Steady Teddy.

"My fellow Democrats, my fellow Americans, it is so wonderful to be here. And nothing going to keep me away from this special gathering." In an emotional valedictory of sorts, Ted Kennedy kicked the major speeches off in grand fashion, brain tumor be damned. [Transcript.] "Yes, we are all Americans. This is what we do. We reach the moon. We scale the heights. I know it. I've seen it. I've lived it. And we can do it again. There is a new wave of change all around us, and if we set our compass true, we will reach our destination -- not merely victory for our Party, but renewal for our nation. And this November the torch will be passed again to a new generation of Americans, so with Barack Obama and for you and for me, our country will be committed to his cause. The work begins anew. The hope rises again. And the dream lives on."

Now, that's a great introduction. However you feel about Sen. Kennedy, he undoubtedly stands like a liberal colossus over the straits of our times. In one of the darkest periods in our history to be a lefty, Sen. Kennedy has kept the flame alive, from the horrors of '68 through Nixon, Reagan, 41, and Dubya. Given everything he and his family stand for, it's hard to think of a better or more moving way to commemorate this week's passing of the torch. Get well, Senator -- We want you back in 2012.