Since Edward Kennedy's passing, the cable news outlets (particularly MSNBC) have been shaping a portrait of Kennedy: the Liberal Lion of the Senate, who had triumphs and tragedies (Chappaquiddick is now considered a Teachable Moment in the Kennedy story) and ultimate redemption. With a healthy portion of "had Ted Kennedy been alive, we'd be thisclose to passage of health care legislation" on the side.
Roger Mudd's 1979 CBS interview with Kennedy seems to be left out of the equation. Apparently Kennedy stumbled on articulating just why voters should eject sitting President Jimmy Carter in the 1980 primaries: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5TkhNWPspM
And this moment, even moreso than Chappaquiddick, may explain why Kennedy was denied the Presidency and settled for nearly three more decades of service to our nation as a Senator.
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