Come inside and watch and see Barack's emotional and soaring tribute to Ted Kennedy.
Delivering Wesleyan University's commencement address, on behalf of his friend, Senator Obama paid honor to a person who has given so much to his country:
"It is rare in this country of ours that a person exists who has touched the lives of nearly every single American without many of us even realizing it."
Roaring, "Ted Kennedy is not done just yet."
At this point, Senator Kennedy's son, Patrick, broke down.
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Echoing the call to service made by Teddy's brothers, Jack and Bobby, Senator Obama called on the graduates to look beyond material gains and work for our "collective salvation."
"No one is forcing you to care," he said. "You can take your diploma, walk off this stage and chase only after the big house and the nice suits and all the other things that our money culture says you should buy."
"But I hope you don't, because our individual salvation depends on our collective salvation."
"At a time of war, we need you to work for peace," he said.
"At a time of inequality, we need you to work for opportunity. At a time of so much cynicism and so much doubt, we need you to make us believe again."
Invoking his life journey to public service, the Senator said, "I spent much of my childhood adrift. Through service, I discovered how my own improbable story fit into the larger story of America."
Senator Obama concluded, that like the presidency of John F. Kennedy, he too will call on the country to united "in service to a greater good."
"I intend to make it a cause of my presidency."
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► 9 Pix in all.
► The graduates and the crowd loved him. Oh, how my heart bursts seeing the way kids and students react to him.
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► Wesleyan officials estimated the crowd at 25,000.
► Last year, 8,000 attended the college's 175th anniversary celebration.
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► Today's graduates included Ted Kennedy's beautiful stepdaughter, Caroline Raclin Kennedy.
Source
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► Video courtesy of turneresq