The Ted who Roared for Justice (open thread)

It's hard to believe that Ted Kennedy finally passed away last night. This was a senator that who for personal bad or for good, he did what he could for his state, and in many instances for all of us. Getting minimum wage raised, SCHIP, educational issues etc.

VOTUS Joe Biden, while attending a meeting at the Dept of Energy shared these reflections :

When Biden was a 29-year-old novice running for the Senate, Kennedy came to Delaware to campaign for him, corralling votes in Little Italy, where Biden said they rarely voted for a Democrat.

As a new senator, Biden lost his wife and daughter in a car accident that left his two sons clinging to life in a hospital. Biden said Kennedy called every day and often sent help. “I’d turn around and there’d be a specialist from Massachusetts, some doc I never even asked for,” the vice president recalled.

Mostly, Biden said, he “restored my sense of idealism and my faith in the possibilities of what this country could do.”

Wiping tears from his eyes, Biden said Kennedy’s love of country and public service was “infectious when you were with him … you could just see it in nature of the debate. … He was never defeatist, he was never petty, he was never small.” In the process, said the vice president, “he made everybody he worked with bigger, both his adversaries and his allies.”



Video courtesy of Politico.

Share your thoughts about Ted Kennedy in the comments. I have two memories I wish to share, but have to locate transcripts or videos or both first.

Note from Howard Dean: the Kennedy family has a condolences and memories online book set up.

Nice to See the First Couple(s) Dance Like the Rest of Us

The Obamas and Bidens dance a lot like the rest of us. I like waltzes, but it's nice to see real close, more intimate dancing. The Obamas danced to Etta James' "At Last", sung beautifully by Beyonce. Not a dry eye in the house. But I liked it as well on the second song by Stevie Wonder, "Signed Sealed Delivered", that Obama danced with different folks in his party and he did some "bumping" --not sexual in tone--but fun dancing.

Here's the YT:



The Bidens danced to a Van Morrison tune, "Have I told You Lately." Nice.

Here's One Pic of VP Biden and his beautiful bride of 30 plus years.



Update: The First Couple danced with a couple who are enlisted, and danced with them a few steps at the Commander-in-Chief Ball. I don't think I've seen that before. Nice way to connect with the troops.