Ted Kennedy: End of an Era?

Pinpointing the moment that defines Edward M. Kennedy's 45-year Senate career is, to say the least, a bit of a challenge. The Massachusetts senator has played critical roles in legislation ranging from his first bill, an overhaul of the American immigration quota system, up through No Child Left Behind and the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007; his political allies easily span the political spectrum. But his biographer, Adam Clymer, believes there is one moment that stands out as particularly telling. In 1982 Kennedy had lost a presidential bid in the prior cycle and was toying with the possibly of another run in 1984. After dabbling in some campaign planning, Kennedy made up his mind: he would remain a senator. "At that point he committed himself to the Senate … That's the moment that he put himself on the path to becoming what I think of as the most effective lawmaker of the 20th century," says Clymer, who in 1999 wrote "Edward M. Kennedy: A Biography."