this is the entire population of massachusetts. so even though we estimated in 2008, the last time we did survey on insurance coverage, that 2.6% of the total massachusetts population was uninsured, we know that we still have some challenges in terms of seeing higher rates insurance among certain populations. what you see here is about 5.4% of the individuals who have 150% or less of federal party of income -- income at the federal poverty level. you can see that as people get into the 300 to 500 range, their rates on insurance is much lower. so low-income individuals are much more likely to be uninsured than high-in termcome people. as you can see, among the total population this is comparing 2007 with 2008, what we see is for the total population and estimate of 5.7% compared to 2.6% sen. if you look at whites, at the entrance warate dropped. -- the uninsured rate dropped. and for agents it went from 4.521 paris -- for asians and it went from 4.5% to 2.1% sen. well we still see there are differences by race and ethnicity, these a

for a kennedy toob challenged in massachusetts, that was really something. but he got it together and defeated romney in those debase. the irony is in 1964 john kennedy was privately worried about one possible republican opponent in 1964 which was romn romney's father. he looked more like a president than jack did. that was the one he was quietly nervous about. >> as a little footnote there on what happened to george romney that took him out of convention? >> a little later on he took a trip to vietnam, 1967, after declaring his candidacy for the 1968 republican nomination and came back and artlessly said -- i think on "meet the press" was at any time -- not to plug an nbc program -- said he was brainwashed by the johnson administration briefers in vietn vietnam. >> and said that he had been brain washinged, and was that was the end of his -- >> it didn't suggest a very sharp hands-on leader who might be president. >> as we watch these pictures played, joining us on the telephone is barbara boxer. senator boxer, you've lost a colleague and friend. what has t

they haven't lost a massachusetts election since '46. explain the hold. >> it's their network that they have built assiduously since 1946. joe kennedy, if he were being direct about, it he would have said in 1946 when jack got elected, it was largely his money, but after that, you know, each of these senators kennedy here, they have made a huge effort to advance on the national scene, but at the same time always kept their connection to massachusetts. they didn't want to be one of those politicians like, you know, bill fullbright in arkansas or earnest mcfarland in arizona who was once democratic leader in the senate. the people said we're proud of them, but they've gone washington, they've gone international. they don't remember us. ted kennedy's office had some of the best case work in the senate. >> how do you explain a guy of teddy's potential in terms of being able to walk anywhere in the world, dine with royalty, an international celebrity from the time he was in his teens practically. we had chris dodd on a few moments ago. this f

now, massachusetts is focusing on bringing down those costs. its first step is an attempt to completely change how doctors get paid. those savings would come through a proposed global payment system which would give doctors a lump sum of money for all of a patient's care instead of paying a fee for each test and office visit. an approach meant to promote preventive care. >> right now we spend about $1 billion for hospitalizations that we don't think need to happen-- for emergency room visits for care that could be otherwise provided in a lower cost setting in a physician's office. >> reporter: in mthe investment is beginning to pay off. of the 600,000 people who lacked health insurance three years ago 430,000 are now covered. and many at risk of losing their care are able to afford it. when martin had surgery for uterine cancer last year, it cost her only a $200 deductible. >> i don't think i'm overstating it when i say how much i appreciate them, and they saved my life. >> reporter: and she's glad she lives in massachusetts. priya david, cbs n

what is latest on massachusetts politics? >> carl listed a number of people who could fill that seat, and one of them is vicki kennedy, and said to friends and family that she is not interested. but you do not know after this is over whether stepping into that role is a possibility. others -- the list is fairly long of possibilities there but the big question for massachusetts is rather whether they will change along. it was originally at the request of senator kennedy that the governor not a point in replacement and that the election happened within 145 at 160 days. that was meant to prevent mitt romney from 20 republican -- appointing a republican. weeks ago, senator kennedy's family sent a letter to the legislature there to see if they could change it back for this appointment. we will see what happens. my guess is that they make a change and have the governor appoint a replacement, and there are lots of possibilities, a long list. i do want to mention about the funeral mass, we have confirmation now from church officials

he's massachusetts. without him, man, i don't know what we're going to do now. >> reporter: from martin, the irish immigrant. >> i feel a debt of gratitude to him, for sure. >> reporter: as the procession wound its way through boston, at sites special to ted kennedy, people told us why he was special to them. for martin allen, it was help with immigrants. >> he doesn't know me. but you know, he's not aware what he's done for me, but it's something i feel, i want to be here to see. >> he wrote my wife a 10-page letter, handwritten. by him. signed. >> reporter: for others, it was the kennedy family. >> they've been through so much. you know? he's the last one to go. >> reporter: or something as simple as the senator remembering a birthday for a 100-year-old grandmother. >> unbelievable. the guy was first class. to this day my grandma still talks about that party. >> reporter: what do you have to say to ted kennedy? >> good-bye. and i'm glad you're with your family. >> senator kennedy, thank you very much f

part of his legacy is working on big things for massachusetts. what most people are talking about, of course, is is the big national debates he was involved in going back to civil rights, voting rights, abortion rights, the vietnam war, health care, supreme court nomination battles, nationally a huge figure. but here in massachusetts, wolf, you won't see his name for several months till they start dedicating things, but when he drives through these streets, there are so many things that have ted kennedy's fingerprints and footprints all over them. >> in the older days, it was doing what all senators and all congressmen did, trying to get funding, federal money to their districts and their states. now it's called pork barrel spending, if you will, sort of a bad reputation. but teddy kennedy was pretty good in getting money to boston and the state of massachusetts, wasn't he. >> reporter: you know, perhaps in senate very few rivals when it came to bringing home the bacon is how they say it, for those who like it, for those who don't, pork barrel sp

massachusetts. commonwealth of massachusetts. we've asked next two speakers to address, first, private sector approach, and then a public sector approach for dealing with the question of access. that means we're going to hear next from debra devoe, the executive director of community transformation of blue cross/blue shield of massachusetts. one aspect of her work is the dramatic new initiative on payment reform which was recently launched by blue cross/blue shield. the c.e.o. of that corporation, i was delleding -- telling debra before we started, he's been describing this initiative at meetings of a commission he served on and that i attended meetings of and it is a fascinating experiment. while the congressional negotiators struggle with how to reshape health system payment for care in a way that encourages high quality and cost effectiveness, deb and her colleagues in massachusetts are actually starting to do it. we thought he'd ask her to try to explain a little bit of how it came to be and how

and had an unsuccessful run for governor of massachusetts. also, his son patrick is a congressman from rhode island. that would be ghly unusual to go out of state to name a replacement for a sitting senator. his own son, edward kennedy, jr. is an attorney. other congressmen have been mentioned. it will be interesting to play out and sue he the faces up there of how this can play out. recent history of senate replacement in other states, you look at new york, what happened in illinois. the eyes of the country are going to be on one of the most important senate seats ever to be vacated. >> incident reporting toshing you mentioned governor patrick and the effort to change this law. kind of ironic it was the democrats that lobbied for that change during the mitt romney era. >> in 2004. >> when john kerry was the nominee, the democrats were very concerned about then governor mitt romney being able to name a reublican to that seat. they did not want that to happen. they changed the law and that is the law that senator kennedy last week tried to hav

massachusetts leaders did not act on kennedy's plea. under current law it could take up to five months to hold a special election to decide on his replacement. >>> senator kennedy was a champon for universal health care and called it the cause of his life. the debate over health care is more intense now than ever before. one-time presidential candidate howard dean talked about health care reform at south lake high school and emotions rang high. >> yes we can! >> no you can't! no you can't! >> nonstray or thes gathered outside the school last night opposing groups. one side for reform, the other side against. inside the meeting, the atmosphere was charged. dean, a former doctor, had a hard time being heard over all the chanting. >> the reason -- the cost for health care -- >> congressman miran interrupted dean at one point to ask the protestors to settle down so everyone could hear the speech. the crowd was more low key in germantown last night. maryland congress woman donna edwards held a meeting at the community center. 300 people list

massachusetts. we've asked our next two speakers to address, first, private sector approach, and then a public sector approach for dealing with the question of access. that means we're going to hear next from debra devoe, the executive director of community transformation of blue cross/blue shield of massachusetts. one aspect of her work is the dramatic new initiative on payment reform which was recently launched by blue cross/blue shield. the c.e.o. of that corporation, i was delleding -- telling debra before we started, he's been describing this initiative at meetings of a commission he served on and that i attended meetings of and it is a fascinating experiment. while the congressional negotiators struggle with how to reshape health system payment for care in a way that encourages high quality and cost effectiveness, deb and her colleagues in massachusetts are actually starting to do it. we thought he'd ask her to try to explain a little bit of how it came to be and how it's working out. thanks f

lo acompaÑaron por la ruta 370 millas por su querido massachusetts, cientos de ser dinero para despedirlo, llegar a boston el cortejollego por sitios de importancia sentimental para este clan, por las calles que llevan el nombre kennedy, el parque que fundÓ para jóvenes familias, a casa donde montÓ su primera oficina el edificio de la Última donde recibiÓ miles. el final del nostÁlgico recorrido fue la biblioteca presidencial de su romano, el presidente jfk donde sus restos serÁn velados hoy y maÑana, h@h senador kennedy no sÉ si estuvieran estados unidos, me dio demasiado. ni siquiera me conocÍa, pero sabía la parte humana de mi caso. >> con todo su caso en el pleno del senado para defender la reforma migratoria que se debatÍa entonces. cientos y cientos firmaron el dos de condolencias conmovidos. este fuerte pequeÑo trajo a sus hijos a ser parte de la historia. >> ayudÓ mucho tambiÉn a los hispanos en la ciudad de massachusetts, en boston especialmente. bregÓ mucho con nosotros los hispanos. >> para algunos como para ella, Ése dÍas de una pena personal. >> para ayudar

who will e -- emerge from massachusetts to take over his seat? potential candidates, his wife, nephew and former congressman joe kennedy, marty meehan, current congressman steve link and attorney general martha coakley. under massachusetts law, a special election takes place up to 160 days after a senator leaves the post. >>> you can check www.myfoxdc.com for continuing coverage of the life of senator kennedy. they posted a photo gallery and what his loss means for the future of the u.s.senate. >>> and can't imagine a world without your cell phone? listen up. who is inviting hackers to crack your security code. >>> and the cuts are coming. fix for the ney team breaking financial mess. >>> good samaritans to the rescue here. inside the rush to free the people trapped inside this burning car. >>> first, as we go to break, one year ago this week, senator ted kennedy urged the country to vote for his top choice or president. take a look. >> i have come here tonight to stand with you to change america to restore its future&to rise to our best ideals a

the median income in massachusetts is higher than the national median income, the poverty rate in massachusetts is lower than the poverty rate nationwide and even relatively recently, the unemployment rate in massachusetts has been lower than the national average. so far the reform has been successful in achieving close to universal coverage in massachusetts that there is a question about whether or not the reform is going to be sustainable. the key issue relates to sustainability, the cost of health care in the state of massachusetts. we projected trends in health care spending over time in massachusetts starting in 2010 and moving to 2020. in 2010 we reported health spending would be $43 billion. this will grow to almost doubled to reach $82 billion by 2020. one question about this growth is we know that all sectors of the economy are growing overtime, at least that is the general pattern, so there's a question of how this growth compares to typical inflation or to the growth in other sectors of the economy. it turns out we were able to constrain the growth of health care costs in massachuset

he served as a congressman for massachusetts from 1993 to 2007. congressman meehan, good to have you join us. >> great to be with you. >> congressman meehan, how did you first to know ted kennedy. and when you think about him, are there a couple of things that stand out for you that not many people have mentioned yet? are there areas or political dynamics that captured your attention and that you remember today? >> well, i first got to know h him, obviously, as a kid, and you grow up in a large, irish catholic family in massachusetts as i did, you know, the kennedys, you always applauded the kennedys. when ted kennedy would speak, i would go to see him. i guess i first got involved as a delegate to the 1980 democratic convention. that's where senator kennedy gave that fantastic speech. he was not successful, but i got to know him there. i have to say, getting elected to the congress in 1993, you know, you would go to delegation meetings and the big, booming voice of ted kennedy would be center stage. he was really a people person. he was generous

massachusetts in the primaries for barack obama. i think it was psychological, an important moment, but that is all it was, an important moment. >> could barack obama become president with just 18-year-old boats? ted kennedy's monument, an enormous appeal among young voters, carried them to 21. -- 2 to 1. i think two things, ted kennedy's support for obama over clinton, and he also said that his the most important vote that he cast in the senate was his vote against the war in iraq. second, bill clinton had, in fact, been quite disparaging and this missive in conversations with ted kennedy of barack obama. ted kennedy was offended by it. >> there is also a political, ideological component. the clintons represented centralism in a way and kennedy was more on the left. i think that was part of the region. even though i'm not sure the endorsement of obama swayed a lot of votes, it was the symbolism. he used the phrase "the torch has been passed" which john kennedy had used in his inaugural address in saying that the torch had been pass

. >>> massachusetts senator edward kennedy has passed away. the tributes are starting to pour in from around the world, including the president and nearby martha's vinyard. we look back at the senator's life and legsy. >> reporter: massachusetts senator edward kennedy died at his home surrounded by loved ones after a yearlong battle with brain cancer. in a statement, kennedy's family said we've lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joy us light in our lives. but the inspiration of his faith, optimism and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever. president obama released a statement saying that the u.s. has lost, quote, the greatest u.s. senator of our time. and massachusetts residents are also more than being the loss. >> it's sad, sad. >> it's an impact for the whole country, especially on the political level. >> reporter: known to his friends and family as teddy, kennedy was a dominant force in the u.s. senate for nearly a half century. as the third longest-serving senator, he put his touch on every major piece of legislatio

kennedy library in massachusetts. that is where senator kennedy will lie in repose today and tomorrow. set the scene for us. >> as of now, the jfk library behind me a shot. it will reopen it 6:00 this evening. already, there are hundreds of people waiting outside. it is expected that thousands will actually want to enter the jfk library to show their respects to the late senator. the library itself will be open today between 6:00 and 11:00 and between 8:00 and 3:00 tomorrow, but already, officials believe they may have to extend those hours because they believe so many mourners will want to participate in the morning process. we should also point out quickly that there is also going to be a special service here on friday at 7:00 for 400 invited guests. they are calling that a celebration of the senator's life. in addition to the events for friday, the invitation-only ceremony, the authorities say there will be a military color guard but also something called a civilian honor guard. they say that some of the friends, f

. >> en massachusetts centende personas desfilaban. muy buenas noches, le saluda, desde boston en una ediciÓn especial de Última hora donde miles de personas estÁn de luto. como pueden ver a mis espaldas continÚan desfilando estÁveland lÍder político como una persona que consideran defensor de las buenas causas y tambiÉn el Último sideran defensor de las pasiÓn de una familia respetada, y admirada los estados unidos. la llamada realeza de los estados unidos, estamos hablando de la familia kennedy. este dÍa no hay divisiones partidistas, de colores, tampoco hay opiniones controversiales, miles de personas, como dije antes de todas las razas, colores, orÍgenes, han llegado hasta aquÍ para rendir tributo a este senador que sirviÓ en el congreso de estados unidos, durante mÁs de 30 aÑos. lourdes tuvo la oportunidad mucho mÁs temprano de dialogar con personas que admiraban a kennedy, nos presenta mÁs de la vida de este singular polÍtico. ♪ >> con una guardia militar de honor los restos del senador partieron de su hogar

massachusetts senator ted kennedy a member of one of america's most powerful and captivating political families dies after a year-long battle with brain cancer. >>> "discovery" grounded. for a second time the launch of space shuttle "discovery" is called off. >>> learning his punishment. chris brown is sentenced for assaulting former girlfriend and chris brown is sentenced for assaulting former girlfriend and pop star rihanna. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> hello and good morning. i'm christina brown. >>> today we begin with the passing of a political icon. early this morning came word that massachusetts senator ted kennedy died, a powerful voice on capitol hill for nearly a half century. kennedy passed away after a battle with brain cancer. ted kennedy was 77 years old. for more on his life, here's nbc's brian mohr. >> reporter: edward kennedy grew up in the shadow of two brothers who became american icons. but his decade in the senate established him as a lenl end in his own right. >> they want to undermine the medicare system and next will be social security. >> r

not just to massachusetts and to the senate. but to his father. i think even after his father died, that that just -- that was the driving force his entire life. >> reporter: he had so much tragedy. >> yeah. >> reporter: obviously, in his life. losing three brothers. and his own struggle with alcohol. the incident at chappaquiddick. did he ever come to terms with all that? did he ever reach a place of peace with all that do you think? >> i'm not sure he ever did. but i think it very much shaped the person he became in his later years. i don't know if he would have become the gregarious, welcoming person he became had he not had such a lonely childhood. i don't know if he would have dedicated so much of his life, including the last year of his life, when he was trying to fight for his own life, trying to help other people with health care and so forth, if he didn't feel responsible for the death of one woman. and i'm not sure he would have been the really comfortable person he was to senators, to other people, had he not suffered so much personal t

local massachusetts residents are also mourning the loss of the popular senator. >> sad, sad. >> it's an impact for the whole country, especially on a political level, you know. >> reporter: known to his friends and family as teddy, kennedy was a dominant force in the u.s. senate for a half century. as the third-longest surviving senator, he put his touch on every major piece of legislation that cleared congress. on capitol hill, the flag is flying at half-staff. kennedy's death will leave a gaping hole in the senate. last week he asked senators to regulate the law how he's replaced. it requires a special election to take place nearly five months after the vacancy. kennedy wanted the governor to appoint a temporary replacement in the interim so democrats wouldn't lose a voice in the fierce debate over health care reform. early this morning, harry reid promised that congress would continue to push for health care reform, a lifelong cause of kennedy's. reed said, the liberal lion's mighty roar may now fall silent but his dream shall never die. senator ted kennedy was 77. his successor w

this is the entire publishing of massachusetts. so even though we estimated in 2008, the last time we did the household survey on insurance coverage, but 2.6% of the total massachusetts population was uninsured. we know that we still have some challenges in terms of seeing higher rates of uninsured people among certain populations. would you see here is about 5.4% of the individuals who have 150% or less of federal poverty, of in come at the federal poverty level. our uninsured, about 5.1%, up to 299%%%% of the federal poverty level. you can see that as people get into the 300% to 500% range, the rate of one insurance is much lower. so low-income individuals are still much more likely to be uninsured than higher income. this slide shows uninsurance rates by race and ethnicity. as you can see, among the total population, this is comparing 2007 with 2008. what we see is, for the total population, an estimate of 5.7% compared to 2.6%. but the insurance rate went from 4.6% to 2.2%. you can see the different races. for those who are of

host: boston, massachusetts, on our line for those massachusetts residents. we talk to chris on our democrats line. good morning. caller: hi. my name is christopher young, actually. the use of mr. kennedy's death as a propaganda tool to pass this health care program, which everybody knows is going to do, all throughout the media they're paying patriotic music and they are going to use his passing to try to pass this health care bill. this health care bill represents nothing that the kennedy family, which, you know, cam lot is over now. it's over with the death of ted kennedy it's over, ok. patrick kennedy is not a member of camelot, not a member of the original family. host: no one that will pick up the political mantle that senator kennedy started, in your opinion? caller: of course not because they are not the original members of the family. and the issues of john kennedy, who was the real leader in that family, the issues which was the creation of currency backed by silver certificates to pay off the national debt is not supported by the rest of the social

he is asking massachusetts officials to change state law. ted kennedy appears surprisingly healthy when barack obama took the oath of office. massachusetts, unable to even attend services for his sister, eunice. the continuity of representation and should a vacancy occur -- it traces back to 2004. if john kennedy -- carey had one, they did not want to met ronnie to choose a successor. they're asking massachusetts lawmakers to provide for a temporary gubernatorial appointment until the special election occurs. minnesota voters only recently got their second senator after months of wrangling. >> having a state that did not have a senator for a very long time, i can say that i would hope there could be a solution or the people could be represented by someone who is aligned with the thinking of kennedy. >> others believe is simply unfair. >> is kind of shady. it seems like he is trying to make a special exception for it himself. >> ted kennedy is one of the most powerful and beloved democrats in massachusetts. none had come forward to support ke

massachusetts. we've asked our next two speakers to address, first, private sector approach, and then a public sector approach for dealing with the question of access. that means we're going to hear next from debra devoe, the executive director of community transformation of blue cross/blue shield of massachusetts. one aspect of her work is the dramatic new initiative on payment reform which was recely launched by blue cross/blue shield. the c.e.o. of that corporation, i was delleding -- telling debra before we started, he's been describing this initiative at meetings of a commission he served on and that i attended meetings of and it is a fascinating experiment. while the congressional negotiators struggle with how to reshape health system payment for care in a way that encourages high quality and cost effectiveness, deb and her colleagues in massachusetts are actually starting to do it. we thought he'd ask her to try to explain a little bit of how it came to be and how it's working out. thanks for

the money he has brought to massachusetts. again, going back to what i said, what he has done for sort of the less -- you know, the people who are hurting the most in communities. certainly he is part of that kennedy mystique. he was always the face in recent years whenever there was tragedy in the kennedy family, whenever there are funerals, he was always sort of the strong one there supporting the widow, supporting, you know, the other family members who were going through a difficult time. he always seemed so strong. that is something that i don't think you can separate. he is, you know, a kennedy. at the end of the day that's what he is. you can look at what he has done on capitol hill. look at what he has done here in the state of massachusetts. you can't separate that from the kennedy missteek. >> dan, you're actually in massachusetts at the moment covering the president barack obama's vacation. in many ways teddy kennedy helped make obama's presidency. how do you think he'll be taking the news right now? >> reporter: we

most americans knew ted kennedy as the senior senator from massachusetts. hess achievements including health care, civil rights, education, family leave access for the disabled, improving working conditions. senator kennedy, by the way, wrote 2500 bills, 300 of them becoming law. >> he was also a driving force for peace in ireland and a persistent critic of the war in iraq. in the midst of it all, kennedy dominated the national political stage, a stage that had the largest audience every four years at the democratic national convention. it was a year ago today when kennedy, already diagnosed with brain cancer, came to denver. he not only appeared but he summoned the energy to seek and give a final kennedy convention speech. so we begin with a look back at ted kennedy and the environment he owned, those memorable democratic conventions. >> in 1980, it was ted kennedy who drivered in defeat what historians call one of the best convention speeches ever. >> for me, a few hours ago, this campaign came to an end. for all those whose cares have been our concern, t

massachusetts, after 15 months fighting breast cancer. tonight, we'll try to do justice to that battle, those years, and such a life. >> his extraordinary life on this earth has come to an end. and the extraordinary good that he did lives on. >> reporter: and for the lion of the senate, it truly was an extraordinary life. full of privilege and pain, scandal and setbacks, but in the end, edward moore kennedy's most enduring legacy will likely be that as a relentless leader and a champion of the people. president obama said he was the greatest senator of our time, but before he became an elder statesmen on capitol hill and the white-haired liberal crusader in washington, he was the baby with of a political dynasty, destined, it seemed for power and tragedy. born in 1932, he was the youngest of joe and rose kennedy's children. he talked about his father with larry king. >> larry: he was quite a guy, old joe kennedy. >> yeah. >> larry: tough father? >> yeah, but a wonderful, inspiring -- >> larry: loving? >> loving, caring, tough. had a sense

massachusetts senator ted kennedy a member of one of america's most powerful and captivating political families dies after a year-long battle with brain cancer. >>> "discovery" grounded. for a second time the launch o space shuttle "discovery" is called off. >>> learning his punishmt. chris brown is sentenced for assaulting former girlfriend and chris brown is sentenced for assaulting former girlfriend and p star rihanna. captions paid fory nbc-universal television >>> hello and good morning. i'm christina brown. >>> today we beginwith the passing of a political icon. early this morning came word that massachusetts senator ted kennedy died, a powerful voice on capitol hill for nearly a half century. kennedy passed away after a battle with brain cancer. ted kennedy was 77 years old. for more on his life, here's nbc's brian mohr. >> repoer: edward kennedy grew up in the shadow of two brothers who became american icons. but his decade in the senate intablished him as a lenl end his own right. >> they want to undermine the medicare system and next will be social security. >> reporer: massa

after that terrible day, the senator called each of the 177 families in massachusetts who had lost a loved one and sent a letter to them every year on the anniversary. >> he wanted to know what do the families of september 11 still need? >> reporter: cindy mcginty's husband, mike, died in the world trade center that day. she says kennedy's support meant everything. >> he was my guardian angel, and actually, what he did for me was show me how to put one foot in front of the other after september 11. >> couric: and while ted kennedy was one of 23 senators to vote against authorizing the war in iraq, he never forgot the men and women who are fighting it. >> this is our son, john, who was killed in iraq in october of 2003. >> john called us the week before he was killed and actually was whispering in the phone. so he wouldn't be overheard that they were desperate for any kind of armor. >> lifelong republicans joined forces with their senior senator to provide better uniforms and equipment to protect the troops. >> the parents said, "if you can do anything to make sure that other soldiers

of massachusetts paid their respects. >> he was massachusetts. without him, i don't know what we are going to do. >> he represented massachusetts and the world. >> the public viewing continues. countless others have reason to say goodbye. we know the private burial will feature a bugler playing taps, a rebel squad firg a salute, and paul behrens representing each branch of the military. before -- and pallbearers representing each branch of the military. caroline lyders, abc 7 news. >>> people can still pay tribute to senate candidate mark as he lies and reposed another day. saturday, there will be a private burial, where president obama will deliver the eulogy. then senator kennedy will be laid to rest in arlington national cemetery. >>> washington students are remembering senator kennedy for his many hours volunteering. nonprotrrehe w s where she was paired with a kennedy. t kennedy. evy tuesday fonn kye ed ears,s,eyednn would me sae says he was a kind and patient man and sent them books and cards. >> he sent me a letter in the middle of the yea

he died overnight as his home in massachusetts. many of our viewers have written in with their comments. sarah writes at 6 years old i watched president jack kennedy as he was fatally shot in dallas november 22, 1963. five years later i watched bobby kennedy killed at the ambassador hotel. june 5th, 1968. john junior kennedy died july 16, 1999. edward kennedy died today. the causes they supported always seemed to be on people less fortunate than themselves, for which i am grateful. i truly believe their politics and causes have shaped my own politics and life to a great extend. the reverends writes from italy to say it's sad to lose someone, and i feel for the kennedy family for their loss, but i can't help to think of poor mary and she was left to die under the cold water. to me, the kennedy's don't represent a so-called royal family of america. i feel for the family, but my heart still goes out to the young woman, mary jo, who was left to die. we have to bring you other headlines. this story. >>> police in california think this 1

as for the people of massachusetts to decide. the governor of massachusetts has indicated that he will sign it. it appears that momentum to replace senator kennedy will move forward, but bill burton said the white house will not involve itself in that debate. martha: major garrett, thank you very much. we will be checking back in with you as we continue to go back and forth from martha's vineyard and hyannis port and the route to boston. his life was lived in the public eye. unimaginable highs and lows. if you made this up and brought it to a publisher, they would say this is unbelievable that all this could happen to 1% a there's a picture of him with his brothers. it was an extraordinary life. now, in a compilation book -- there he is with joan kennedy, the mother of his three children. joining us now is the editor of that book. talk to me a little bit about putting this book together and the tremendous history and the amazing pictures in this collection. >> it is an ethicpic life, a shakespearean life. the family has been in t

gordon peterson is live in massachusetts this evening. everyone is talking about his focus on health care, but you say there is a bigger issue that helped define him? >> i am having a little trouble hearing you. senator john kerry just came out to visit with the kennedy family, talk to the press. what i am remembering now is senator kennedy's efforts on behalf of john kerry and iowa in 2004. he was having the time of his life. he is getting the crowds fired up. he said he was going to give them on a chance, and they loved it and he did not want to quit. he had this remarkable ability to fire rocked the crowd and he liked every minute. he was surely the grandfather. sorry to interrupt you there, leon. >> we have all been talking about senator kennedy and his impact on the health-care debate and it was an issue he was so closely attached to. >> leon, i'm sorry, i am not hearing anything that you are saying. you are breaking up. let me just carry on a little bit here and describe what has be going on. in the city, there is a museum to john f

meineke. >> here's a senator from massachusetts. >> really? >> you look like -- >> it was a lot of jostling, as i looked up to my brother bob, and then suddenly he was coming into a place where i had a little more seniority. i'd been around, although not very long, i'd been around at least a few years, it was kind of a role reversal. it was probably the happiest time in terms of the service in the senate. >> captain, captain. >> where is your civilian affairs officer? >> i went there in 1965 as a chairman of the refugee committee. after spending seven or eight days there, what struck me at that time, was just the appalling, appalling destruction of life. in the civilian population, the creation of massive refugees, and the loss of refugee and civilian life at that time. >> i come back deeply disturbed from vietnam. my brother bob and i were very much involved in the political debate and discussion, working with our colleagues, to bring an end to the war. >> senator, are you and your brother, robert, busy building a kennedy wing of the democrat

man who was beloved in massachusetts, beloved in massachusetts for being a street corner pall. that's really what he loved most. can you speak to that, that part of ted kennedy's legacy? >> one of the great thing about senator kennedy's life was he said, the notion that "a" was incompatible with "b." one of the most effective people ever to certain in the senate. secondly, there was this notion that if you're a member of congress and care about great national issues, somehow you must be neglecting local. he was a first-rate local politician. it was in his blood. he was good at it. it was really, you know -- in fact, it was one of the things about his career, he was one of these guys who remained much more effective speaking to an audience he could see and feel than on the tv. sometimes, in fact, people tried to tell him, stop yelling, there's electricity, they can hear you without yelling. and you have to calm it down a little. but very much, he was in touch with the state and a terrific advocate for the state. >> congressman, we've recently saw the way you handled protesters a

local massachusetts residents are also mourning the loss of the popular senator. >> sad, sad. >> it's an impact for the whole country, especially on a political level, you know. >> reporter: known to his friends and family as teddy, kennedy was a dominant force in the u.s. senate for a half century. as the third-longest surviving senator, he put his touch on every major piece of legislation that cleared congress. on capitol hill, the flag is flying at half-staff. kennedy's death will leave a gaping hole in the senate. last week he asked senat regulate the law how he's replaced. it requires a special election to take place nearly five months after the vacancy. kennedy wanted the governor to he t interim so democrats ement wouldn't lose a voice in the fierce debate over health care reform. early this morning, harry reid promised that congress would continue to push for health care reform, a lifelong cause of kennedy's. reed said, the liberal lion's mighty roar may now fall silent but his dream shall never die. senator ted kennedy was 77. his successor will be chosen in five months throu

this has been a day of memories and mourning in massachusetts. here's part of a journey that began on senator kennedy's home in cape cod and will end saturday at the arlington national cemetery. senator john mccain lost a friend, a colleague and a teacher yesterday. and john mccain is next. >> larry: we now welcome to "larry king live" an old friend, senator john mccain, a friend and colleague of the late senator kennedy. it's hard to say that. republican presidential candidate. the senator will speak at tomorrow's memorial service. how did that come about, senator? >> well, vicki kennedy called me in, asked me if i could be there and speak. i told her i would move heaven and earth i would be there. and so i'm very honored to have the opportunity to say a few words on behalf of the last lion of the senate. >> larry: give us a little advance notice what your topic subject will be. >> well, believe it or not, part of the subtopic will be that ted kennedy and i didn't always agree. and from time to time we had very spirited discussions, even maybe t

the president is already in massachusetts on vacation. would it be correct, senator warner, to call kennedy the lion of the senate? >> oh, yes. i've never seen that defined, but he certainly earned it. you mentioned the word "love" in the first question you threw to me. and i thought about that for a minute. that was a man that had love in his heart. he loved his wife. she really stood by him courageously throughout this last episode. his children, his family, he loved the people who were less fortunate than he. he stopped to look back through his work in the senate. he was always to try and take care of those who needed health care, whether they needed educational benefits. always thinking of those less fortunate than himself. a man who was born into wealth, but never stopped thinking one day in the senate about those less fortunate. >> larry: well said. ted kennedy cast votes on most of the crucial issues in the second half of the 20th century and many of those in the 21st. you called iraq the overriding issue. you voted to go there or

senator from massachusetts expressing his thoughts on this day. much more coverage of the passing of senator kennedy. let's check back with fredricka whitfield. she is monitoring some other important stories jincoming to "the situation room." >>> dominic dunn, he has died, best selling author and movie producer died today of bladder cancer. he was 83 years old. he was perhaps best known for his "vanity fair" articles on famous courtroom cases, including o.j. simpson's murder trial. he also wrote several best-selling books and hosted his own crime show on trutv. >>> in south africa, a violent clash caught on tape. today, police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at soldiers protesting low pages. a policeman and several soldiers were hurt. police cracked down on them as they marched toward a government building. defense officials condemned the soldiers saying their actions threatened national security. >>> a dramatic and unexpected spike in home sales. federal officials say new home sales or rather they sold at an annualized rate of 433,000 in july.

the massachusetts democrat died last night. he was 77. president obama is calling kennedy "a great leader. " he parade praise his work on civil rights, health care and the economy. of course, senator kennedy's endorsement of then senator obama caused a huge shift in last year's campaign. digital correspondent armando trull is live on captiol hill with more on the senator's life. armando? >> well, andrea, senator ted kennedy was the third longest- serving senator in american rest history. for 46 1/2 years he fought and won countless legislative battles here on captiol hill and he leaves behind a legacy that has touched the lives of millions of americans. ted kennedy took over his brother's senate seat in ' 62 when jfk was elected president. 47 years later his accomplishments in the political arena eclipse those of his two older brothers who died at the hands of assassins. ted kennedy became the third longest serving senator in american history and along the way the laws he helped to enact would touch millions of american and earn him the r

>> it's a long and sad day here in massachusetts. we lost one of the commonwealth's and country's brightest lights last night. he was larger than life and completely down to earth as the same time as some of all of your guests have said. i certainly admired and respected him for his total commitment to social and economic justice but also just loved spending time with him personally. >> larry: prior to his death he urged state lawmakers to change the special erection law to allow you to appoint an interim senator. is that going to happen? >> i think it remains to be seen. we have a provision that requires a special election in circumstances like this one. i support that law. so did senator kennedy. i also believe that the senator's request to permit the governor to appoint someone to serve for approximately five months between now and that special election is imminently reasonable. and i think that massachusetts needs two voices in the united states senate especially at a time of momefou momentous chang this. now is a time to reflect

maggie rodriguez is in hyannisport, massachusetts. julie is on assignment. good morning, maggie. >> reporter: harry, good morning. i'm standing up the road where the kennedy family gathered too many times over the years to remember loved ones. i can see a flag is flying at half-staff at the compound in honor of ted kennedy who died here last night at the age of 77 ending as president obama put it an important chapter in our history. senator kennedy served in the senate almost 47 years. ever since may of last year he has been fighting a very brave and public battle with brain cancer. the last time we saw him was at his sister unice kennedy shriver's funeral. ted kennedy died last night. jeff glor is here with more on what is happening inside the compound. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. word of senator kennedy's passing came in a statement released from the family early this morning. that statement reads in part we've lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives. but the inspiration of his faith, optimistic and per

not just his constituents in massachusetts. >> it's certainly very sad. you know, it sort of brings the family in this of a pretty country and politically and so forth. >> it's very sad news i think for all the people in america. he did a lot for the people of massachusetts and the people in the u.s. so i always admire him and his work for the people. >> reporte arend we' w hearing more from senator key'ednns ed colleagues heer on capitol ll.e senator john kerry released a statement saying he taught us how toight, how to laugh, how tow reat eh other, and how to turn idealism into action. and in the last 14o months, he taught us much more aboutowlive, live life, sailing into the wind one last time.li house speaker nancy pelosi wrote, senator kennedy had a grand vision for america and an unparaelliedbio a tty effect change. oted in his deep pit advertise many, his abing faith, and his stea g onam as h done more e than satenor knedy h to educate our children,ne care for our seniors, and ensure equality for all americans. and we're expecting to hear much more

massachusetts has lower-level. what you see is strong reductions of unmet needs, strong reductions and offsets of that in fall 2008. a bit of a paradox. we saw increases in access to care, more people going to dr. more doctor visits, we see more need for care. people had a harder time of this you look at the sources of unmet needs, follow-up care as people are trying to get