U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts addresses the Democratic National Convention Monday night. Gargoyle photos by Will Fernandez (click to enlarge)

U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. of Chicago also spoke at the convention.

Caroline Kennedy, daughter of President John F. Kennedy, pays tribute to her uncle.

Conventioneers show their appreciation for the senator's lifetime of political service.

Michelle Obama tells the story of the family values that shaped her and her husband.

Denver's Pepsi Center was the place to be Monday night.

Note: As Ted Kennedy and Michelle Obama spoke to a nationwide prime-time audience Monday night in Denver, sophomore Will Fernandez was there. Check back throughout the week as Will provides daily coverage of the Democratic National Convention for the Uni community. Visit our Twitter site for additional updates this week.

DENVER — Though Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi set her sights on attacking presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain, the moments that most captured the mood of the delegates Monday night were ones of unity and inspiration.

They came particularly from U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. of Illinois, U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, and Michelle Obama, wife of the Democratic Party's own presumptive nominee, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama.

Pelosi’s most biting line, “Some say John McCain has experience — the experience of being wrong,” received a roar from the audience, but others from the trio of Jackson, Kennedy, and Mrs. Obama brought the house down.

Referencing the “I Have a Dream” speech of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered 45 years ago this coming Thursday, Jackson said, “Forty-five years to the day after a young preacher called out, ‘Let freedom ring,’ let history show in this fourth week of August in this Mile High City, freedom in America has never rung from a higher mountaintop than it does here today.”

After a video that brought tears to the eyes about Ted Kennedy’s impact on his country, his party, and his family, the senator, who is still fighting brain cancer, made a surprise appearance and delivered some of the evening’s most memorable words. Acknowledging both the moment and his condition he said, “Nothing, nothing was going to keep me away from this special gathering tonight.”

Kennedy’s closing remarks made reference to President John F. Kennedy’s challenge to put a man on the moon and had echoes of his older brother’s inaugural address and the senator’s own speech to the 1980 Democratic convention.

“Our people answered his [President Kennedy’s] call and rose to the challenge,” the senator said. “We are Americans. That is what we do. We reach the moon. We scale the heights. … And we can do it again.”

Kennedy continued: “This November, the torch will be passed again to a new generation of Americans. And so with Barack Obama — for you and me, for our country and for our cause — the work begins anew, the hope rises again, and the dream lives on.”

Michelle Obama seemingly exceeded the audience’s expectations by telling a heartfelt story of her growing up on Chicago’s South Side with a loving brother, mother, and a father who suffered from multiple sclerosis and complimenting her husband’s primary opponent, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York.

Her most focused remarks, seemingly intended to rebut insinuations from detractors that maybe her husband is not American enough, were about values — values she shares with her husband and values they both share with other Americans.

“Barack and I,” she said, “were raised with so many of the same values: that you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say you’re going to do; that you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don’t know them and even if you don’t agree with them.

“We want our children and all children in this nation to know that the only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.”

Barack Obama himself made a brief appearance via satellite to congratulate his wife on her speech and say hello to his two daughters. Appearing on a giant video screen from Kansas City, where he viewed the speech from the home of supporters, he joked about Michelle’s reference about how persistent he had been in trying to get her to go out with him.

“Now you know why I was persistent,” he said. “And people want a persistent president.”

Coming next: Musicians rock the vote Monday night.

Remaining Schedule for the Democratic National Convention

Note: All events listed below will take place at the Pepsi Center unless otherwise noted.

Tuesday, Aug. 26: Renewing America’s Promise

• Headline prime-time speaker: Former presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York

• Keynote speaker: former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner

• Other speakers include pay equity pioneer Lilly Ledbetter, Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, Gov. Janet Napolitano of Arizona, Gov. Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania, Sen. Bob Casey Jr. of Pennsylvania, Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, and House Democratic Caucus Chair Rahm Emanuel

Wednesday, Aug. 27: Securing America’s Future

• Headline prime-time speaker: Barack Obama’s vice presidential nominee, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware

• Featured speakers will include former President Bill Clinton, former Sen. Tom Daschle of South Dakota, Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, Sen. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley

Thursday, Aug. 28: Change You Can Believe In

• On Thursday night, the DNCC will throw open the doors of the convention and move to INVESCO Field at Mile High so that more Americans can be a part of the fourth night of the convention as Barack Obama accepts the Democratic nomination

• Additional details of the program preceding Obama’s acceptance speech to be announced