Sen. Edward Kennedy loses cancer fight

— -- Sen. Edward Kennedy, who began his public life as the prodigal son of a political dynasty and ended as its respected patriarch, died late Tuesday at his home in Hyannis Port, Mass. He was 77 and had been battling brain cancer.

Kennedy's family announced the senator's death early this morning in a statement.

"We've lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism, and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever," the statement said. "He loved this country and devoted his life to serving it. He always believed that our best days were still ahead, but it's hard to imagine any of them without him."

President Obama, who spoke to Kennedy's widow, Victoria Reggie Kennedy, at about 2:30 a.m., described himself as "heartbroken" over the loss of a mentor and political ally who provided "momentous support in my race for the presidency."

"An important chapter in our history has come to an end," Obama said in a statement. "Our country has lost a great leader, who picked up the torch of his fallen brothers and became the greatest United States senator of all time." He has ordered the flag at the White House and all flags throughout the federal government to fly at half staff.

Obama's Republican predecessor, former president George W. Bush, joined him in mourning Kennedy. In a statement issued by his office, Bush paid tribute the the resilience of the lawmaker who worked with him on immigration and education but battled him on Iraq and civil liberties. "In a life filled with trials, Ted Kennedy never gave in to self-pity or despair," the former president said.

The bipartisan outpouring of praise and fond memories vividly illustrated Kennedy's ability to build bridges across political divides.

Words of admiration came from long time allies, such as Sen. John Kerry, Kennedy's Democratic colleague from Massachusetts, and former adversaries, such as former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a Republican whom Kennedy defeated in a 1994 Senate contest

Romney said Kennedy's "charm and sense of humor" won him over. "I will always remember his great personal kindness and the fighting spirit he brought to every cause he served," Romney said in a statement. Kerry struggled to capture the essence of Kennedy's appeal. "No words can ever do justice to this irrepressible, larger-than-life presence," the senator said.

Kennedy's political career spanned five decades and continued even after his diagnosis with terminal brain cancer. After surgery to reduce the size of the tumor in June, 2008, the senator returned to Congress, determined to help President Obama overhaul the health care system — a longtime Kennedy goal.