Teddy Without Tears
Pardon the following lapse of manners, for its rather unseemly to write or speak critically of the terminally ill, but the outpouring of media and political grief following Senator Ted Kennedys diagnosis of brain cancer has me in a real stew. Yes, its grim news for Kennedys wife, children and relatives, but lets be honest: The man is 76 years old (a hard 76, I might add) and has led a long, privileged and exciting life. Most objective people would say hes had a pretty good run.
When the severity of Kennedys condition was made public late last month, Senator Patrick Leahy said, Im having a hard time remembering a day in my 34 years here Ive felt so sadly. No undue disrespect intended to the Vermont windbag, but if his memory is that faulty he ought to make a doctors appointment post-haste. Are the events of September 11, 2001 now so distant that Leahy actually feels worse about an elderly friends medical predicament than the nearly 3,000 people, of all ages, who perished on that day? Was that not the saddest day in recent memory, not only in Washington, D.C. and New York but across the country as well? While I dont think Leahy, among others who are shocked by the latest Kennedy tragedy (since when is it tragic when a person of that age dies?) was intentionally callous, for thats what his statement was, but it sure ticks me off. One can only imagine how the relatives of the innocent Americans who were killed on 9/11 might feel if they came across Leahys comment. Likewise, youd think Leahy, a vociferous critic of the Iraq War, would feel just as sad every time a young man or woman is killed in combat.
Bloombergs Albert Huntonce the token liberal columnist at The Wall Street Journal and a regular on televisions The Capital Gangwas typical in his fulsome, grossly exaggerated pre-obituary of Kennedy in a sickening article published on May 26. He begins: Edward M. Kennedy is the most gifted legislator, and one of the best politicians and most exuberant public servants I have known in my almost four decades of covering Washington and politics. Historians will rank him with Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, Robert Taft and John C. Calhoun as a giant of the Senate He is and will be the gold standard of excellence in the Senate.
Waiter, reality check please? Its not until the 15th paragraph of Hunts article that he mentions, in cruel passing, what many people think of first when Ted Kennedys name is mentioned. There remain legions of Kennedy haters, some of whom resent his liberal politics, and others who can never forgive his behavior at Chappaquiddick in 1969 when a young woman died. Hunt cant bring himself to even mention the name of that 29-year-old young woman, Mary Jo Kopechne, who perished when the car Kennedy was driving veered off the Dike Bridge between Chappaquiddick Island and Marthas Vineyard.
Kennedy, who didnt report the accident to local authorities until the following day, received a two-month suspended sentence for his actions. Because of the familys immense popularity in Massachusetts (and obviously the recent assassinations of his brothers Jack and Bobby) Kennedy wasnt forced to resign. Its inconceivable todaywith the massive, instantaneous communications industry that he would have politically survived such an immense scandal. By the same token, President Kennedy, with his blatant promiscuity, concealed illnesses, connections with the mob and fundraising proceduresbags of cash exchanged at airportswas also the product of a clubby Washington culture that wasnt so far removed from Boss Tweed.
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Yet Ted Kennedys blemishes, to be charitable, didnt start and end with Chappaquiddick. Hunt continues (in fairness, I could have picked out a dozen similar pieces): Yet when it comes to character and personal generosity, few measure up to Kennedy. As the sole surviving son of the fabled family, he has been a parent to, in addition to his own three children, the 13 kids of his slain brothers; other nieces and nephews, some considerably successful on their own, worship him.
I could be wrong, but its probably safe to assume that the Senators nephew, William Kennedy Smith, doesnt unconditionally worship his uncle. It was back in 1991 when Smith, accompanied by Kennedy and his son Patrick, spent time knocking back drinks at Palm Beachs Au Bar; Smith, then 30, picked up a 29-year-old woman and the four of them retreated to a family-owned house. Patricia Bowman, the object of Smiths affections, subsequently accused him of rape, although he was acquitted of all charges at a well-publicized criminal trial later that year. Ted Kennedy was divorced at the timeGQ ran a scathing profile of him around the same time that detailed his sexual adventures in Washington, often accompanied by buddy Senator Christopher Doddand an object of ridicule not only for his carousing but also for his yo-yo weight losses and gains.
Also in 1991, at the contentious Judiciary Committee hearings over President Bushs Supreme Court nomination of Clarence Thomaswhere Anita Hill accused Thomas of sexual harassmentKennedy, supposedly a champion of womens rights, was noticeably mute. Journalist Anna Quindlen, then with the New York Times, wrote that Kennedy let us down because he had to; he was muzzled by the facts of his life. And the Boston Globe, a steadfast ally of Kennedy, editorialized that his reputation as a womanizer made him an inappropriate and non-credible leader in the bid to scuttle the conservative Thomas nomination.
That wasnt the case, however, in 1987, when Kennedy was brutal and demagogic in his attacks on Ronald Reagans own Supreme Court nominee, Robert Borkso much so that the term Borking became part of Washingtons lexicon. Its true that Bork was, and is, conservative; but Kennedy, who today is hailed as the ultimate Senate conciliator, a man who can work with Democrats and Republicans alike, was a madman on a mission. In a quote that ought to be taught in all high schools and colleges, public and privateif only to slightly balance the Camelot mythology that persists to this dayKennedy thundered: Robert Borks America is a land in which women would be forced into back-alley abortions, blacks would sit at segregated lunch counters, rogue police could break down citizens doors in midnight raids, schoolchildren could not be taught about evolution, writers and artists could be censored at the whim of the government and doors of the federal courts would be shut on the fingers of millions of citizens.
This filth came from the mouth of the man commonly referred to as the liberal lion of the Senate (a grossly grandiose compliment conferred upon him long before his current cancer diagnosis). Kennedy, without the aid of a speechwriter (not unlike George W. Bush) has never been known for his extemporaneous rhetoric, let along speaking in complete sentencesas his infamous 1979 interview with Roger Mudd, in which he couldnt articulate why he wanted to be president, amply demonstratedso maybe the above bit of paranoid and delusional character assassination was the handiwork of an acolyte such as speechwriter Robert Shrum, but thats no excuse. Really, did Kennedy actually believe that Borks elevation to the Supreme Court would lead to, among the other charges, of blacks sit[ting] at segregated lunch counters? Of course not, although were it not for his own personal scandals, its a given that Clarence Thomas would have received the same treatment in 1991 and probably not be on the Court today.
Last week The Harvard Crimson ran an editorial beseeching the schools administration to award Kennedy a doctorate honoris causa at this years commencement. The authors are concerned that since Kennedy may not live to receive an honorary degree next yearsuch recognition is not conferred posthumously at Harvardthis may be his last chance. As one of the Universitys most distinguished sons and actively engaged alumni, the editorial continues, Senator Kennedy has touched the lives of numerous undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, and staff.
However, theres probably good reason that the schools vetting committee for honorary degrees isnt as keen on this idea as the Crimson writers. Kennedy was expelled from Harvard for cheatingafter serving in the army for two years he was readmitteda story the Boston Globe discovered in 1962 when he was running for his brothers Massachusetts Senate seat at the age of 30. According to Richard Reeves book President Kennedy: Profile of Power, JFK negotiated with the Globes Washington bureau chief about the how the story should be handled. JFK joked at the time, We havent spent as much fucking time on anything since Cuba. Reeves, a traditional liberal, continues: The President and the bureau chief worked out a statement, which Edward Kennedy repeated in a staged interview, admitting that another student had taken a freshman Spanish exam for him. Subsequently, the ... then ran a gentle story about the Harvard incident.
The late Texas Gov. Ann Richards once famously said about the first President Bush, Poor George. He was born on third base and thinks he hit a triple. Maybe so, but Bush has nothing on Teddy Kennedy when it comes to the extraordinary perks of wealth, power and fame. Im not saying Kennedys achieved nothing in the Senatehis immigration reform stance, for example, is important, especially today when the country is in a protectionist modebut as the formal glowing obituaries are being written right now, its important to remember that this political celebrity has had, at best, an extremely checkered career.