Welcome Back, Kerry

For Barack Obama, it's great to have someone like Joe Biden at your side. And to welcome Bill Clinton back in the fold is a pleasing development. However, the strident support of John Kerry for Obama might be one of the most overlooked aspects of the convention - the cable networks made the wrong decision to go with their pundits during much of his speech last night.

Though his speech received much less hoopla, Kerry probably delivered a stinging rebuke of the Bush White House and the very important reasons why Democrats must unite in time for the November election. Matt quips that Kerry "he razed the right wing in a fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan."

Better than anyone in Denver so far (even Michelle Obama), Kerry rebutted these poisonous right-wing attacks against Barack's patriotism:

So who can we trust to keep America safe? The McCain-Bush Republicans have been wrong again and again and again. And they know they will lose on the issues. So, the candidate who once promised a "contest of ideas," now has nothing left but personal attacks. How insulting to suggest that those who question the mission, question the troops. How pathetic to suggest that those who question a failed policy doubt America itself. How desperate to tell the son of a single mother who chose community service over money and privilege that he doesn't put America first.

In many ways, Kerry has become the forgotten man of Democratic politics since he was Swift Boated into second place in the 2004 election. But, like Al Gore before him, he seems to have been liberated by that loss over the past four years.

I find the idea that Kerry is trying to make up for his failed presidential campaign "by attempting to become the best ex-presidential nominee" an intriguing one. If Hillary Clinton feels the same way, and they continue to take up the Democratic cause with tenacity over the next few months, then I think Nov. 4 will be their vindication. History would remember them all favorably.

UPDATE: Guess I wasn't alone. Ta-Nehisi, Andrew Sullivan and Josh Marshall all think Kerry was on the money last night, too.