The late Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy was honored across the nation and around the world Wednesday, hours after his death at the age of seventy-seven. Speaking from Martha’s Vineyard, President Obama paid tribute to Kennedy’s legacy.

President Obama: “He could passionately battle others and do so peerlessly on the Senate floor for the causes that he held dear, and yet still maintain warm friendships across party lines. And that’s one reason he became not only one of the greatest senators of our time, but one of the most accomplished Americans ever to serve our democracy.”

Kennedy’s body will lie in repose at Boston’s John F. Kennedy Presidential Library until Friday, followed by a funeral service at a Boston church on Saturday. As Kennedy is mourned, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick says he hopes to carry out one of Kennedy’s last public wishes, appointing a temporary successor. Last week Kennedy asked Massachusetts lawmakers to change the state’s succession laws, which call for a special election at least 145 days after a vacancy occurs. That would leave Kennedy’s seat vacant until at least mid-January. We’ll have more on Ted Kennedy’s death after headlines.