An imperfect man's many contributions

Which Ted Kennedy shall we remember today? It is perhaps an overriding commentary on the late senator's life that millions of Americans will be making that choice as they reflect on the political career of one of the nation's longest-serving and most prominent public figures.

For many, the image that remains from Kennedy's tenure is that of the Senate playboy, the wealthy youngest son of a political family beset by nation-shattering tragedies whose hard drinking and romantic romps were nearly as legendary as his speeches from the Senate floor.

For many others, the memory is of the tireless so-called liberal lion who, while raised himself in the most opulent splendor, devoted his career and tireless energies to helping and protecting the nation's most vulnerable citizens, its elderly, minorities, sick and poor.

In one sense, of course, the two pictures cannot be separated. Ted Kennedy the man was an amalgam of all the aspects of his personality and ambition. And it cannot be ignored that the event that permanently crippled his presidential aspirations - the mysterious tragedy at Chappaquiddick - was shrouded by questions of his judgment, his sexual morality and even potentially criminal behavior.

Yet, Ted Kennedy the man was also a formidable public servant, and it likewise cannot be ignored that he placed his imprint on every significant piece of social legislation over the past 40 years, including some that have become cornerstones of society - The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, The Americans with Disabilities Act, Meals on Wheels and family leave, just to name a few. He considered universal health insurance to be the dominant cause of his career, though he would die with the issue's fate uncertain in the midst of a polarized national debate - a circumstance characteristic of so many of the causes he championed.

Kennedy's reflexive liberalism and ties to special interests were, it must be said, too strong politically for our tastes. Still, political and social contributions come from all sides, liberal and conservative, those who compromise and those who stand fast. In that regard, his mark was unmistakable and considerable.

In his famous 1991 speech at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, Kennedy acknowledged "the disappointment of friends and many others who rely on me to fight the good fight" and took responsibility for "the faults in the conduct of my private life." Then he went on to declare his determination "to give all that I have to advance the causes for which I have stood for almost a quarter of a century."

It is that Edward M. Kennedy who will be remembered as a force in American politics. True enough, his private life was far from perfect, and even his political contributions were not lacking in controversy. But in the end, this imperfect man helped the nation define and maintain its commitments to citizens who need a voice and the help of people of influence in the privileged halls of government. And it is he who we remember today.