Monday, August 26 - The Garish Sun and Why Not

I can still see Robert Kennedy standing at the rostrum.

The ovation from the delegates at the 1964 Democratic Convention in Atlantic City prevented him from introducing the film about John Kennedy's presidency. Bobby had the look of a little boy who had lost his best friend in the world - which he had.

The crowd finally let him speak, and he concluded with these verses from Romeo and Juliet:

"When he shall die take him and cut him out into stars
And he shall make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night
And pay no worship to the garish sun."

I wore my Shakespeare tie to the convention tonight. When I showed it to Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, she understood why I had the moment I showed it to her.

Tonight, it was the film about Teddy Kennedy's career, more than his speech, that brought tears to the eyes. Especially when it mentioned his efforts on embryoinc stem cell research, an issue that I have worked on as well.

But his speech had its moments as well. When he pledged to be there on the Senatre floor next January to work with Barack Obama on "the cause of my life - decent, quality health care as a fundamental right," you believed he would will himself to be there despite his cancer.

But Michele Obama was the prime time speaker. The theme: her families and the American dream.

Her father worked at the water filtration plant in Chicago despite multiple sclerosis. "He just woke up a little earlier," she related, "and worked a little harder" so that Michele and her brother could "have opportunities he never had."

And there was also the summer associate who arrived late for his first day of work at her law firm. He had a funny name, Barack Obama. She eventually said yes when he asked her out.

And now he sees "the world as it is and the world as it should be."

It reminded me of Ted Kennedy's eulogy for his brother Robert:

"Some men see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were and say why not."