In the category of reinvention, nobody, in my opinion, did it better than Ted Kennedy. He transformed himself from a cocktail-loving playboy into the self-proclaimed Liberal Lion of the Senate. It took a while--decades, in fact--but the elder statesman image stuck. Through tragedy after tragedy, Ted was the Kennedy who shouldered the burdens, buried his parents, two brothers, a nephew and sister-in-law, and went down fighting valiantly against a horrific illness.
Whatever you think of Ted Kennedy's politics, you had to admire the man for recreating himself. Besides that, he was, as this piece from the 2006 Boston Globe, illustrates, a total animal lover. When it came to his dogs Splash and Sunny (who accompanied him to work in Washington, although not onto the Senate floor), his love was genuine and all too familiar to those of us who share the affliction.
Splash authored a children's book and also paved the way for the newest canine resident of the White House, Bo.
Rest in peace, Senator Kennedy. We're pretty sure someone else will take over the tennis ball tossing honors, but probably none will do it in quite the same way.
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