WASHINGTON - Hillary Rodham Clinton, whose White House run was dealt a blow last year by Sen. Edward Kennedy's endorsement of Barack Obama, is lauding the Massachusetts Democrat as a statesman and cherished friend.

Clinton, now secretary of state, said in a statement she will "always treasure the memory of his friendship and the time we spent together, from the Massachusetts waters he loved so much, to the floor of the Senate that will feel empty without his booming voice and broad smile."

Clinton called Kennedy a principled politician who inspired generations of young people to enter public service.

"He was a legislator without peer, who understood both when to stand his ground and when to seek out the common ground on which compromise and progress is built," she added.