I'd like to think that Kennedy's death does not signal the end of an era. It probably signals the end of the Kennedy 'dynasty' as major political power players, and I think that's sad. But I'd love to see the progressives and even the truly moderate Democrats and Independents be rededicated to the populist and egalitarian and humanitarian values that Kennedy worked so hard for. And I'd love to see his death spur some kind of return to the kind of Congressional cooperation that, as Spaw said, Kennedy was famous for.

I'm not at all sure that can happen, given the angry tone of today's politics and media (especially on the "right").   But Kennedy did have dear friends "across the aisle," and it's possible some of them may be a little more open to cooperation with the Obama administration and the Democratic-controlled Congress out of respect for Ted Kennedy.
I can hope, can't I?

What I really hope is that the so-called "far left" in American political (ROFL) will be energized, not disheartened, by the loss of the "liberal lion of the Senate" and will find new determination to push for the kinds of progressive policies that the Kennedys have worked for.

Genie