Character

A beautiful piece in the NYT about Obama's trip to see his grandmother:

She underwent a corneal transplant to see him on television. She reluctantly agreed to film a political ad when he needed to urgently reassure the voters about his distinctive American roots. She told him during one of their frequent telephone conversations that it might not hurt if he smiled a bit more.

And on Friday, Senator Barack Obama spent the day saying goodbye.

Mr. Obama came to the Punahou Circle Apartments here, a place of his own childhood, where his grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, lay gravely ill. For weeks, he has talked to doctors and tracked her condition. After she was released from the hospital last week, he received word that he should not wait until after the election to make what he believes could be his last visit.

Having said too many goodbyes myself recently, I want to comment here on what extraordinary emotional grit and courage this man is showing with his return to the campaign trail so quickly after this one. Of course he doesn't have a choice, but this display of character -- both in the leaving and in the return -- is something that should be noted more and isn't.