I feel sorry for Chelsea. She has to stand around like a spectator at a car wreck while her two dysfunctional parents self-destruct right before her eyes, again.

I heard Hillary Clinton talking somewhere on the campaign circuit yesterday about her trip to the inauguration of Nelson Mandela. She spoke of the historic significance of his election and of the wonderful capacity he had to bring people together. For a moment, I thought she was actually endorsing Obama ... But, now, she was laying claim to having met "many heads of states and important people" when she was traveling on behalf of the U.S. during her husband's administration. But, honestly, everything she was saying in that story of Mandela sounded like a tribute to new leadership with a fresh vision.

The irony is, that's the platform Bill ran on way back when ...

We're seriously parsing endorsements based on Kennedy DNA? Oh well... in 40 years, maybe the GOP will be doing the same thing with Bush progeny.

Wake me when a real issue presents itself.

Whatever your choice or thoughts about the three vying for the Presidential nomination, this confirms that Obama is an insider, no matter what guise he is wearing. To have the endorsement of Kennedy is to be inside, by definition. And no one gets there by strength of his virtues, only by the deals he has made.

So maybe now everyone will realize that there is no "outsider" candidate. Probably not, since that would require a level of independent thinking not currently nurtured by this culture.

Kerry and now Kennedy, such an interesting combination of personalities. Thinking people might want to examine what they have in common. I don't know, but it is discomforting.

While the media has seen fit to openly savage Hillary Clinton (Chris Matthews, anyone?), they've given Obama a pass. Just to level the playing field a little, Team Clinton had to play hard.

But they've gone too far. The Clinton Campaign has gone after Obama with a vengeance. They're using tactics best reserved for defending themselves against crazy right-wingers, people who deserve whatever they get.

Obama doesn't deserve this. And it makes the Clintons look divisive, petty and backward-looking. The Clintons are even turning off people who support them and making Obama stronger and tested for a general election.

Team Clinton, stop this now. Save the dirty tricks for players who fight dirty.

Obama = the 21st century's JFK

The Clintons had their time. Thanks for the 90's (except for that bit at the end) but I'd like to move on now.

It's not about insider status.

Caroline Kennedy is saying Barack Obama could be like her father and inspire people "the way people tell me that my father inspired them." It's about romance and inspiration and fire and hope. The Bush name doesn't even come close.

Plenty of candidates have tried to anoint themselves the next John F. Kennedy (eg. Dan Quayle), but Obama has been anointed by the Kennedys as the next JFK.

And that's huge.

I think it can only be viewed as positive for Obama to receive such praise from the Kennedy family. It gives Obama credibility with the establishment while so many were criticizing his youth and inexperience. I thought Caroline Kennedy's statement was powerful and it spoke volumes.

One of the most senior and experienced senators endorses the first serious black candidate for president.

It was also revealed that Hillary had been seeking his endorsement for months?

Sen. Edwards had initially decided to withhold his endorsement until after the primaries, but changed his mind, partly because of the actions of ex-president Bill Clinton.

Ya, that's political news.

Or K.K.T? I noticed that you did, however, fail to mention that Suharto -- Indonesia's bloody dictator died.

Perhapsyou could focus on current events that mean something?

Many Democrats resent the Clintons for their increasingly harsh words for their primary opponent, Barack Obama.

Personally, I hope the Democrats don't get another candidate that talks about "uplifting the level of our public discourse" while the Republican's hit him over the head with a bar stool.

If Ted Kennedy comes out to endorse Obama.. that will put the Senator from Illinois in a very good position.

In fact, it would be a great position if the Gentleman from Illinois is planning to do a bit of drunk driving before running off a bridge with a woman, not his wife.

Should this happen and he then tries to save his own skin, rather than his hapless passenger, it will be good to have Teddy nearby for the advice of one who's been there.

And Caroline Kennedy? If Obama reminds her of her father.. she obviously doesn't remember much of her father... poor thing.

Where's Lloyd Bentsen when we need him.

"... John Kennedy was a friend of mine. You, are no John Kennedy..."

I'm not a Clinton-basher, but I agree that his behavior of late has been beyond the pale, and that in particular his comparison of Obama's victory in South Carolina to Jesse Jackson's in 1984 and 1988 was disgraceful, for some of the reasons you mention.

But you are quite wrong about one thing -- when Jackson won South Carolina the results certainly mattered. This occured in March, 1984, right after Super Tuesday. Remember, after winning New Hampshire, Gary Hart won a whole string of small-state primaries and even on Super Tuesday hart won the vast majority of states (Mondale won 3). But the media played that as a resurrection for Mondale, which of course it was to some extent. But the race was still VERY much in play. It was a string of devastating losses in large states (Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York) that did Hart in. But these all came AFTER South Carolina, not before.

Sorry, but this part of the meme that says that it's not comparable because the nomination was already sewn up by the time Jackson won in South Carolina could not possibly be more wrong.

Senator Kennedy's endorsement probably says more about his attitude toward the Clintons than it does toward Obama.