The genuinely sympathetic reaction among elected officials and the public at large to the news that Sen. Edward “Ted” Kennedy is suffering from a malignant brain tumor says much about the hold the Kennedy clan still has over the nation’s imagination. But it also says a lot about the Massachusetts senator and the way he has conducted himself in the political arena. Despite the public disclosure of some personal failings over the years, Sen. Kennedy has carved out a niche as a political icon that far exceeds what came with his place on the family tree.

Though he is only 76, Sen. Kennedy is a link to another time. First elected to the Senate in 1962 to complete his brother John’s unexpired term, Sen. Kennedy has been an unabashed liberal, consistently advocating for the poor, disadvantaged, disabled, children, elderly and minorities. He continued such advocacy after much of the middle class tired of government programs that aimed to achieve economic parity for the underclass. The Kennedys were among the financially elite in the middle of the 20th century, yet they saw an obligation for public service that came with their blessings.

The frequent refrain heard this week about Sen. Kennedy describes him as the old liberal lion. True enough in that he passionately championed old-school liberal causes long after they were fashionable. But Sen. Kennedy also is a throwback to the days before the partisan divide descended on Washington in the early 1990s. He was, and is, a statesman, his colleagues in the Senate are now saying. He could – and would – compromise on legislation, despite being the chief cheerleader for progressive causes.

According to the Politico Web site, Sen. Kennedy’s absence from the Senate already has sidelined a major labor union bill for public safety workers, a higher education bill and a handful of routine health care bills. Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe told the Politico: “Ted is appropriately known for his legendary legislative abilities and as a phenomenal leader.” Other Republicans, including archconservative Orrin Hatch of Utah, have shared tales of hammering out compromise versions of law with Sen. Kennedy.

The shadows of his older brothers must have loomed large over him. Biographers have suggested Mr. Kennedy’s failed presidential bid in 1980 may have had more to do with a sense of duty to their legacy than with his own ambitions and calling.

Sen. Kennedy’s tenure may be far from over, but his legislative legacy, now dwarfed by his larger-than-life status as a Kennedy scion, may live on for decades.