Ted Kennedy and the Death (Hopefully) of an Era  —  With the death of Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), two points immediately come to mind.  —  First is the endless, generally uncritical encomia that journalists and other public commenters immediately generate whenever any major figure, especially a controversial one, dies.

Ted Kennedy Dies of Brain Cancer at Age 77  —  ‘Liberal Lion’ of the Senate Led Storied Political Family After Deaths of President John F. Kennedy, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy  —  Sen. Edward Moore Kennedy, the youngest Kennedy brother who was left to head the family's political dynasty …

Byrd wants health bill renamed for Kennedy  —  Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), the only senator to have served longer than the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), mourned his friend Wednesday, saying his “heart and soul weeps.”  —  Byrd said he hoped healthcare reform legislation in the Senate would be renamed in memoriam of Kennedy.

Kennedy's Death Raises Issues of Succession  —  The death of Edward M. Kennedy immediately raises the question of who will succeed the senator — and how quickly — as Congress is embroiled in a bitter battle over plans to overhaul the nation's health care system.

Rush Was Right: Dems Call For “The Kennedy Memorial Health Bill”  —  How to react to Ted Kennedy's death?  There certainly is an initial inclination to react the way so many left-wing blogs reacted to the death of Robert Novak, such as this post at the prominent Crooks and Liars:

24% Say Democrats Should Pass Health Care Reform Without GOP Votes  —  If Democrats agree on a health care reform bill that is opposed by all Republicans in Congress, 24% of voters nationwide say the Democrats should pass that bill.  —  But a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds …