Washington, Aug 26 (DPA) US President Barack Obama, whose race for his Democratic Party's nomination last year got a big boost from senator Edward Kennedy's endorsement, early Wednesday paid tribute to the 'liberal lion' who has died.

Obama noted that he 'cherished' Kennedy's 'confidence in my race for the presidency' even as the late senator waged a struggle for his own life.

'An important chapter in our history has come to an end,' Obama said in a statement.

Obama is vacationing on Martha's Vineyard, an island off the Massachusetts coast near Hyannis Port, where Kennedy died late Tuesday night. But he had not been able to visit him due to Kennedy's deteriorating condition, broadcast reports said.

Obama's charisma and political standing have been compared to that of Kennedy's older brother, the late president John F. Kennedy who was assassinated in 1963.