "So Ted and I went seven Fridays, and that was it,".. that was the deal."<ref>Peter Canellos; ''Last Lion: The Fall and Rise of Ted Kennedy'' pp. 45-48 </ref>
[[Regent University]] School of Government Dean Charles Dunn sees Kennedy as one who turned from his Family's conservative roots.
<blockquote>He gradually in metamorphosis moved from the right of center theologically and politically to the far left of center, so he left the mooring spiritually of his mother and ideologically and politically of his father.<ref>http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/politics/2009/August/A-Look-at-Ted-Kennedys-Catholic-Faith</ref></blockquote>
From a 1971 letter, Republican activist and writer Deal Hudson quotes Kennedy as stating,
<blockquote>It is my personal feeling that the legalization of abortion on demand is not in accordance with the value which our civilization places on human life. Wanted or unwanted, I believe that human life, even at its earliest stages, has certain rights which must be recognized; the right to be born, the right to life, the right to grow old.<ref>http://www.usnews.com/blogs/god-and-country/2009/08/26/sen-ted-kennedys-catholicism-first-take.html</ref></blockquote>
Later, in 1983, Kennedy spoke of his faith in a speech in 1983 at the late Jerry Falwell's Liberty Baptist College, now called Liberty University, stating that "I am an American and a Catholic; I love my country and treasure my faith", but expressed that there was no monopoly on truth, while suggesting that "God has taken no position on the Department of Education."<ref>http://religionnews.com/index.php?/rnsblog</ref>
While some Catholics agree with Kennedy's moral policies,<ref>[http://peacebyjesus.witnesstoday.org/RevealingStatistics.html#Sec4 Revealing Statistics; Differences Between Denominations]</ref> other express certain dismay over his promotion of [[abortion]], [[homosexuality]], and other [[sins]] which are contrary to the Bible as well as official Catholic teaching.<ref>http://www.romancatholicreport.com/id73.html</ref> Kennedy had a 100 percent score from the abortion-rights group NARAL on abortions, and 0 percent from the National Right to Life Committee.
Kennedy apparently suffered no official church discipline for his contrary actions, and was reported to be attending Mass regularly in February, 2009.<ref>http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2009/02/15/chapter_1_teddy</ref>
==Education==
==Education==