Ted Kennedy’s affection for Colorado began when he served as the Rocky Mountain States coordinator for his brother’s 1960 presidential campaign.
After that, he returned whenever possible to vacation, especially to ski.
“He had a great love for Colorado,” recalled Kennedy’s former press secretary, Tom Southwick, now of Morrison.
The U.S. senator’s last visit to Colorado came in August 2008 when, battling brain cancer, he made a surprise appearance at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.
“It sent a chill down everybody’s spine,” said his close friend Norm Brownstein, a Denver attorney.
Gov. Bill Ritter quoted from Kennedy’s speech when paying tribute.
“I will forever be inspired by the words he spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Colorado on Aug. 25, 2008, exactly one year before his death: ‘The work begins anew. The hope rises again. And the dream lives on,’ ” Ritter said.
Former Colorado Sen. Gary Hart said he already missed Kennedy’s laughter.
“He now joins his brothers in the best political heaven there can be,” Hart said.
Coloradans on Wednesday remembered Kennedy as a friend, a leader and a champion for the poor and underserved:
Former U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo.
“One of the areas where we developed a connection is he brought his dogs to work with him. Sometimes they’d end up in a committee meeting under a table.
“He was an animal lover, and (me) being a veterinarian, we shared anecdotes.
“Even though he was passionate about where he stood, and I was passionate about where I stood, we shared a mutual respect. I could work with Ted.”
Norm Brownstein, attorney
“I’m so thrilled that I went to his birthday party in February at the Kennedy Center. That was one of the greatest nights I have ever spent in my life.
“After they discovered this terrible thing, people were saying he would live for a short time and he lived for 16 months.
“Ted Kennedy was a man of honor, courage, and grace — and words cannot describe the hole that is left in this country’s heart.
“We have lost the greatest senator of our time — one of this country’s greatest sons.”
Laura Chapin of Lakewood, owner of a political communications firm
“Can I just say for the record that I’ve seen Ted Kennedy in a dress?
“I was interning for his nephew, Rep. Joe Kennedy, and got invited to one of Ted Kennedy’s legendary Christmas parties. It was the Iran-Contra era and Joe came as Ollie North and Ted came dressed as his secretary, Fawn Hall.
“Sen. Kennedy was never afraid to poke fun of himself or Congress.”
U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo.
“Given Sen. Kennedy’s knowledge and experience, I sought his guidance early on as I crafted my stem-cell bill. His advice was key to ensuring passage of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act.
“Sen. Kennedy’s legacy will be firmly ingrained in our nation’s history when it comes to health care, immigration, and civil rights.”
Lobbyist Larry Martinez, Parker
“He gave me my first real start in politics. I went to work for him right before he ran for president in 1980 and I was there through the convention.
“I was from Alamosa. One day you’re hanging out in Denver, and the next day you’re traveling with the Kennedys. I was the out-of-place duck, but once Kennedy got to know you there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for you.
“Later when my dad died — and I don’t know how he knew — he called my mom. That’s why he instilled such loyalty in the people who worked for him.”
Former U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, interior secretary
“I remember the eulogy he delivered for his brother, Robert Kennedy. That speech played over the radio time and time again, and I remember his voice, his cadence, his sincerity. I was 13.
“When I came to the U.S Senate and he gave his speeches, it was the same voice, the same passion, the same principles as back in 1968.”
Tom Southwick of Morrison, vice president for Starz
“In the spring of 1979, he was able to gain the release of a group of women and children in Vietnam who were the wives and offspring of U.S. soldiers. They arrived at Dulles Airport but were held up by immigration officials and not allowed to go through the gates to enter the country. We had no diplomatic relations with Vietnam at the time and almost nobody traveled between the two countries.
“The situation was aggravated by the fact that the husbands could see their wives/children through the glass doors separating them.
“As the day wore on, Kennedy became more and more impatient. Finally he just walked through the doors, took the hand of one little girl, led her through the barrier and handed her to her father. The rest of the group followed past the open-mouthed immigration officials who did not have the stomach to personally bar the chairman of Senate Judiciary Committee.
“It was a very emotional and very moving experience.”
U.S. Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo.
“The arc of Ted Kennedy’s life touched every progressive cause for nearly half a century. Whether it was civil rights or health care, eliminating poverty or pollution, Ted brought fire and passion to every cause he championed.
“What made him an effective senator and a great leader, however, was his essential pragmatism. At its best, politics is a people business, where bridging differences matters. Ted Kennedy was not just a crusader for great causes, he was also a champion of compromise.”
Lynn Bartels: 303-954-5327 or lbartels@denverpost.com
Other Reaction
“We’ve lost the irreplaceable center of our family. He loved this country and devoted his life to serving it.”
Kennedy family statement
“He made his voice heard in the struggle against apartheid at a time when the freedom struggle was not widely supported in the West. We remain grateful for his role.”
Achmat Dangor, CEO of the Nelson Mandela Foundation in South Africa
“Edward Kennedy was an opponent of conflict and he was someone who was very forthright in all of his views, and that is something that I always respected.”
Martin McGuinness, Northern Ireland’s deputy first minister
“Never once did I see a false or phony bone in his body when it came to caring about people.”
Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn.
“Ted Kennedy was at once the most partisan and the most constructive” senator who “could preach the party line as well as bridge differences better than any Democrat.”
Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.
“The courage and dignity he exhibited in his fight with cancer was surpassed only by his lifelong commitment and service to his country.”
Former President Jimmy Carter
“My heart and soul weeps at the loss of my best friend in the Senate, my beloved friend, Ted Kennedy.”
Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va.
“Teddy spent a lifetime working for a fair and just America.”
Vice President Joe Biden
“Ted Kennedy’s dream of quality health care for all Americans will be made real this year because of his leadership and his inspiration.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
“He was the rock of our family: a loving husband, father, brother and uncle. Teddy inspired our country through his dedication to health care reform, his commitment to social justice, and his devotion to a life of public service.”
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican who wed Kennedy’s niece, Maria Shriver
“He was a quintessential Kennedy, in the sense that he had all the warts as well as all the charisma and a lot of the strengths.”
Norman J. Ornstein, political scientist, American Enterprise Institute
“When we were negotiating the No Child Left Behind bill, we did most of the negotiations in the top floor of the Capitol in his hideaway, and he’d always bring Splash, his dog, along. The dog was great, because it always distracted everybody and gave everybody something to talk about. It would just sit on his lap while the discussions were going on.”
Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., on Kennedy’s easy manner
