U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy dies at 77

• Article
• Comments ()
• Click-2-Listen
• Videos

By Stephen Dinan

It boggles the mind to imagine the decisions that were reached behind the closed doors of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's hideaway, the private office he kept near the Senate chamber.

Sitting around the table made from a ship's rudder, and in front of portraits of his slain brothers John and Robert, Mr. Kennedy plotted strategy to oppose the impeachment of President Clinton, struck key deals with conservatives to pass the No Child Left Behind law, and helped assess then-Sen. John Edwards to see if he was the right man to join the 2004 presidential ticket.

Photo Gallery

The Kennedy Years

Sen. Ted Kennedy dies at 77.

As with so much of his life, Mr. Kennedy's hideaway was grander than other senators': it was larger, choicer in location and more decorated with artifacts from top leaders than his colleagues'.

RELATED STORIES:
• 'Camelot' fades with Kennedy passing
• Kennedy successor to be chosen by special election
• Obama: Kennedy 'Greatest senator of our time'
• Eunice Kennedy Shriver dies at 88
• Kennedy secretly crafts health care plan
• Obama's oratory garners big-name backers

Mr. Kennedy, a one-time presidential hopeful, nine-term senator and last of the major public figures from the American version of Camelot, died at age 77 of brain cancer, his family said early Wednesday. He leaves a controversial personal history, a complicated legacy of defiance and compromise, and a gaping hole in American liberalism.

"An important chapter in our history has come to an end. Our country has lost a great leader, who picked up the torch of his fallen brothers and became the greatest United States Senator of our time," said President Obama, who last month awarded Mr. Kennedy the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Outside of Washington Mr. Kennedy was a divisive figure, loved by liberals and hated by conservatives. But inside the Senate he was known as a gracious and gifted lawmaker, eager to work across the aisle if it meant getting major legislation passed.

He built a legislative empire unequaled in modern times, with more than 300 of his bills signed into law. He was instrumental in pushing the No Child Left Behind education reform, the Americans with Disabilities Act and a host of health care measures.

Click here to see a timeline of Mr. Kennedy's life.