“It Was the Cause of My Life”
Brian Beutler obtained a copy of the entire email that Ted Kennedy wrote to Pres. Obama after he was diagnosed with brain cancer, with instructions that it be sent only after his death.
Dear Mr. President,
I wanted to write a few final words to you to express my gratitude for your repeated personal kindnesses to me – and one last time, to salute your leadership in giving our country back its future and its truth.
On a personal level, you and Michelle reached out to Vicki, to our family and me in so many different ways. You helped to make these difficult months a happy time in my life.
You also made it a time of hope for me and for our country.
When I thought of all the years, all the battles, and all the memories of my long public life, I felt confident in these closing days that while I will not be there when it happens, you will be the President who at long last signs into law the health care reform that is the great unfinished business of our society. For me, this cause stretched across decades; it has been disappointed, but never finally defeated. It was the cause of my life. And in the past year, the prospect of victory sustained me-and the work of achieving it summoned my energy and determination.
There will be struggles – there always have been – and they are already underway again. But as we moved forward in these months, I learned that you will not yield to calls to retreat – that you will stay with the cause until it is won. I saw your conviction that the time is now and witnessed your unwavering commitment and understanding that health care is a decisive issue for our future prosperity. But you have also reminded all of us that it concerns more than material things; that what we face is above all a moral issue; that at stake are not just the details of policy, but fundamental principles of social justice and the character of our country.
And so because of your vision and resolve, I came to believe that soon, very soon, affordable health coverage will be available to all, in an America where the state of a family’s health will never again depend on the amount of a family’s wealth. And while I will not see the victory, I was able to look forward and know that we will – yes, we will – fulfill the promise of health care in America as a right and not a privilege.
In closing, let me say again how proud I was to be part of your campaign- and proud as well to play a part in the early months of a new era of high purpose and achievement. I entered public life with a young President who inspired a generation and the world. It gives me great hope that as I leave, another young President inspires another generation and once more on America’s behalf inspires the entire world.
So, I wrote this to thank you one last time as a friend- and to stand with you one last time for change and the America we can become.
At the Denver Convention where you were nominated, I said the dream lives on.
And I finished this letter with unshakable faith that the dream will be fulfilled for this generation, and preserved and enlarged for generations to come.
With deep respect and abiding affection,
[Ted]
6 Responses to ““It Was the Cause of My Life””
Beautiful letter!
A letter from Teddy is good for preaching to the choir but it wont really change anyone's mind.
Obama's sappy emotional appeal to losers, in mentioning Teddy Kennedy, was only outdone by his sickening treatment of Washington as Parent and More, Nurturer as well as Provider to People.
He may have made the stupid Herd swoon, but intelligent adults were unimpressed to offended.
When he talked about Kennedy, I thought: 1. Awww; 2. Why isn't someone playing the viola?
[snicker]
This is Obama's and the Pelosi-bots' task now, not Teddy's. And despite what fools like Joe Trippi might claim, it is not another Social Security or Medicare, and Obama is not another FDR or Kennedy or Johnson, even if a stupid Herd might believe it. It's simply an opportunity for incremental change that is being sought, toward expanding Medicare or the equivalent to everyone, eventually.
“A letter from Teddy is good for preaching to the choir but it wont really change anyone's mind.”
*******
Who gives a flyin'-duck when the clear and overwhelming majority of the People want the public option? Oh, darn, we can't change the minds of 15% of American opinion consisting of MedMob overlords and their astroturf loyal-zombies? Oh, woe are We!…lol…
Here's a thought for you to mull over Leonidas et al. Put your money where your mouth is. When people start to mobilize to boycott the states who do not support the public option, let your “numbers” be of comfort to you.
The “overwhelming majority of the People want the public option”"
ROTFLMAO,
http://www.ap-gfkpoll.com/pdf/AP-GfK_Poll_Healt…
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2…
Yes the majority of the “PEOPLE” want a public option when the definition of “PEOPLE” is limited to the Left-wing of the democratic party only.
Too hilarious.
Boycott away, more power to ya!
P.S. While you are at it, please encourage the democrats in my State who consider themselves progressive to pack up and go. This will make it easier for them to boycott after all.
Lies about public support for the public support have been routinely demolished on this Web site.
Current support, as in the most recent poll I've linked to more than once now, put it at 55 per cent.
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/09/02/…
Public option:
Favor, 55%
Oppose, 41%
No opinion, 4%
Favor strongly, 27%
Favor moderately, 28%
Oppose moderately, 11%
Oppose strongly, 30%
No opinion, 4%
And about his effort overall, which Obama gave a speech to rescue last night?
Favor, 48%
Oppose, 51%
No opinion, 2%
“83% [five of every six] love the public option” has always been garbage, on a level of lies or failure of other kind as “health care is a right” and other slogans on the signs of the reality-challenged fringe.