It has taken all day for me to even begin to process the loss of Senator Ted Kennedy. I was lucky to be able to see “the Lion” in-person on a number of occasions and those memories and images have been buzzing through my mind all day.

I have a vivid memory of watching Teddy during the 2002 “Fighting for Families” bus tour in support of gubernatorial candidate Shannon O’Brien and Sen. John Kerry as he gave an impromptu and rousing speech to striking labor workers somewhere in western Massachusetts. I recall that his speech began in a low whisper and the crowd quieted to hear his words. As he continued to talk about the plight of the union members and the need for fair working conditions, it was if someone suddenly hit a switch and his voice became loud, animated and it rang throughout the crowd. On that occasion and a number of future encounters, I remember closing my eyes while Teddy spoke so I could just listen to his voice and that all-too-familiar Kennedy accent. The voice alone carried with it such a rich and important piece of the American experience.

Sadly, Teddy was forced to give many eulogies throughout his life and some remain among his most famous speeches. I have spent time today searching through them and I thought there would be no better way to eulogize him then to simply let the words that he offered when people needed to be comforted and given strength speak for themselves.

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

Rose Kennedy (Ted’s mother)

Part One

Part Two

Part Three


Robert F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy, Jr.

“We dared to think, in that other Irish phrase, that this John Kennedy would live to comb gray hair, with his beloved Carolyn by his side. But like his father, he had every gift but length of years. We who have loved him from the day he was born, and watched the remarkable man he became, now bid him farewell.”

Wow! I just received an email in my inbox from Tagg Romney, Mitt Romney’s son, alerting me to a new video that I must check out of the Romney clan from this past summer living it up in beautiful Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. In the video, Mitt is celebrating a “day off” with the Romney’s. In the flick, he is seen mowing the lawn, surfing the interwebs, cooking s’mores, lighting fireworks and most of all, letting his hair down and taking his shirt off.

I worked on the 2002 race up in Massachusetts and I’ve seen this play before. Days before the election, the Romney camp released an ad on television showing Mitt gallivanting around topless, playing with his sons and his grandkids . This television ad was widely credited as being one of the reasons he was able to beat out Shanon O’Brien for the Governor’s seat that year.

Now, six years later, Mitt is running again and while the office he’s seeking has changed, the tactics have not. As Michiganders head to the polls today to decide Mitt Romney’s fate, the question remains: are voters in 2008 looking for tried and tested or are they willing to take the best and the buffest?

Another great video of Willard Romney being clear on where he stands on the issues.

Though he will likely be their nominee, it is clear that Willard is a disingenuous, flip-flopping chameleon.

Mitt Romney:

Mitt Romney 48 months later: