VIDEO: Kennedy passes torch to Obama

We're working on lots of stories to capture this moment in political history, and here's a first take on the Obama reaction:

President Barack Obama said Wednesday morning that Sen. Ted Kennedy, his friend, was a great leader involved in social justice and championing civil rights for five decades.

"An important chapter in our history has come to an end," Mr. Obama said in a statement issued as he vacationed on Martha's Vineyard in the Democratic senator's home state of Massachusetts.

"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," he said. "The Kennedy family has lost their patriarch, a tower of strength and support through good times and bad."

Read the full story here, and it will be updated throughout the day.

In pulling together notes for my story, I found these two videos I captured at the Kennedy endorsement speech on Jan. 28, 2008.

— Christina Bellantoni, White House correspondent, The Washington Times

Please track my blog's RSS feed here.

Find my latest stories here, follow me on Twitter and visit my YouTube page.