Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, Daughter of the...

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, Daughter of
the Late President John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy
/ADVANCE FOR RELEASE 11:00 P.M. EDT TODAY, AUGUST 25/

/ADVANCE/ DENVER, Aug. 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a
transcript of a speech, as prepared for delivery, by Caroline Kennedy
Schlossberg at the Democratic National Convention on Monday, August 25, 2008:
Scheduled for delivery: August 25, 2008 - 7:00-8:00 pm MT
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE ON DELIVERY

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080331/DNCCLOGO )
I am here tonight to pay tribute to two men who have changed my life and
the life of this country: Barack Obama and Edward M. Kennedy. Their stories
are very different, but they share a commitment to the timeless American
ideals of justice and fairness, service and sacrifice, faith and family.
Leaders like them come along rarely. But once or twice in a lifetime, they
come along just when we need them the most. This is one of those moments. As
our nation faces a fundamental choice between moving forward or falling
further behind, Senator Obama offers the change we need.
Everywhere I go in this country, people tell me that Barack Obama is
making them feel hopeful the way they did when my father was president. It's
partly the words he uses-words that remind us that we are all in this together
and that we each have something to contribute to this country that has given
us so much. But it's the life he has led that is the true source of this
inspiration-a life spent fighting for ordinary people in neighborhoods and
courts, in the state senate and the United States Senate.
I have never had someone inspire me the way people tell me my father
inspired them, but I do now, Barack Obama. And I know someone else who's been
inspired all over again by Senator Obama. In our family, he's known as Uncle
Teddy. More than any senator of his generation, or perhaps any generation,
Teddy has made life better for people in this country and around the world.
For 46 years, he has been so much more than just a senator for the people
of Massachusetts. He's been a senator for all who believe in a dream that's
never died. If you're no longer being denied a job because of your race,
gender or disability, or if you've seen a rise in the minimum wage you're
being paid, Teddy is your senator too.
If your children are receiving health care thanks to the Children's Health
Insurance Program, if you see a nurse at a community health center or if
you're benefiting from the Medicare program that he fought to create, and that
just last month he returned to the Senate to save, Teddy is your senator too.
If your child is getting an early boost in life through Head Start, or
attending a better school or can go to college because a Pell grant has made
it more affordable, Teddy is your senator too. And if you're an 18-year-old
who's going to vote for the first time-and I bet it'll be for Barack Obama-
Teddy is your senator too.
Not only has Teddy helped put the American dream within reach for so many
families, he's been a powerful force around the world for human rights and
human dignity, for refugees and the dispossessed. He helped end apartheid in
South Africa and bring peace to Northern Ireland. He's been a leader on
nuclear arms control. And he took a strong, early and courageous stand against
the war in Iraq.
He is a man who always insists that America live up to her highest ideals,
who always fights for what he knows is right and who is always there for
others. I've seen it in my own life. No matter how busy he is, he never fails
to find time for those in pain, those in grief or those who just need a hug.
In our family, he has never missed a first communion, a graduation, or a
chance to walk one of his nieces down the aisle.
He has a special relationship with each of us. And his 60 great nieces and
nephews all know that the best cookies and the best laughs are always found at
Uncle Teddy's. Whether he is teaching us about sailing, about the Senate or
about life, he has shown us how to chart our course, take the helm and sail
against the wind. And this summer, as he faced yet another challenge, he and
Vicki have taught us all about dignity, courage and the power of love.
In this campaign, Barack Obama has no greater champion. When he is
president, he will have no stronger partner in the United States Senate. Now,
it is my honor to introduce a tribute to Senator Edward M. Kennedy.
SOURCE 2008 Democratic National Convention Committee

Democratic National Convention Press Office, +1-720-362-2006