The Lion Sleeps Tonight

Day 8: In The Jungle, The Quiet Jungle, The Lion Sleeps Tonight.

As all both of my readers may have noticed, I have semi-established a pattern of beginning the day's commentary with a non-sequitir. A strange little comment, unrelated to the subject at hand will generally follow the day's count. Today we vary from that pattern, given the somber nature of the subject. The sleeping lion is, indeed, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy.

Given my politics, it is probably no great surprise that I am in mourning. Ted Kennedy was duly dubbed "The Liberal Lion" during his tenure in The United States Senate. Upon his passing, only two senators in the history of that august institution had served for more years than Ted. He was a fixture, an icon, and a beacon to those of us who embrace the politics of the left.

I won't digress into partisanism tonight. That is for another time, and God knows Ted had his faults and excesses. However, wherever there was a cause in favor of the little man, the oppressed, or the weak and erring, Ted was leading the charge. Whatever his issues, this son of tremendous privilege and wealth never stopped pushing for a better life for those among us who (for whatever reason) fell through the cracks. His compassion will be his legacy.

Rest in peace, Teddy. You did a good job.

In today's News From The Motherland... Mr. Brown honors Senator Kennedy.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8221801.stm

Cheers!
FLT3