Ted Kennedy spends election night at D.C. home
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By Dave Wedge
bostonherald.com
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Bay State Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, whose support of Barack Obama gave the Illinois senator a huge boost during the heated Democratic primary, voted by absentee ballot for his friend and spent the night at home in Washington, D.C.
Kennedy, who has undergone surgery and chemotherapy for a deadly brain tumor, was surrounded by friends and family at his Washington home to watch the results of the presidential race pour in last night, an aide said.
Kennedy’s cancer diagnosis rocked the national political scene, but the Massachusetts Democrat still hit the campaign trail for Obama. And in what may prove a defining moment of the campaign, Kennedy shook off his cancer treatments and made a surprise appearance at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.
“Ted Kennedy’s endorsement turned the tide and was a pivotal moment in Barack Obama’s campaign,” said former Massachusetts Democratic Party chairman and longtime Kennedy friend Phil Johnston. “It galvanized the activists within the party across the country and gave great credibility to the Obama campaign.”
The ailing senator returned to Washington last week to work on health-care legislation.
Obama and Kennedy have worked closely on a number of initiatives, including a landmark health-care package. In another surprise move, Kennedy traveled to Washington to cast the deciding vote on the measure.
Said Johnston: “His strength of character was revealed.” |
