Changes

==Life and career==

==Life and career==

[[Image:000Kennedybrothers.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Sen. Kennedy (left) President Kennedy and his brothers, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and Senator Edward M. Kennedy, 08/28/63.]]Kennedy married Virgina Joan Bennett on Nov. 29, 1958, and on Nov. 8th, 1960, he saw his brother, [[John F. Kennedy]], elected President. After passing his bar exam and briefly serving as an assistant district attorney, Kennedy was elected to Senator in 1962, with the help of his Presidential brother's maneuvering,<ref>[http://spectator.org/archives/2009/08/21/ted-kennedys-last-will-and-tes  Daniel J. Flynn, ''Ted Kennedy's Last Will and Testament'' (Aug. 21, 2009]</ref> and was re-elected to that office eight times. On. Nov. 22. 1963, Ted Kennedy suffered the death of his brother and President, due to assassination. Kennedy was seriously injured in a plane crash in 1964, which broke his back in nineteen places. As a result, Kennedy suffered back and neck pain for the remainder of his life.

[[Image:000Kennedybrothers.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Sen. Kennedy (left) President Kennedy and his brothers, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and Senator Edward M. Kennedy, 08/28/63.]] Kennedy married Virgina Joan Bennett on Nov. 29, 1958, and on Nov. 8th, 1960, he saw his brother, [[John F. Kennedy]], elected President. After passing his bar exam and briefly serving as an assistant district attorney, Kennedy was elected to Senator in 1962, with the help of his Presidential brother's maneuvering,<ref>[http://spectator.org/archives/2009/08/21/ted-kennedys-last-will-and-tes  Daniel J. Flynn, ''Ted Kennedy's Last Will and Testament'' (Aug. 21, 2009]</ref> and was re-elected to that office eight times. On. Nov. 22. 1963, Ted Kennedy suffered the death of his brother and President, due to assassination. Kennedy was seriously injured in a plane crash in 1964, which broke his back in nineteen places. As a result, Kennedy suffered back and neck pain for the remainder of his life.

June 5, 1968 saw the assassination of his brother, Senator [[Robert F. Kennedy]]. The following year, Kennedy drove his car off a bridge at Chappaquiddick, Mass., and managed to escape, but failed to rescue his passenger, campaign worker Mary Jo Kopechne from drowning, and did not notify authorities till the next day.  

June 5, 1968 saw the assassination of his brother, Senator [[Robert F. Kennedy]]. The following year, Kennedy drove his car off a bridge at Chappaquiddick, Mass., and managed to escape, but failed to rescue his passenger, campaign worker Mary Jo Kopechne from drowning, and did not notify authorities till the next day.  

In addition to the death of his two brothers, in 1941, Ted's oldest sister, Rosemary Kennedy, secretly underwent an new operation called a prefrontal lobotomy, which in the 1930s was promoted  as a great advance in the treatment of the often violent agitation which the mildly retarded, but previously good natured Rosemary was manifesting in her early twenties. Her father Joseph believed this was best, and apparently without telling his wife, consented to the operation. However, the lobotomy was a tragic failure, resulting in Rosemary living apart from her family for 50 years in a care facility in Wisconsin, until her death in 2005.<ref>Vincent Bzdek; ''The Kennedy Legacy: Jack, Bobby and Ted and a Family Dream Fulfilled'', pp. 33-35</ref><ref>Howard Dully, Charles Fleming; ''My lobotomy: a memoir'', p. 67</ref><ref>Michael O'Brien, ''John F. Kennedy: a biography'', pp. 172-74</ref>   

In addition to the death of his two brothers, in 1941, Ted's oldest sister, Rosemary Kennedy, secretly underwent an new operation called a prefrontal lobotomy, which in the 1930s was promoted  as a great advance in the treatment of the often violent agitation which the mildly retarded, but previously good natured Rosemary was manifesting in her early twenties. Her father Joseph believed this was best, and apparently without telling his wife, consented to the operation. However, the lobotomy was a tragic failure, resulting in Rosemary living apart from her family for 50 years in a care facility in Wisconsin, until her death in 2005.<ref>Vincent Bzdek; ''The Kennedy Legacy: Jack, Bobby and Ted and a Family Dream Fulfilled'', pp. 33-35.</ref><ref>Howard Dully, Charles Fleming; ''My lobotomy: a memoir'', p. 67</ref><ref>Michael O'Brien, ''John F. Kennedy: a biography'', pp. 172-74</ref>   

In 1980, Kennedy campaigned to become the Democrat nominee for president, but lost to incumbent Jimmy Carter. Problems with alcohol and martial fidelity followed him,<ref>Richard E. Burke, Marilyn Hoffer, William Hoffer; ''The Senator: My Ten Years with Ted Kennedy'', pp. 225,26</ref> and in 1984 he divorced his wife of 24 years. He later became the object of more controversy in 1991, when after the end of a night out with the senator, his nephew William Smith was charged with raping a woman. Although Smith was acquitted, the media attention negatively affected Kennedy. In 1992, Kennedy remarried, to Washington lawyer Victoria Reggie.<ref>[http://www.xtimeline.com/timeline/Biography-of-Ted-Kennedy Biography of Ted Kennedy]</ref><ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/tedkennedy/index.htmlAssociated Press, ''Timeline of Sen. Kennedy's life.'']</ref><ref>Bonnie Malkin and agencies in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, ''Ted Kennedy timeline'' (Aug 26, 2009)</ref> Kennedy also was the subject of controversy regarding his alleged [http://sweetness-light.com/archive/kgb-letter-details-ted-kennedys-offer-to-help-ussr advisement to the Soviet Union] during the Presidency of [[Ronald Reagan]].<ref>[http://www.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=30980  Jamie Glazov; ''Ted Kennedy and the KGB'' FrontPageMagazine.com (Thursday, May 15, 2008)]</ref>

In 1980, Kennedy campaigned to become the Democrat nominee for president, but lost to incumbent Jimmy Carter. Problems with alcohol and martial fidelity followed him,<ref>Richard E. Burke, Marilyn Hoffer, William Hoffer; ''The Senator: My Ten Years with Ted Kennedy'', pp. 225,26</ref> and in 1984 he divorced his wife of 24 years. He later became the object of more controversy in 1991, when after the end of a night out with the senator, his nephew William Smith was charged with raping a woman. Although Smith was acquitted, the media attention negatively affected Kennedy. In 1992, Kennedy married Washington lawyer Victoria Reggie, daughter of the [[Louisiana]] political figure, [[Edmund M. Reggie]].<ref>[http://www.xtimeline.com/timeline/Biography-of-Ted-Kennedy Biography of Ted Kennedy]</ref><ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/tedkennedy/index.htmlAssociated Press, ''Timeline of Sen. Kennedy's life.'']</ref><ref>Bonnie Malkin and agencies in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, ''Ted Kennedy timeline'' (Aug 26, 2009)</ref> Kennedy also was the subject of controversy regarding his alleged [http://sweetness-light.com/archive/kgb-letter-details-ted-kennedys-offer-to-help-ussr advisement to the Soviet Union] during the Presidency of [[Ronald Reagan]].<ref>[http://www.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=30980  Jamie Glazov; ''Ted Kennedy and the KGB'' FrontPageMagazine.com (Thursday, May 15, 2008)]</ref>

[[File:Blagojevich, obama.JPG|thumb|275px|left|Sen. Kennedy (left), his wife Virginia, former Illinois Governor [[Rod Blagojevich]] (center) with Mrs. Blagoevich, [[Barack Hussein Obama]] is partly obscured, and [[Michelle Obama]] (far right).]]

[[File:Blagojevich, obama.JPG|thumb|275px|left|Sen. Kennedy (left), his wife Virginia, former Illinois Governor [[Rod Blagojevich]] (center) with Mrs. Blagoevich, [[Barack Hussein Obama]] is partly obscured, and [[Michelle Obama]] (far right).]]

During his career as Senator, Kennedy is credited with several legislative endeavors, primarily in liberal goals in welfare, civil rights, and education. He was instrumental in passing ''Head Start'' (part of the 1964 Economic Opportunity Act), and promoted the ''No Child Left Behind Act'', as well as increases in minimum wage, and fought for unrestricted access to abortion, even in late term, and voted against the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. He repeatedly sought to pass hate crimes legislation, such as would penalize discrimination against [[homosexuals]] and women,<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/08/26/sen-ted-kennedys-legacy/ Sen. Ted Kennedy's Legacy], [[Fox News]]</ref> and voted against [[DOMA]]. Kennedy was a strong supporter of the 1965 Hart-Celler Act, which signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, which dramatically changed US immigration policy and numbers.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080703044320/http://michaelsavage.wnd.com/?pageId=487 The Real Kennedy Record], [[Michael Savage]]</ref>

During his career as Senator, Kennedy is credited with several legislative endeavors, primarily in liberal goals in welfare, civil rights, and education. He was instrumental in passing ''Head Start'' (part of the 1964 Economic Opportunity Act), and promoted the ''No Child Left Behind Act'', as well as increases in minimum wage, and fought for unrestricted access to abortion, even in late term, and voted against the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. He repeatedly sought to pass hate crimes legislation, such as would penalize discrimination against [[homosexuals]] and women,<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/08/26/sen-ted-kennedys-legacy/ Sen. Ted Kennedy's Legacy], [[Fox News]]</ref> and voted against [[DOMA]]. Kennedy was a strong supporter of the 1965 Hart-Celler Act, which signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, which dramatically changed US immigration policy and numbers.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080703044320/http://michaelsavage.wnd.com/?pageId=487 The Real Kennedy Record], [[Michael Savage]]</ref>

During his tenure on the Senate Judiciary Committee Kennedy was an outspoken critic of conservative Supreme Court nominees, such as [[Robert Bork]], [[Clarence Thomas]], Chief Justice [[John Roberts]] and Associate Justice [[Samuel Alito]]. He also supported nuclear reduction treaties, and worked for more student aid for GIs, and led opposition to the [[Iraq war]].  

During his tenure on the Senate Judiciary Committee Kennedy was an outspoken critic of conservative Supreme Court nominees, such as [[Robert Bork]], [[Clarence Thomas]], Chief Justice [[John Roberts]] and Associate Justice [[Samuel Alito]]. He also supported nuclear reduction treaties, and worked for more student aid for GIs, and led opposition to the [[Iraq War]].  

Kennedy's success as a Senator was partly attributed to his ability to manage people. Thomas M. Rollins, former staff director of the Labor Committee, stated, "He's a genius at managing people." "Kennedy uses staff people the way Pony Express riders used horses: Ride 'em hard and then leap to another horse". His staff was one of the Senate's largest, with nearly 100 professionals and several dozen interns and visiting fellows.<ref>Rick Atkinson, The Washington Post; ''Why Ted Kennedy Can't Stand Still'', (Sunday, April 29, 1990)</ref>

Kennedy's success as a Senator was partly attributed to his ability to manage people. Thomas M. Rollins, former staff director of the Labor Committee, stated, "He's a genius at managing people." "Kennedy uses staff people the way Pony Express riders used horses: Ride 'em hard and then leap to another horse". His staff was one of the Senate's largest, with nearly one hundred professionals and several dozen interns and visiting fellows.<ref>Rick Atkinson, ''The Washington Post,'' "Why Ted Kennedy Can't Stand Still," April 29, 1990.</ref>

==Chappaquiddick Scandal==

==Chappaquiddick Scandal==