I'm not going to take this time to offer a critique of the man and his politics -- this is not the time to do so. Instead i will simply note the passing of one of the most influential political figures of my lifetime, Senator Edward Moore Kennedy -- the last of a group of four brothers that included a pair of war heroes, three US Senators, on attorney General, and a president of the United States.

Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, a son of one of the most storied families in American politics, a man who knew triumph and tragedy in near-equal measure and who will be remembered as one of the most effective lawmakers in the history of the Senate, died late Tuesday night. He was 77.

The death of Mr. Kennedy, who had been battling brain cancer, was announced Wednesday morning in a statement by the Kennedy family, which was already mourning the death of the Senator’s sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver two weeks earlier.

“Edward M. Kennedy – the husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle we loved so deeply – died late Tuesday night at home in Hyannis Port,” the statement said. “We’ve lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism, and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever.”

The family statement is why I will not offer a critique of the man's life and work at this moment. Instead, I will simply offer my condolences to his survivors, and prayers for the repose of his soul. The rest can come another time.

More at Michelle Malkin, Breaking: Senator Ted Kennedy Dead at 77 : The American Pundit, Ted Kennedy Dead at age 77 | Fire Andrea Mitchell!, GayPatriot » In Memoriam, Edward Moore Kennedy, Leaning Straight Up » RIP Ted Kennedy, So Long, Teddy « Red Tory v.3.0, Ted Kennedy's Ghost Will Be Spotted Asking For ObamaCare | The Xtremist, Edward Kennedy Dead at 77 : Stop The ACLU, Ted Kennedy dead at age 77 « The Western Experience

UPDATE: It is often said that the greatest speech of Kennedy's career came in defeat, at the 1980 Democrat convention. I give you the speech, best known as "The Dream Will Never Die", in four parts.