Aug. 25 (Bloomberg) -- The loudest cheers at the Democratic National Convention in Denver tonight may be for someone who wasn't expected to be there: Senator Edward M. Kennedy.
Kennedy, the unofficial patriarch of the Democratic Party whose early endorsement of Barack Obama enhanced the Illinois senator's credibility, is being treated for brain cancer. Though Kennedy wasn't listed on the original schedule, his office confirmed today that he will appear.
Democrats will pay tribute to the 45-year career of Kennedy, the third-longest in U.S. Senate history, and will see a five- minute videotape featuring the 76-year-old lawmaker filmed at his home in Hyannisport, Massachusetts.
``The fact that he's the subject of this tribute means a lot, certainly to me,'' said his niece, Caroline Kennedy, in an interview yesterday on NBC's ``Meet the Press.''
The theme of the Kennedy video is unity, and the expectation is that Kennedy's presence will help heal the wounds of the primary-election battle between Obama and New York Senator Hillary Clinton.
``The outpouring of affection and recognition for all that's been accomplished is not just local, it's really on a national scale,'' said Paul G. Kirk Jr., a former aide to Kennedy and founding board member of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.
Kennedy has already earned a place in history, according to Adam Clymer, a former New York Times reporter and author of ``Edward M. Kennedy: A Biography.''
`Most Important Lawmaker'
``He's the most important lawmaker of the 20th century,'' Clymer said in a telephone interview. ``He is somebody who caused laws to happen on an enormous variety of subjects.''
Kennedy played a central role in passing laws expanding heath-care coverage, overhauling the U.S. education system, giving 18-year-olds the right to vote and raising the minimum wage.
He is a polarizing figure as well, a leading liberal whose positions evoke strong reaction. In 1980 he unsuccessfully challenged incumbent President Jimmy Carter for the party's nomination.
Diagnosed with brain cancer this year, Kennedy underwent a six-week regimen of chemotherapy over the summer and recovered enough to have made an appearance in the Senate last month. He visited a family on Cape Cod last week whose son was killed in Afghanistan, the Boston Globe reported.
Doing `Incredibly Well'
``He's really doing incredibly well,'' Caroline Kennedy told NBC. ``I know he really wants to go back to the Senate and work on all the causes he cares about.''
Tributes to Kennedy are growing.
In Boston, members of Kennedy's inner circle have recently started a $100 million fund-raising effort for a Senate history research center to be built in his name next to his brother's presidential library on the Boston waterfront. Construction could begin next spring.
The cost of construction would be about $50 million with another $50 million for the endowment, Kirk said.
UMass, the state's public university system, plans to work with the institute's board of directors, offering scholars the chance to study the U.S. Senate with archival material and documents from the years Kennedy has served there, according to UMass president Jack M. Wilson.
``This center is going to cover a crucial period in United States history dating from the '60s through to the present time,'' Wilson said in a telephone interview.
Rookie senators would be invited to orientation classes taught, in some cases, by current and former senators, he said. Included in the layout would be a replica of the Senate chamber.
Kennedy Loyalists
The fundraising has brought out many Kennedy loyalists.
``Once you work for Senator Kennedy, you never stop working for Senator Kennedy,'' joked Kenneth Feinberg, a Washington lawyer who served as his chief for staff from 1978 to 1980 and is now raising money. Feinberg was also special master of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund.
``No one is saying no,'' Feinberg said of potential donors to the institute. ``Everyone is saying we will help. For many years Ted Kennedy was a very polarizing figure. Now with the disclosure of his illness, they get back right away. What can we do? How can we help?''
The Massachusetts Maritime Academy, whose students are regularly employed as crew members for the senator's own sailboat, is considering renaming its principal training ship ``The Kennedy'' instead of ``T.S. Enterprise.'' The name change, which has generated some controversy, is scheduled for a vote by the school's 11-member board of trustees next month.
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