First Night

Last night at the Democratic National Convention, Sen. Ted Kennedy and Michelle Obama were up to bat, and both hit home runs. Kennedy provided the emotional charge for the evening, who continues to pass the Kennedy mantle to Obama: "The work begins anew, the hope rises again, and the dream lives on." (Shakesville has all the videos, if you're so inclined.)

What can you say about Michelle Obama, the Obama children and the interplay with their dad? By all measures, her speech was a smash, honest and personal, portraying the real person rather than the caricature the wingnuts and their media handmaidens have tried to paint.

Speaking of which, as usual, the numbnut cable tools were trying to generate buzz about the Obama- Clinton dynamic. Cooler heads like NBC/ MSNBC's Chuck Todd were cautioning that in a week or so, he doubted anyone would think that was "the story" coming out of the convention. That wouldn't stop the Fux Folks, Fux-Lite (CNN's Wolfie Blitzer and the "Best Team of Hacks on Teevee") from energetically pushing the meme. We wonder if they will be equally interested when the Rethug convention rolls around next week. As Daily Kos notes today, the Rethugs have issues of their own.