Vicki Kennedy appeared on the Oprah show Wednesday in her first interview since her husband, Ted Kennedy’s death. Vicki said that towards the end of his life, Ted was so determined to see Barack Obama’s inaugurated that he promised people he would be there, and he was, even though he had been diagnosed with cancer at that point.
Ted Kennedy Jr. also appeared with Vicki on the Oprah show. They showed that famous speech Ted Kennedy Jr. made at his father's funeral. As a boy, Ted Kennedy Jr. thought there was a hill he could not climb and Ted Kennedy Sr. told him that I will help you and if it takes us all day, we will make it up that hill because there is nothing you can't do. The second part of that speech is below in a video.
Oprah asked Vicki Kennedy if she ever thought about seeking Ted’s senate seat and she responded, "No, no, not for me," she said. "We had Senator Kennedy in our household."
Ted Kennedy wanted to give Obama an endorsement in person during the 2008 campaign and he began to exercise every day. Vicki said, "He was in training to be there in January. He was exercising every single day to be strong enough to be there, and even calculated how many steps he would have to take to see Obama take the oath of office in January.”
Senator Edward (Ted) Kennedy died on August 25 after suffering a seizure.
Vicki Kennedy said that she was absolutely amazed that he kept so focused and worked on his memoir, True Compass daily, every day. And that he kept detailed notes over 50 years and that book just contains so much detail. To read a review of Ted Kennedy's book, click here.
"It was an inspiration, really, to watch how Teddy grappled with such a grave diagnosis and always looked forward with hope," Vicki Kennedy said.
Sources: Oprah and Associated Press
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