Sen. Ted Kennedy’s legacy is going a long way for Democrats aiming to keep their 60-seat majority and pass health care in the coming days.
Democratic sources tell TPMDC the Vicki Kennedy email has now raised $883,000 for Martha Coakley’s bid to replace the late Sen. Kennedy in Massachusetts.
As we have reported, Senate Democrats from across the country blasted out the email from Kennedy’s widow yesterday asking for donations to help Coakley (D) win the special election next Tuesday.
Also today, Senate Democrats released a new tribute video in honor of Kennedy’s legacy and career-long fight for health care.
On their Web site they introduce the video with a tribute called “Sen. Kennedy’s Cause: Health Care Reform.” It stars Sen. John Kerry and Sens. Chuck Schumer, and details the decades-long struggle to pass a health care bill.
In December, Senate Democrats led historic Senate passage of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, delivering on the cause of Senator Kennedy’s life. The Senate is currently working with the House and President Obama to secure a final bill through both chambers of Congress. The video includes archival footage of Senator Kennedy as well as Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson and Barack Obama discussing the need for comprehensive health reform through the years. Each leader’s work to extend health coverage to more Americans is highlighted. Decades-old clips and recent interviews with Senator Kennedy’s colleagues look back at what he described as the cause of his life: making health care a fundamental right for all Americans.
