Kerry: Kennedy's Gift Was "Incomparable Love of Life"
"In the end his abiding gift was his incomparable love of life and his commitment to make better the life of the world," Kerry said of his fellow Massachusetts Democrat. "In between his time changing the world, he found time to capture it in marvelous paintings. He was a talented, gifted artist and, an incurable romantic."
In his remarks, Kerry also paid tribute to Kennedy's accomplishments in the Senate. Here's what he said:
"Without him, there might still be a military draft. The war in Vietnam might have lasted longer. There might have been delays in passing the Voting Rights Act or Medicare and Medicaid. Soviet Jewish refuseniks might have been ignored—and who would have been there to help them as Ted did? Without him we might not have stood up against the apartheid government in South Africa. The barriers to fair immigration might be higher," Kerry said"If everyone only knew…
"Without Ted, 18-year-olds might not be able to vote. There might not be a Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, Meals on Wheels, student loans, increases in the minimum wage, equal funding for women's college sports, health insurance portability, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the first billions for AIDS research, workplace safety, Americorps, or the Children's Health Insurance Program.
Like Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., earlier in the service tied his legacy to those of his famous brothers.
"For 1,000 days in the White House, John Kennedy inspired us. For 80 days on the presidential campaign trail, Robert Kennedy gave us reason to believe and hope again. And for more than 17,000 days in the United States Senate, Ted Kennedy changed the course of history as only few others ever have," Kerry said.
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He also talked about campaigning with Kennedy during the 2004 election, saying he made the difference to his win in the Iowa presidential caucuses.
"When we were down in the polls and I was slugging it out there, Ted brought his humor, his energy and his eloquence to Davenport to melt the snows for me," Kerry said. "There we were, just two weeks before the Caucuses, and his voice boomed out: 'You voted for my brother! You voted for my other brother! You didn't vote for me!' As the crowd roared with laughter, Ted bellowed: 'But we're back here for John Kerry. And if you vote for John Kerry, I'll forgive you!'"
And Kerry closed his remarks by talking about Kennedy's well-known love of the sea, concluding by telling his friend to "sail on."
"Massachusetts has always had its own glorious love affair with the sea. Like his brothers before him, salt water was in his veins. Teddy lived by the sea and he lived joyously on it," Kerry said.
And then Kerry added an anecdote about the afternoon after Kennedy died: "As I sat at his home, I looked out at a perfect Nantucket Sound and thought to myself with certainty: he's on a schooner now – he's sailing--Joe, Jack, and Bobby on the fore-deck, Kathleen, Pat, Eunice, and Rosemary trading stories with their parents. Ted at the helm—steering his steady course. Sail on my friend. Sail on."
Read more on tonight's memorial service on CBSNews.com:
Family, Political Luminaries Honor Kennedy
Caroline Kennedy: We Have to Do What He Would Have Done
Biden: Kennedy's Legacy Is How We Look at One Another
McCain: Senate "Won't Be the Same" Without Kennedy
Kerry: Kennedy's Gift Was "Incomparable Love of Life"
Hatch: Kennedy and I Were Like "Fighting Brothers"
Dodd: "Teddy Changed Our America"
Rep. Joseph Kennedy: Teddy Was Always There
Photos: The Scene at the JFK Library Memorial
Photos: Speakers Pay Tribute to Kennedy