The Lion Sleeps: R.I.P. Sen. Ted Kennedy

R.I.P. Sen. Ted Kennedy (1932-2009)

Liberalism lost its greatest living voice today--Sen. Ted Kennedy. He was a champion of the poor, civil rights, women, labor and gay rights, and universal health care. It is a great loss to the struggle to move the Democratic Party back to it's progressive base, but the struggle for social justice lives on...

The Advocate: LBGT Ally Sen. Ted Kennedy

HRC: A Record of Leadership on LGBT & HIV Issues

NGLTF: Sen. Edward Kennedy Spent Life Fighting for Justice

Gay Activists: Kennedy Was Our Greatest Champion

N.O.W. Mourns Loss of Women's Right Champion

Americans United: Kennedy Was Champion of Church-State Separation

Robert Scheer: Ted Kennedy--The Real Deal

Here's one of my favorite speeches by Sen. Kennedy (and boy do we need more like this one!)

An Inclusive DNC

It was An Inclusive First Day at the Democratic National Convention
Well-known LGBT supporter Sen. Edward M. Kennedy brimmed with emotion as he addressed the Democratic National Convention on its opening night Monday in Denver. "Barack Obama will close the book on the old politics of race and gender and group against group and straight against gay."

Sen. Kennedy made a surprise appearance and gave what may be his last rousing speech at the DNC. He passed the torch to Barack Obama!

Sen. Edward Kennedy Has Brain Tumor

Shocking news today: Sen. Edward Kennedy Has Malignant Brian Tumor

Like other great liberal/progressive icons, Ted Kennedy has been one of the most demonized political figures in American politics, hated by conservatives, but loved by liberals for his courageous and passionate career defending the poor, women, labor, gays, etc. John McCain calls Kennedy the last "Great Lion" in the Senate.

The Nation: Kennedy-The Senate's Fighting Liberal

Kennedys Endorse Obama

Sen. Edward Kennedy Gave a Rousing Endorsement to Barack Obama today along with his son Rep. Patrick Kennedy and niece Caroline Kennedy, daughter of JFK. Sen. Kennedy took several jabs at Bill and Hillary Clinton, Bill must have really pissed Ted off!

But not all "feminists" are happy! The NY NOW Slams Ted Kennedy for "Betraying" Women! I guess Toni Morrison also betrayed women by endorsing Obama.
(NY NOW should be ashamed of themselves, they give feminism a bad name!)

Both Kennedy and Obama Include "Gay and Straight" in their speeches:

Obama's inclusion of the community came while he was discussing the legacy of hope that both John and Robert Kennedy inspired in people.

"And it lives on in those Americans -- young and old, rich and poor, black and white, Latino and Asian and Native American, gay and straight -- who are tired of a politics that divides us and want to recapture the sense of common purpose that we had when John Kennedy was President of the United States of America," said Obama.

The insertion of "gay and straight" was a departure from the script of Obama's prepared remarks, forwarded to news outlets ahead of the event by his campaign.

Kennedy, who spoke before Obama, made a similar reference to the community. "With Barack Obama, we will turn the page on the old politics of misrepresentation and distortion," he said.

"With Barack Obama, we will close the book on the old politics of race against race, gender against gender, ethnic group against ethnic group and straight against gay." (The Advocate)