President Obama's Eulogy for Sen. Ted Kennedy

I watched all of President Obama's eulogy for Sen. Ted Kennedy last night. The President hit all of the right notes, speaking for a nation, giving meaning to a tragedy and helping us to find hope amidst the ashes.

That a Black man was called upon for this task by the Kennedy family is an immense triumph in a sense, but then Barack Obama is not just any Black man. He is the President of the United States of America, due in no small measure to the intervention of Senator Kennedy and his entire family at a critical time in the presidential primaries.

Senator Kennedy, Representative Patrick Kennedy, Eunice Kennedy and the entire clan vested Obama with the Kennedy legacy at a critical time, telling America that Obama is the carrier of the torch of a dream that has been at the bosom of the Kennedy family for generations. President Obama's speech embodied the powerful legacy of the Kennedys and, speaking for the hopes, dreams and sorrows of the Kennedys, President Obama lifted a torch that lights his path as well.

The question remains whether President Obama can live up to the dream of the Kennedys, that has been motivated not by a desire to please and win the favor of the wealthy, but rather to uplift the downtrodden. So far, we've seen a lot of focus on the corporate interests of America, including General Motors and the big banks that just keep getting bigger. When Obama could have insisted that banking legislation include provisions for humble Americans to keep their homes through bankruptcy procedures, Obama was quiet while the humble got tumbled. Big banks got bigger and little borrowers got fewer new provisions for the help they deserve.

Obama's legacy will include the appointment of Sonia Sotomayor, which in itself is a history-making victory nearly on a par with that of the election of President Obama. Obama showed a clear understanding that women must be represented equally on the court, and the country's diversity must be represented as well. He also spoke of empathy and may have helped to legitimize empathy, particularly in light of the horrendous Ledbetter decision of the Court last year, that effectively told women of all ages to go and screw themselves.

It's trick or treat time with Barack Obama, and we never know whether we will be treated or have simply been tricked. It all depends on what's in the bag at the end of the evening.