'''Edward Moore ("Ted" or "Teddy") Kennedy''', (February 22, 1932 - August 25, 2009) was the third longest-serving [[United States|U.S.]] [[Senator]] in history, a [[Democrat Party|Democrat]] from [[Massachusetts]]. He was a leading [[liberal]] force in American politics, opposing free market solutions in everything from [[education]] to [[health care]]. He pushed for federal taxpayer funding of education in the 1960s, poverty programs in the 1970s, disability coverage in the 1980s; education again in the 2000s and immigration (both in tandem with President [[George W. Bush]]); throughout his Senate career—and especially in 2009 until the day he died—he promoted [[socialized medicine]].
Ted Kennedy always led the most [[liberal]] side of the Democrat Party, from support for taxpayer-funded [[abortion]] to [[same-sex marriage|same-sex "marriage"]]. Kennedy played the instrumental role in blocking a referendum on same-sex "marriage" in [[Massachusetts]].<ref>[http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=95626 How Ted delivered marriage to Massachusetts]</ref> Kennedy tried and failed to win the White House and was ousted in his Senator leadership role by the [[Exalted Cyclops ]] [[Robert Byrd]], who defeated him for Majority Whip in 1971.
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 Republicans, and designing a legislative path through committee and onto the floor to get his legislation passed.