Sad News Today: Obama's grandmother passed away

Sad news for the Obama family. His grandmother died today. I could not help but think it is too bad she was not able to live a few more days, so she could have seen her grandson become the President elect. Senator Obama and his family have my deep sympathy.

Barack Obama and his sister Maya Soetoro-Ng have released this statement:

It is with great sadness that we announce that our grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, has died peacefully after a battle with cancer. She was the cornerstone of our family, and a woman of extraordinary accomplishment, strength, and humility. She was the person who encouraged and allowed us to take chances. She was proud of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and left this world with the knowledge that her impact on all of us was meaningful and enduring. Our debt to her is beyond measure.

Our family wants to thank all of those who sent flowers, cards, well-wishes, and prayers during this difficult time. It brought our grandmother and us great comfort. Our grandmother was a private woman, and we will respect her wish for a small private ceremony to be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, we ask that you make a donation to any worthy organization in search of a cure for cancer.

This is what Obama said about his grandmother during his convention speech:

And when I hear a woman talk about the difficulties of starting her own business, I think about my grandmother, who worked her way up from the secretarial pool to middle-management, despite years of being passed over for promotions because she was a woman. She's the one who taught me about hard work.

She's the one who put off buying a new car or a new dress for herself so that I could have a better life. She poured everything she had into me. And although she can no longer travel, I know that she's watching tonight, and that tonight is her night as well.

John and Cindy McCain showing real class released this statement:

We offer our deepest condolences to Barack Obama and his family as they grieve the loss of their beloved grandmother. Our thoughts and prayers go out to them as they remember and celebrate the life of someone who had such a profound impact in their lives.

The same cannot be said about the classless jerks in the California Republican Party. The California Republican Party filed an FEC complaint against Barack Obama today for visiting his dying grandmother a little over a week ago. BarbinMD at DailyKos has the details in a post aptly titled, "This Is What Desperation Smells Like." The Republicans are somehow alleging Obama that a presidential candidate using the campaign plane to fly to one of the 50 states is a violation of the law. They're sick. Really, they're sick.