The Whole Delivery

Patrick Kennedy, on his father's grave, "Dad, the unfinished business is done." Photo from John Dicker Again, regardless of how you feel on what he said, that is a moving moment.

Can't they not be political ? For just one, JUST ONE, day. The Massachusetts Republican Party has gone to court in an attempt to stop the appointment of Paul Kirk to the late Ted Kennedy's Senate seat. The issue here, the GOP claims, is that Gov. Deval Patrick did not have the constitutional authority to declare the bill empowering him to make an appointment to be an emergency law, thus having it take effect immediately. (For more background on this issue, check out this interview I did a few days ago with a GOP state Senator.) No matter where at in the country, that is a hope from me that is indeed naive.

Once again, it was touching and soul hitting that President Obama evoked the name of his departed friend (and you could arguably say, one of his mentors) Ted Kennedy last night. Vicki Kennedy said the speech last night was magnificent. The choice to bring up "The Liberal Lion" in the concluding stages of the speech with the letter he wrote to him showed masterclass craftsmanship. His monologue last night was certainly the nail in the coffin to those who thought he had showed no spine in this debate. Obama has showed spine in my mind, but the spine to stand for any bill and for "Trigger Man" Emmanuel to do his dirt, eviscerating any legitimate dissent among those who are seeking real reform. And with that, President Obama must not sully Senator Kennedy's name by showing the spine he showed before he showed last night. Again, it can't be said enough: Don't sully this man's name and his life long crusade for a bill that makes the insurance companies and...

The arrival of Obama and Bill Clinton to the Mass. From an emotional day in Massachusetts: Part 1 of Obama's eulogy to Kennedy: Part 2 of Obama's eulogy to Kennedy: And the closing prayer: Salutations all, and God Bless.

Photo from UK Mirror Touching the lives in the domestic borders you live in and serve for is already one extraordinary thing. But to become an international icon (and the last name does not hurt matters at all) well, it is just further icing on the cake. Both of those things were accomplished by the now departed lawmaking Senator from Massachusetts, and his benevolence and fight for the oppressed and downtrodden reached beyond American borders. Prime Minister Brown's comments : Mr Brown said: "Senator Edward Kennedy will be mourned not just in America but in every continent. "He is admired around the world as the senator of senators. "He led the world in championing children's education and health care, and believed that every single child should have the chance to realise their potential to the full. "Even facing illness and death,, he never stopped fighting for the causes which were his life's work. "I am proud to have counted him as a friend and ...

After the first 30 seconds, she said some good points. Shame that her first 30 was do damn stupid that it adds to the latest chapter of incompetent stupidity from Norah O'Donnell "Makes it less likely that President Obama will get this legislative victory" on health care ? Even quite possibly on Fixed Propaganda, you won't here anything as stupid today as what you heard from O'Donnell right there.

The West Virginia Senator with a gripping one. Obama: "The Greatest Senator of our times." Biden fighting back his tears: Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News , World News , and News about the Economy More to come on a somber and, at the same time, happy day in the American political landscape, and outside of it.

With Obama back, it is getting serious in the important fight for health care reform in America. Via the "Abbreviated Pundit Roundup" at the Kos , DemFromCT highlights this fascinating column today from the Washington Post's astute E.J. Dionne . Fifty million new customers. Those may be the most important words to remember as the health-care reform effort hits its stride this week. I swear, Dionne could have stopped his column there, and it would have been a smash hit, though the rest of it is still great. But is that resonating with the law makers? Ted Kennedy's bill is out, and the Washington Post's Ceci Conolly says that it doesn't have estimates or specifics on how to pay for the expansion. We'll check that if what Conolly said is true, because that bill is 170 pages long. And sometimes, reporters nowadays don't go into full depth like they need to. The wonderful Erza Klein provides a great timeline of the Finance Commitee's health care reform....

The incomparable Ted Kennedy is on the health care reform hustle , and Obama yesterday again “[W]e’ve got to get it done this year,” It really does. Check out "Health Care Friday" , a weekly report on the status of health care news from the brilliant DemFromCt at the Daily Kos.

Seeing this man back on Capital Hill.