Yesterday the news of Senator Ted Kennedy's death spread like wild fire. In the early hours of the morning, Kennedy had already been classified as a "patriarch of the Democratic Party" a "Senate stalwart," and "the last of a generation." However I believe President Obama summed up Senator Kennedy's legacy better than anyone, "For five decades, virtually every major piece of legislation to advance the civil rights, health and economic well being of the American people bore his name and resulted from his efforts."

But for the rest of the day I had difficulty entirely putting my reaction into words. It seemed like there was so much already said, what was there left to add? But then I read an article that Ted Sorensen, JFK's former speechwriter, wrote about Ted Kennedy. Buried at the bottom of a very long article, was a description of a Capitol building portrait entitled "The Famous Five." Apparently, this portrait was commissioned during the 1960s and was supposed to feature five senators who made "historic contributions" to the United States.

Over time, that portrait has been extended from five Senators, to nine. Of those nine, two of the portraits remain unfilled -- For future Senators who display "courage, integrity, and substantive activity" over their Senate tenure. Sorensen's article concluded with an advocation that Senator Kennedy should be placed in one of those two remaining portraits. And the Newell for Congress campaign agrees.

There is no better way to honor a man, who's family and career were both a living embodiment of American democracy, than to hang his portrait in a building that he served so faithfully for 47 years. However, a portrait is not the last moment of Ted Kennedy's legacy. We need to do much more than that.

For many people, Senator Kennedy's passing now puts our health care debate in a new light. We have fallen from statesmanship, to bickering. We've lost substantive debate, and instead resorted to shouting matches. Indeed, this debate has brought out the worst in everyone, and in the process we have lost perspective. We've lost perspective of what we're working for, and who we're working for. That needs to end.

It almost feel cliche to say, but rising above the pettiness of our current debate, and actually passing a health care bill that he would be proud of, will be the true final moment of Senator Kennedy's legacy. And he certainly earned it.

-- Newell for Congress Campaign

Ted Sorensen's Time Magazine Article - http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1918773,00.html