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Summary
US Senator Edward Kennedy, a towering figure in the Democratic Party who took the helm of one of America's most fabled political families after two older brothers were assassinated, died at age 77. Kennedy was diagnosed with brain cancer in May 2008. After a funeral mass in Boston on Saturday, he will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington, near the graves of his brothers, President John F. Kennedy and Senator Robert Kennedy. One of the most influential and longest-serving senators in US history, Kennedy was a liberal standard-bearer who recovered politically from a string of personal scandals to become known as a consummate congressional dealmaker.His death marked the twilight of a political dynasty and dealt a blow to Democrats who lost their chief champion of President Barack Obama's call for an overhaul of the healthcare system.
