Brookswords

The Power of Us

Maria Shriver, niece of John & Robert Kennedy & wife of Arnold Schwarzenegger, must have read my last post.

In it, I remarked how similar her uncle, Robert Kennedy and Barack Obama were, in they ways in which they spoke not so much about themselves--like most politicians--but rather about all of us.

Today she made a surprise announcement, then said this, about Obama:

"He's not about himself. He's about the power of us and what we can do if we come together," Shriver said. "He is about empowering women, African Americans, Latinos, old people, young people. He's about empowering all of us."

Yes We Can

Today's endorsement of Barack Obama by Robert Kennedy's widow, Ethel Kennedy completes a circle after last weekend's endorsements by Ted Kennedy and Caroline Kennedy (despite the fact that a few of Ethel's kids are supporting Hillary Clinton). In her short, touching piece she notes that 'Barack is so like Bobby'--many others have noted the similarities (read one of the best here).

Obama, like Robert Kennedy, speaks words like 'we' and 'us' much more often that the more favored 'I' that politicians prefer--particularly both the Clintons.  On that note, here are two clips--first, a new one put together by will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas and, second, Robert Kennedy's remarks after the death of Marin Luther King, where he was given the unenviable task of announcing the news of the assassination to a largely African American crowd in Indianapolis.