Like many others, we at Common Cause are saddened by the death of Sen. Kennedy, and offer our condolences to the Kennedy family.

Sen. Kennedy will be remembered for his many gifts, attributes and accomplishments. At Common Cause, we mourn the passing of an outstanding legislator who had the unique and increasingly rare ability work across party lines and build consensus for the common good.

Sen. Kennedy resisted the closed-door partisanship that has come to characterize Washington DC in recent years. Even as the leader of the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, he was able to build bipartisan coalitions and make progress on difficult issues, such as health care. That is one of his many legacies, and one that will be greatly missed at a time when it is perhaps needed most.