>>>>>While I feel very badly for Kennedy - his credibility level has been zero for decades.
>>>>
>>>>To you maybe. He is greatly respected by his colleagues, Republicans included.
>>>
>>>My guess is that the respect he has from them is somewhat less their verbalised expressions of that respect would indicate. Not speaking ill of the dead often extends to the very ill.
>>
>>You miss my point. He has been a respected Senator for a long time. There was no need for him to be a good legislator and he has been anyway.
>
>Speaking only for myself, I would guess he lost a lot of respect from everybody around the time of Chappaquiddick. I think that very few people (reps or dems) really bought his version of the thing. I can't see anything he's done since then to regain any respect he lost.

The Bad:

HMO's
No Child Left Behind
Jersey Walls on bridges
Immigrantion reform bill
Food stamps for illegal immigrants
Vietnam (I won't go into detail)
Interrogation limited to FM

But, the good stuff, much as I hate to say it (because he belongs in jail for Chappaquiddick regardless) far outnumbers the bad and he has a done a pretty good job (in most cases) of supporting the military and military familes and a lot for working families (medical, wages, safety, rights):

http://www.thomas.gov/bss/d111query.html

Do a query and you'd be surprised.

The REALLY good stuff:

Nuclear Freeze Amendment
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
Lowered the cost of military moves
Raised the pay for the military
Guaranteed military spouses are considered for govt jobs
Required the miilitary to consider children in military moves
National Military Child Care Act (outstanding)
Fought for military vehicle and body armor
Fought for modernization of military weapons and aircraft
Joint IED Defeat Organization
Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle
National Guard and Reserve Mental Health Access Act
Wounded Warrior legislation
Yellow Ribbon Reintegration program

Not bad for a Democrat who should have gone to jail. I guess we could always finally serve justice by putting him under house arrest? It's a tough call, because the man was a criminal and yet he did a lot for this country (and some damage as well).