From Ted Kennedy's service at Arlington National Cemetary tonight, Cardinal McCarrick reads a letter that President Obama hand delivered to the Pope for him, and reads the Vatican's response as well. As Wolf Blitzer noted just after the service ended, it was known that the letter was sent to the Pope, but not what was in it, or that there was a response from the Pope before tonight.

Digby had this to say about it. All The Way To The End

Ted Kennedy "politicized" his own funeral, in his own words, written in a letter to the Pope and read by Cardinal McCarrick at Arlington National Cemetery:

I want you to know, your Holiness, that in my nearly 50 years of elective office I have done my best to champion the rights of the poor and open doors of economic opportunity. I've worked to welcome the immigrant, to fight discrimination and expand access to health care and education. I've opposed the death penalty and fought to end war. Those are the issues that have motivated me and have been the focus of my work as a United States Senator.

I also want you to know that even though I am ill, I am committed to do everything I can to get access to health care for everyone in my country. This has been the political cause of my life. I believe in a conscience protection for Catholics in the health field and will continue to advocate for it as my colleagues in the Senate and I work to develop an overall national policy that guarantees health care for everyone.

Go ahead. Wellstone that, wingnuts.

Sadly, I'm sure they will regardless of how ridiculous it makes them look. It seems nothing embarrasses them, so I don't know why this would be any different. They'll be calling Pope Benedict XVI a liberal commie before it's over.