Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy (born February 22, 1932) is the senior U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, having served since 1962. The most prominent living member of the Kennedy family, he is the younger brother of President John F. Kennedy and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, both of whom were assassinated.

Because of Kennedy's personal prominence and his longtime advocacy of liberal principles, he is often regarded as a "lion" of the Democratic Party. Supporters admire him as a forceful and reliable advocate for liberalism, whose personal and political skills enable him to achieve some gains even in an era of conservative ascendancy. His critics on the right charge that he is stuck in a "big-government" ideology from the 1960s and that his consistent opposition to Republican initiatives has caused him to lose credibility. Republicans seeking to rally their supporters often have used Kennedy's name as the personification of the sort of politician who must be opposed, citing his liberal politics and what they see as failings in his personal conduct.

Family and youth

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Kennedy is the youngest of nine children of Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, a prominent Irish-American family. He attended the Fessenden School, and later Milton Academy and entered Harvard College in 1950. He was forced to withdraw for two years from Harvard in May 1951 after he was caught cheating on his final examination in a Spanish class. Kennedy then entered the U.S. Army for two years and was assigned to the SHAPE headquarters in Paris. He eventually re-entered Harvard, graduating in June 1956. In the 1955 Harvard/Yale football game (won by Yale 21 to 7) Kennedy caught Harvard's only touchdown pass. In 1958, he attended the Hague Academy of International Law. He earned his law degree from the University of Virginia and was admitted to the Massachusetts bar in 1959. While he was in law school, he managed his brother John's 1958 Senate re-election campaign.

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washingtonpost.com: Recent votes in Congress

Congress 110, House vote: Vote 566: On Motion to Adjourn
Fri, 01 Aug 2008 04:00:00 -0000
Question: On Motion to Adjourn. Category: Adjourn Result: Passed, 213-197, with 24 not voting.
Congress 110, House vote: Vote 565: H RES 1316
Fri, 01 Aug 2008 04:00:00 -0000
Question: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree. Bill: H RES 1316 Vote description: Honoring the Service of the Navy and Coast Guard Veterans Who Served on the Lst Amphibious Landing Craft During Wwii, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm, and Global Operations Through 2002 Result: Passed, 415-0, with 19 not voting.
Congress 110, House vote: Vote 564: H RES 1008
Fri, 01 Aug 2008 04:00:00 -0000
Question: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree, As Amended. Bill: H RES 1008 Vote description: Condemning the Persecution of Baha is in Iran Result: Passed, 408-3, with 23 not voting.
Congress 110, House vote: Vote 563: H R 6599
Fri, 01 Aug 2008 04:00:00 -0000
Question: On Passage. Bill: H R 6599 Vote description: Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriation, Fy 2009 Result: Passed, 409-4, with 21 not voting.
Congress 110, House vote: Vote 562: H R 6599
Fri, 01 Aug 2008 04:00:00 -0000
Question: On Motion to Table Appeal of the Ruling of the Chair. Bill: H R 6599 Vote description: Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriation, Fy 2009 Result: Passed, 230-184, with 20 not voting.
Congress 110, House vote: Vote 561: H R 6599
Fri, 01 Aug 2008 04:00:00 -0000
Question: On Agreeing to the Amendment. Bill: H R 6599 Result: Failed, 143-275, with 21 not voting.

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