Local lawmakers speak highly of Sen. Kennedy

The nation lost "one of the four or five greatest senators" in its history when U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy died Tuesday, a former colleague of his said Wednesday in Ellsworth.

U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., said the 77-year-old and other Kennedys were a driving force behind his entrance into national politics.

"He was greatly loved in the Senate," Feingold said before a listening session in Pierce County. "It is no exaggeration that everybody loved the guy. He was fun, he was exciting and he was probably the hard-working member of the Senate."

Minnesota's counterpart shared that opinion.

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar said Edward Kennedy's passion for a cause and his country and his love for the Senate made her want to "go to work every day."

The Minnesota Democrat, who served in the Senate with Kennedy for about two years, said he was a mentor and an inspiration to many who were new on Capitol Hill.

The late senator had a "fiery zest for the legislative battles that was always tempered by a bipartisan pragmatism," she added in a press statement.

"Sen. Kennedy was a legislative giant," agreed U.S. Congressman John Kline, R-Minn.

"We had little in common ideologically, but his reputation as an honest broker and effective leader is one to which lawmakers of all stripes can aspire.

"In the years I've spent on the education committee, Senator Kennedy's indelible mark could be seen on all the legislation he touched. I send my deepest condolences to his family for their loss," Kline said.

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