Mitch McConnell’s public view of Ted Kennedy was respectful, even admiring, despite being a Republican and Kennedy a liberal Democrat. After Kennedy’s death in 2009, McConnell called him “one of the giants of American political life” and said it was “a fact,” not just courtesy, that Kennedy was among the greats.

What McConnell emphasized

McConnell’s praise focused on Kennedy’s stature in the Senate and his influence over American politics. He also described Kennedy as someone whose “passion and vigor” were widely admired, and later said Kennedy could “separate the personal from the political” and “stayed true to his word.”

In plain terms

So, McConnell’s opinion was not that he agreed with Kennedy’s politics, but that he respected him as a formidable and consequential senator. That’s a pretty classic Washington distinction: political opponent, but still a serious institutional figure.

Quick note

If you want, I can also give you the exact quotes McConnell used about Kennedy in 2009 and 2015.