Edward Kennedy on Barack Obama's "Experience"

It's a day of big changes in the 2008 presidential race. John Edwards announced that he was withdrawing from the race. I believe that the mainstream media blackout of his campaign was simply insurmountable and he never got a fair chance to share his progressive platform with the majority of Americans. That is truly a shame and we need to make sure it never happens again.

The vise grip that multi-national billion dollar corporations hold over our democratic process MUST END! They control the flow of information through print and televised media, they produce the hackable voting machines that Bush won his second term in office on, and their lobbyists bribe and manipulate public servants to look out for their interests instead of ours. John Edwards spoke about this corporate dominance of our government and that my friends is why he was blocked from the airwaves.

So we now have only two candidates to choose from, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton. If you're still undecided you can read my previous posts comparing their positions on the urgent issues of the day. You can also read who gave them money for their campaigns. I decided on Barack Obama and so did Ken. We mailed our absentee ballots yesterday morning.

Recently, Senator Edward Kennedy, and Caroline Kennedy both endorsed Barack Obama for president. Here's what Senator Kennedy had to say:

When I took to the stage at American University to endorse Barack Obama on Monday, I came face to face with a new generation in American politics.

Standing next to me and in the crowd, on the rope-line and at rallies across the country, I saw an undeniable return of the idealism and hope this country sorely needs. In this video you can hear the energy and see the faces, young and old, of that new generation:



As the second-longest serving member in the Senate, I know the importance of experience in government. But as someone who entered the Senate at the age of 30, I want to reiterate what I said on Monday. Barack Obama has more than enough experience to handle the job. What counts in our leadership is not the length of years in Washington, but the reach of our vision, the strength of our beliefs, and that rare quality of mind and spirit that can call forth the best in our country and our people.

Barack Obama's ability to unify and inspire is a rare gift, and matters in politics because it allows a leader to get things done. It's not enough to rally the base and push an agenda through. A leader like Barack can bridge the gaping divide in this country to bring Americans together in common purpose.

Even rarer -- and more powerful -- is the movement of inspired Americans powering the Obama campaign. This is proof to me that an Obama presidency will be a transformational moment for our country. I've endorsed a leader not only with tremendous intelligence and skill, but a leader who has the extraordinary ability to move our country past the politics of fear and personal destruction and make Americans want to be part of something bigger than themselves.

Two days ago I endorsed Barack Obama. But today I'm following that with an emphatic endorsement of a new generation in American politics. Across this country, there's overwhelming turnout at the polls, unprecedented attention to the critical issues facing our nation and a growing conviction that our best days are still ahead. No matter who you support for president, I challenge you to accept the responsibilities of this new generation.

On Monday, I told Barack Obama he can rely on me. But the hope and promise of our nation relies on all of us.