I just heard the news when I woke up. Somehow, I do feel that we, as a country, are less than we were; that we somehow how lost something important. In spite of being from a staunchly Republican family, I was a great fan of President Kennedy, who was elected about the time I went from grade school to high school. Robert Kennedy spoke at the University of Nebraska while I was a student there and I campaigned for him. In a way, I think Ted Kennedy will have a greater influence than either of them, as he was a power in the Senate for so long. Whether you loved him or loathed him, he did a lot of good for us. I just heard them say on TV that, by his votes over the years, he was the most bi-partisan Senator there. That surprised me. He was always a voice for the poor, and the down-trodden. We all know he was human with human frailties, but so are we all. My greatest hope, which may not come true, is that they will pass some kind of a meaningful health care bill and name it after him.