Today we say farewell to Edward M. Kennedy, who overcame tragedy and personal failure to become a powerful voice and a force for good in the Senate. With condolences to the Kennedy family, let us renew our hope that President Obama will stand strong and lead us to a better place. Kennedy devoted his life and career to the idea that all people deserve compassion and that compassion is not merely an attitude. In a nation as great as ours, no one should go hungry. No one should be without the medical care they need. No one should be deprived of an excellent education. No one should be homeless.
If we are to move forward and fulfill our potential, we need a leader. The person we have chosen, because of his character and his knowledge, is Barack Obama. His job is incredibly difficult, more so because those who oppose us in the pursuit of equality and justice for all, will--as Obama warned us during his campaign--fight tooth and nail to keep their privileges. But in keeping their privileges, they deny the rest of our nation the basic things needed for a good life.
I may speak out--loudly, at times--because facing that opposition and its obvious cruelty and self-service can be frustrating. But make no mistake. I am a progressive liberal. I believe in the principles of John and Robert and Edward Kennedy. And Barack Obama is my leader. I believe he means what he says, and I believe that he knows what he's doing.
May we all live long enough to see that better place called America.