Ailing Ted Kennedy Addresses DNC

Battling Brain Cancer, Senate Icon Pledges To Cheering Crowd, "I Will Be There Next January"

(CBS/ AP)  His wave familiar, his voice firm, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy told a cheering Democratic National Convention Monday night that his is "a season of hope" for a stronger future in America -- despite his struggle against brain cancer.

And he added: "I pledge to you that I will be there next January on the floor of the United States Senate."

That had special meaning given the bleak prognosis Kennedy faces with his disease.

"The hope rises again and the dream lives on," he said after his seven minutes at the microphone, minutes of high and unexpected drama for delegates waving thousands of Kennedy signs, cheering as he came and as he stepped away into the arms of his wife, Vicki.

"My fellow Democrats, my fellow Americans, it is so wonderful to be here," he said. "And nothing, nothing is going to keep me away from this special gathering ..."

Kennedy flew to Denver Sunday night, and his first stop was a hospital, where doctors examined him. His physicians had been wary of the trip, especially his exposure to crowds, given the weakness of his immune system after weeks of chemotherapy and radiation treatments. The brain cancer was diagnosed after he collapsed in May in Hyannis Port, Mass. After brain surgery in June, he had remained at home, save for a brief trip to Washington to cast a Senate vote on July 10 for Medicare legislation that had been stalled in deadlock.

It was to have been a Kennedy appearance on tape, after a tribute by his niece, Caroline Kennedy. But he came himself, and his performance, if brief, was not frail. "I have come here tonight to change America, to restore its future, to rise to our best ideals and to elect Barack Obama president of the United States," he said.

Kennedy's speech would have been standard convention fare, nothing remarkable, but for his health. It was a striking performance for a man of 76, stricken by cancer. "As I look ahead, I am strengthened by family and friendship," he said. "So many of you have been with me in the happiest days and the hardest days.

"Together we have known success and seen failure ... victory and defeat," he said. He said this is the time for victory, for the election of Obama. "For me this is a season of hope ... new hope ... and this is the cause of my life, new hope that we will break the old gridlock ..."

In introducting him, Caroline Kennedy said her uncle "has been a senator for all who believe that the dream has never died." She said "Uncle Teddy" and Obama are "two men who have changed my life and the life of this country.

"Leaders like them come along rarely," she said. "But once or twice in a lifetime, they come along just when we need them the most This is one of those moments."

She said that in this campaign, Obama "has no greater champion" than Kennedy. "When he is president, he will have no stronger partner in the United States Senate," she said.

Before Kennedy's dramatic appearance at the Pepsi Center in Denver, CBSNews.com caught up with one of Kennedy's longtime colleagues, Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass.

"It’s bittersweet," Frank said of the video tribute to Kennedy. "It’s a tribute to a man who is very ill, who has been just an incredible force for all of the things that the people at this convention care about. And it’s great to be able to see him again, and it’s sad to know he’s ill."

[trrrorislam3]

LYING LIBERAL PROPOGANDA RAGS GOING DOWN THE TUBES,,, lol

hahaha

New York Times Co. July revenue falls 10.1 percent

Ad revenue drops 16.2 percent at New York Times Co., sending July revenue down 10.1 percent
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080826/new_york_times_revenue.html?.v=1

[bretster7]

couldn''''t demonize people and practice the politics of personal destruction they''''d have nothing to say.

As John McCain would say, they are agents of intolerance.

Posted by realpatriot1 at 11:13 AM : Aug 26, 2008




Yeah, I guess calling Bush Hitler and a Nazi, or James Carville calling Ken Star a pervert, or calling Cheney Darth Vader, or , or , or , or all the other garbage spewn forth fromthe left is neither politics of personal destruction, nor intollerant, right hypocrite?

[trrrorislam3]

HEY HUSSEIN,,, SUPPORT SENATE RESOLUTION 636

Vets for Freedom

Senate Resolution 636
a bi-partisan resolution in the United State Senate sponsored by Senators Lieberman and Graham.
http://www.vetsforfreedom.org/

Remember Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ervaMPt4Ha0

Honor Our Troops
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmD70dzj-VY

[pbaird2]

If nothing else, immigrants give small-minded people someone to whom they can feel superior. We do not have to reward undocumented aliens with amnesty, but it is insane to believe they can all be deported. Developing a rational system of documenting aliens would be an efficient way to permit necessary workers into the country, avoid the problems associated with human trafficking, and monitor the location of these people who perform the functions Americans feel is beneath their dignity. Throughout the history of the U.S., immigrants have taken their place at the bottom of the ladder and worked their way up. The current immigrants ask for no more. That our government has no practical immigration policies in effect is not the blame of the immigrants.

[trrrorislam3]

Posted by realpatriot1 at 12:15 PM : Aug 26, 2008

GOP BLOCKED THE LAST AMNESTY BILL,,,

name one demonic-rat that is against amnesty nancy,,,

not one of the many demonic-rat candidates for president were against amnesy,,,

not one,,,

[realpatriot1]

terrorislam,

Sorry, but McCain supports amnesty too.

[trrrorislam3]

VOTE GOP,,, BLOCK AMNESTY,,,

ummmm it is the DEMONIC-RATS that want to grant amnesty to illegals,,, including HUSSEIN,,,

HUSSEINs solution for illegals is to grant them amnesty and have americans learn SPANISH,,,

words out of his own mouth,,,

Barack Obama: Your Children Should Learn To Speak Spanish
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZprtPat1Vk

Obama to America--Learn Spanish
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W7srmHLclw

[realpatriot1]

Teddy shouldn''t be at the bottom of the river with Mary Jo. In jail maybe, but not at the bottom of the river.

Like most people Teddy isn''t all good or all bad. What''s left of people who still call themselves Republicans are those who can''t handle that kind of complexity because if they couldn''t demonize people and practice the politics of personal destruction they''d have nothing to say.

As John McCain would say, they are agents of intolerance.

[trrrorislam3]

Obama''s DNC Message: I''m Like You
CBSNews.com Reports: Democrats To Push Obama%u2019s Similarities With Average Americans

rightttttttttttttt

HUSSEIN puts foreigns ahead of americans,,,

how many non-muslim americans have a syrian born muslim tony rezko helping you buy a multi million dollar house???

how many non-muslim americans travelled to pakistan for spring break???

how many non-muslim americans say the muslim call to prayer is the prettiests sounds on earth at sunset???

how many americans want to have to learn spanish???

how many americans want to give tens of millions of illegals amnesty???

how many americans want open borders???

how many americans want to send one trillion of their taxpayer dollars to kenya???

how many americans want to spend their taxpayer dollars on slavery reparations when they already paid via the civil war with their blood???

hmmmmm manchurian candidate maybe,,, hmmmm

[jackp32]

Teddy missed an opportunity to tell us what really happened at Chappaquiddick before he meets his maker. He was pathetic and delivered a totally worthless speech. It''s time for him to retire from public life and let someone else take his seat.

[xlib]

X-republican-and just what has teddy done for the downtrodden?? Spell it out for me. It''s funny how mccainis getting slammed for his wife and her homes while not a word is mentioned about the kennedy''s. Just how did they make their billions. The double standard held by the left is amazing.
I just posted that I wish him well. However he and his family are far from the saints your side makes them out to be. Let''s be fair here. There have been posts a bout mccain being a womanizer and then the next post holds the kennedy''s up as saints. I really don''t see how that works.
Let''s just try and be fair. We are dealing with humans on both sides of the aisle and there isn''t a saint among them. That particularly goes for the messiah your side is handing up.

[trrrorislam3]

brain tumorr,,,

that explains a lot,,,

[xlib]

He looked and sounded pretty good. Not a fan of his politics but God bless him and I hope he continues to do well.

[realpatriot1]

Teddy Kennedy: The Dream never dies.

The liver eventually will.

[trrrorislam3]

HUSSEIN SAYS AMERICANS MUST LEARN SPANISH,,,

ummmm it is the DEMONIC-RATS that want to grant amnesty to illegals,,, including HUSSEIN,,,

HUSSEINs solution for illegals is to grant them amnesty and have americans learn SPANISH,,,

words out of his own mouth,,,

Barack Obama: Your Children Should Learn To Speak Spanish
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZprtPat1Vk

Obama to America--Learn Spanish
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W7srmHLclw

[x-republican]

The Grand Oil Party doesn''t want you to know this, but thanks to Senator Kennedy, American troops in Iraq have body armor. Repuglicans want the troops to fight and die in Iraq, but they don''t want to spend even a few pennies on body armor for them. What does that tell you about the moral fiber of the republican party?

[x-republican]

It''s amazing to me that so many people, knowing how hard this man has fought for the down-trodden, can condemn him for his flaws. How many of them have sinned in the last 30 days, much less the last 40 years, yet they still judge and condemn a man who has fought valiantly for justice. Have they no shame at all?

[ragnar30066]

Good luck to him when he goes before Saint Peter.

I think he''s going to need it.

[lopezf11]

rushlimpdrug,

Re: Mary Jo Kopechne.

McCain might have given his stuff up to his torturers, but Ted just saved himself. Fine family, the Kennedys

[rushlimpdrug]

I tuned in late. Did he mention Mary Jo Kopechne?
Posted by lopezf11 at 09:55 PM


I believe he did but the crowd noise drowned
out the remark.