Ted Kennedy – Lover Of A Good Joke, Especially About The Woman He Murdered

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Sorry….Ted Kennedy is a monster, no other way to describe him. Here is one of his close friends (see comments below), former editor of Newsweek and New York Times Magazine Ed Klein describing one of the favorite kind of jokes Mr. Kennedy enjoyed:

I don’t know if you know this or not, but one of his favorite topics of humor was indeed Chappaquiddick itself. And he would ask people, “have you heard any new jokes about Chappaquiddick?” That is just the most amazing thing. It’s not that he didn’t feel remorse about the death of Mary Jo Kopechne, but that he still always saw the other side of everything and the ridiculous side of things, too.

Mark Hemingway:

EXCUSE ME? If that’s true, it makes Kennedy kind of a monster. The odd thing is that if you listen to the whole show, the tone of everyone involved is nauseatingly hagiographic and reverential. Klein apparently let his guard down a bit; after he lets it slip Kennedy liked to joke about the woman he killed you can actually hear in his voice that he’s trying to backpedal. The show actually cuts to a break as he’s trying to explain himself, and I seriously wonder if it wasn’t the producers trying to do Klein a favor. But I’m sorry, there appears to be little to that could explain this. It goes way beyond “you had to be there.”

What a disgusting POS this man was. Using people as pawns to further his own ego and agenda, and when he kills someone he jokes about it for decades. What a riot.

But the left has his back. Check out HuffPo:

We don’t know how much Kennedy was affected by her death, or what she’d have thought about arguably being a catalyst for the most successful Senate career in history. What we don’t know, as always, could fill a Metrodome.

Still, ignorance doesn’t preclude a right to wonder. So it doesn’t automatically make someone (aka, me) a Limbaugh-loving, aerial-wolf-hunting NRA troll for asking what Mary Jo Kopechne would have had to say about Ted’s death, and what she’d have thought of the life and career that are being (rightfully) heralded.

Who knows — maybe she’d feel it was worth it.

Yeah, Mary Jo would of been a-ok with drowning had she known what a long and fulfilling life the scum Senator would of had. Drew M:

It never ceases to amaze me that liberals, especially liberal women, who look to Democrats to vindicate their feminist ideas are willing to put up with sexual abuse, offer themselves up sexually or even think women might be happy to die for them.

This is their idea of what political heroes should be? Sick stuff.

Rick Moran:

[I]t does highlight the liberal mindset quite well, don’t you think? To left wing fanatics like Lafsky, human life does not belong to the individual, but to the higher cause of the collective good. For Lafsky, of course Kopechne would, if she had a crystal ball and been able to see the future, have sacrificed herself on the altar of social “progress” rather than live a full life filled with friends, family, kids, and a fulfilling career.

What a despicable thing to write.

Very telling that someone like Ted Kennedy would joke about murdering a young girl and that the left would herald it all. Telling, and sad.

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Stopthepresses finds old Kennedy family friend who attempts to send America a coded message , http://stopthepresses2.blogspot.com/search/label/Ted

SEE YA…WOULDN’T WANT TA BE YA.

Other than verifying what a tool Teddy was this clip also shows the utter stupidity of the MSN. Just listen to the jubilant voice of the interviewer with the heavy English accent Kathy Kay. She says and I paraphrase, “I’ll bet when he walked into a room his booming voice just took over” yea lady and the jerk with his other jerk friend Chris Dodd would make a waitress sandwich out of you.

Where are all the kennedy butt-kissers now? They are not commenting, because his joking about killing Kopechne is indefensible, even for a liberal.

We are considered “low” because we would not bow down and praise dead Ted, but he can make jokes about killing a girl? Come on Liberals. Where is the outrage over this? He was not a very nice person, he was kicked out of Harvard for cheating on an exam, but was allowed back in about a year later thanks to his name. He has been given so many passes because of his name he came to expect it. He considered himself to be above everyone else. He refused to follow rules and the law and he flaunted it in our faces. Bobby campaigned for civil rights and was assassinated while running for President, Eunice started the Special Olympics because of Rosemary, and Joseph gave his life for our country during the war. Those are the Kennedys that should be given praise and thanks for making such big contributions to our country. That leaves Ted and Jack. Jack was known for the disasterous Bay of Pigs, for being the first Catholic President, having affairs, and he was assassinated. Ted was known for killing a girl, drinking and womanizing, and living as if the world owed him something. That pretty much sums it up. If I forgot something, I am sure I will hear about it. But, as of right now, I can’t think of a darn thing a Kennedy did for our country other than what I have stated.
My opinion and I state it proudly
Madalyn

We all know the Kennedy brothers learned to use and disrespect women at their father’s knee. But Teddy was the first (that we know of) who went over the line and caused the death of one. Now we learn that, far from being remorseful and contrite, Teddy found endless amusement in the incident at Chappaquiddick. This explains how his nephew, Michael Skakel, thought he could get away with Martha Moxley’s murder.

@Madalyn

Jack was known for the disasterous Bay of Pigs, for being the first Catholic President, having affairs, and he was assassinated….That pretty much sums it up. If I forgot something, I am sure I will hear about it. But, as of right now, I can’t think of a darn thing a Kennedy did for our country other than what I have stated.
My opinion and I state it proudly

In regards to JFK – didn’t you forget Cuban Missile Crisis – y’know that slightly anxious time when nuclear war was a distinct possibility but was thankfully averted? Also known for setting up the Peace Corps, his famous Berlin speech, setting the goal to put a man on the moon, progress on civil liberties and further involvement in Vietnam? But I guess it’s more fun to dismiss him using mainly negatives.

GaffaUK – I said if I forgot anything I would hear about it, and I did. I am not a spring chicken anymore, and when I comment, I am usually focused on a thought I had. I knew considering all the Kennedy kids there would be some things I did not remember offhand, or did not know about at all. You have made your point, and I was not dismissing Jack “using mainly negatives”. That was what I remembered as I was typing. Actually, I was going to use my previous post to make comments mainly about Ted, but considering Rosemary, the patriotism of Joe, and the accomplishments of Eunice and Robert, I just started typing. I did not mean to impart that no member of the Kennedy clan ever did anything good. If I am in error, I apologize. I will never run away from a mistake I make. I will own up to it. Mea Culpa
Just my opinion
Madalyn

As to the talk of renaming Obamacare after Ted Kennedy, if it would’nt be such an insult to both the Copechne family and all military who under go water boarding in military training, would instead suggest renaming water boarding to “pulling a Ted Kennedy”.

But the Copechne family and military do not deserve to be tainted with Ted Keneddy’s name attatched to anything.

The soul of the Democrat’s party, according to Obama.

Without knowing it or, I’m sure, meaning to, Orin Hatch unveiled the hypocrite that was Ted Kennedy.

Hatch told a story of Kennedy lambasting him in a most scurrilous speech and afterward, away from the crowds and cameras putting his arm around Hatch and saying, “How’d I do?” with a big smile on his face.

A person who does and says one thing in one place and does and says something altogether different in another is a hypocrite. A person of low moral character, and Obama called Kennedy the soul of the Democrat’s party. Fitting.

Your hate for Kennedy translates to fear of him and what he worked to accomplish. If your just venting so you can feel superior to others, cool I guess we all do that at times, and while a low class activity, is human nature. The man did try in the last part of his life to do right and get his life straightened up.

The man is gone, and facing his judgement before God, and He will render a just verdict.

On a Christian level, God forgave the Apostle Paul for knowingly and with intent killing Christians…no manslaughter here, plain and simple with forethought and premeditation murder of many, the man Paul was a mass murderer. God, not man is the judge of every man’s heart. Your harsh judgment of Kennedy is misplaced as it belongs with a higher power and goes against the teachings of Christ himself. Things worked out in Kennedy’s life the way it was supposed to if you believe in God’s ability to take something bad and turn it into something good.

Conservatives speak of family values, right to life, and the Christian coalition is their very base of support. It is your fear of Kennedy’s legacy and it’s effect on the health care debate that drives the hate you write and the judgment of the man is not your’s to make. I would tell you what I think about the words and values you promote versus the fruits of your actions (Jesus said “you shall know them by their fruits”) but I suppose I would be judging you wouldn’t I?

Joe senior was a Hitler apologist recalled from his ambassador’s position in England for comments he made on the radio praising Hitler and his policies prior to WWII.

The elder Kennedy hated the Boston WASPS and the upper class Catholics that tried to exclude him from their circles, not because of his wealth but how he obtained it. He appeared to have a perverse hatred for anyone with wealth, except of course he and his.

Some think, but not I, that the many tragedies that befell the Kennedy family were in no small measure for the “sins of the father.”

An oft-repeated line on Law and Order is, “the rich are different.” When you are talking about rich, the Oracle of Omaha and Bill Gates are pikers compared to the Kennedy Klan, and that rich is beyond different.

Lets take Mooseburgers strawman argument to its next logical step:

Your hate for Ted Kennedy causes you to reject the Lion’s sense of humor! Since you fear him so much you cannot forgive Ted’s jovial attitude towards manslaughter and the woman that he killed.

When money and power can tip the scales of justice just forgive our liberal power structure as it pulls another Wellstone political funeral campaign. Not only should you turn the other cheek, but you should look away, look away. Be silent you Conservative haters!!!

God Bless the Government and report all dissent to flag@whitehouse.gov

Peace!

@Madalyn

Fair enough…

GaffaUK #14 – I do have a tendency to suffer from brain farts more often than I used to due to old age. I get rather focused on a train of thought and my fingers just take off with a life of their own. I am not trying to make fun of anyone, I just do not like it when someone dies and all at once he/she is a “Saint”. It depresses me to think that everything someone does on earth is forgotten except the good when they pass. I know it is human nature to remember the good, but by all means, the bad was there too. I will not go into the things I consider to be the “bad” that Ted did, but suffice it to say, I feel there was plenty. I consider myself to be a “sinner” due to the fact that I have made a lot of mistakes in my many years here on earth, but I have never commited a crime, or refused to take responsibility for a mistake/error I make.
As I usually say:’
My opinion only
Madalyn

This monster kills an innocent woman and then jokes about Mary Jo’s death? Some hero! His “legacy” is that of pure trash: unfit for an honorable burial in Arlington.

You are right. Making jokes about the death of others is always abhorrent. Doing it makes you demonic.

Now here’s a little humor we can all laugh with…

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5662853583740403796&ei=AJaaSq6RKJ76rAKi0uz9Ag&hl=en

Good times.

I don’t know, Curt. Some Old Guy posts video, above, of Bush joking about killing people before a live audience of hundreds, whereas all you’ve got is a hearsay assertion from Ed Klein, gossip columnist for Parade magazine.

If liberals aren’t rushing to defend Kennedy’s alleged love for Kopechne jokes, perhaps it’s because your evidence that he did is really very thin. In other words, your outrage looks more like a smear job compounded by hypocrisy. Given Kennedy’s repeated public expressions of responsibility, regret, and sorrow, for Kopechne’s death, your accusation lacks credibility.

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Jokes about Chappaquiddick are jokes at Ted’s expense. It would be like Clinton asking for new Whitewater jokes. It’s self-effacing. Assuming the quote is accurate, it seems fairly absurd to conclude that he was soliciting jokes about Mary Jo Kopechne. Surely you can criticize the man, and his actions, and his beliefs, without having to make him into the demon spawn of Hitler, right?

Do you really expect us to believe that Kennedy was a big fan of Chappaquiddick jokes for years, and his political enemies never used it against him during his lifetime? How convenient to drag this out after he’s dead. Even those who didn’t like the man should stop and ask whether this passes the smell test.

Lolly, these are not the words of any particular blog authors. Below is the excerpt of the Diane Rehm show, interviewing Ted’s good buddy, Ed Klein. Klein has a book coming out about his friend. Apparently, you chose *not* to listen to the linked broadcast.

It is Klein who said Kennedy enjoyed Chappaquiddick jokes, saying:

“I don’t know if you know this or not, one of his favorite topics of humor was, indeed, Chappaquiddick itself. And he [Kennedy] would ask people, have you heard any new jokes about Chappaquiddick? I mean, that is just the most amazing thing. It’s not that he didn’t feel remorse about the death of Mary Jo Kopechne, but that he still always saw … um… the other side of everything and the ridiculous side of things too.

I suggest is you wish to complain about the “smell test”, you contact Ed Klein and ask him why he chose to “drag this out” about his friend.

Mata Harley:

… Ted’s good buddy, Ed Klein.

Amazing the things conservatives will believe. Like that Ed Klein was Kennedy’s “good buddy”, that Kennedy would enjoy the disgusting jokes about Kopechne that Conservatives and Republicans have been promulgating for the past four decades (the conservative capacity for projection is apparently limitless), or that Kennedy would vote against a public insurance option for healthcare.

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Ya know, I’m going to give it to JGabriel here. Every account you read of this speaks of Klein’s “friend” status. Hey, it was logical to accept he was a friend, what with all the other Kennedy bios he’s done, plus the left leaning NewsWeek association. So I decided to do a bit of extra snooping, based on JGabriel’s chastisement.

In particular, I noticed a search with excerpts brings up language in Wiki that is now removed… calling Klein a “close personal friend”. Knowing the penchant for the so-called journalists for Wiki source data today, they probably nabbed it off before Wiki was updated to remove the “close personal” in front of Klein’s name.

We have been led astray… yes, folks… again we’ve been led astray by an ill-researched media. At least on the issue of Klein’s “friendship” perhaps being over inflated.

Did he know him? Yes… per Klein’s own account in his latest book (select the “Author’s Notes” in the frames on the left), he first met the Senator at age 38 on Monhegan Island. But it would be a decade later before they crossed paths again, then another decade after that for a second meeting.

If there was any closer relationship between Klein and Kennedy after a third, early 90’s “21 Club” fundraiser, Klein doesn’t tell us. So just what his relationship with Kennedy was is most certainly a question mark. JGabriel is correct. There are far too many references to Klein as a “friend”, and little in the author’s own words to substantiate that inflated relationship.

Whether Klein is correct in his tale that Kennedy had a penchant for Chappaqquidick jokes, or even his other assertation that Obama and Kennedy were not that close, we don’t know. But it’s most likely that this is 2nd hand knowledge for Klein, and not gleaned from personal contact.

So I’m going to file this incident, personally, in the “not verified” column.

Lolly cannot be aware that it was a close friend of Ted’s who disclosed this due to her selective logic educated mind. This condition rampant under the current education system pretty much prevents a reasonable perspective.

Greg, what “close friend” would that be? As I pointed out in my comment before yours, the author’s own notes in his upcoming Kennedy bio do not disclose a “close relationship”…. and in fact only casual meetings here and there. So I am left wondering if this is a second hand “friend of the Kennedy family” disclosure, and not something he heard from Kennedy’s mouth first hand.

There’s plenty about Kennedy I don’t like. His choice, or not, of Chappaquiddick humor isn’t the tipping point of my low opinion of him as a political figure… tho I am sure he is well loved by his family and friends.

But if you know of more of a personal relationship between Klein and Kennedy than I’ve dug up in my brief research, your posting of it here would be appreciated.

@Some Old Guy:

Hmmmm….Nothing in your post to address the root issue of Uncle Teddy’s rude, crude, and socially unacceptable behavior regarding Kopechne jokes.

Nothing but smoke, mirrors, and distractions.

Care to try again?

Image Source,Photobucket Uploader Firefox Extension

Where was SOG anf JG when the left was rejoicing in Tony Snowe’s death? Or Reagans? Or any other Conservatives? F off you kennedy nut sucking hypocrites.

MataHarley:

JGabriel is correct. There are far too many references to Klein as a “friend”, and little in the author’s own words to substantiate that inflated relationship.

In these partisan times, it takes an uncommon integrity to admit someone from the other side of the divide is correct. The gesture is very much appreciated and respected. Thank you, Mata.

.

Ah yes, the liberal writing a biography about another liberal couldn’t possibly be right. Klein wasn’t his good buddy so the quote is false?
I seriously doubt he pulled that out of thin air. Keep spinning tho, it’s amusing to watch hypocrites in action.

Chihuahua-

My post isn’t about Kennedy’s behavior. I don’t know if the accusations are true or not. My point is about double standards and hypocrisy. If you will agree that both mens behavior is ” rude, crude, and socially unacceptable” then we are on the same page. At least my example of a callous piece of shit yukking it up is documented. Any video of Teddy?. No, well nice try.

@Some Old Guy:

My post isn’t about Kennedy’s behavior.

Correct.

Hence the straw man moniker.

Now, just for kicks, let’s address what you did have to say:

Bush never once joked about someone’s death. Other than yourself, no one is making that claim. Presumably, you don’t have a tape that supports that claim either.

Furthermore, in order for your argument to work, you would need to have some evidence that Bush joked about a specific event in which a person’s life was lost at his hand.

To my knowledge, President Bush did not drive anyone off of a bridge and left them submerged in the car to die. Nor has he killed anyone in any other fashion.

If you can show that he did that, then feel free to point it out.

You made an elementary attempt at a moral equivalence straw man which failed miserably.

Thanks for stopping by.

Again, Some Old Idiot, your lack of criticizing the left for OPENLY rejoicing over the death of Conservatives makes you a partisan hypocrite and *sshole. We criticize your saint teddy for what he did and you try to play the moral equivalency game…and fail miserably.
Now go back to KOS or DUNG with the other vermin.

PENIS

@Some Old Guy:

I see that it didn’t take very long for us to get to the bottom of your intellect.

Aye Chihuahua:

Bush never once joked about someone’s death. Other than yourself, no one is making that claim.

Tucker Carlson, interviewing Geroge Bush in Talk Magazine, September 1999:

“He (Larry King) asked her real difficult questions, like, `What would you say to Governor Bush?'”

“What was her answer?” I wonder.

“Please,” Bush whimpers, his lips pursed in mock desperation, “don’t kill me.”

I must look shocked – ridiculing the pleas of a condemned prisoner who has since been executed seems odd and cruel, even for someone as militantly anti-crime as Bush – because he immediately stops smirking. “It’s tough stuff,” Bush says, suddenly somber, “but my job is to enforce the law.”

Presumably, there was audiotape to back it up. Certainly, neither Bush nor his campaign ever contested it.

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Apologies for the typo in the above post. Obviously it should be “George Bush”, not “Geroge”.

.

Well Aye, no surprise considering he posted a link to a mentally ill, hate filled leftist propaganda video. Betting SOG isn’t old at all. Wonder if that English twit on the link is him?

@JGabriel:

Now, that’s funny.

You’re quoting something sans links expecting us to believe that your claim has any sort of credibility whatsoever? Sorry, that doesn’t work here.

I did, however, do your homework for you and found that your claim that the story was never refuted is patently false.

“That as a very difficult moment for me and anybody who covered me during that period knows how tough that was,” Bush told the AP. “It was a serious, somber time. Mr. Carlson misread, mischaracterized me. He’s a good reporter, he just misunderstood about how serious that was.”

If it was as you claim it was, then why would Carlson not address it, and finally set the record straight in his memoir Politicians, Partisans, and Parasites?

On the contrary, Carlson expresses bafflement and surprise that the Talk piece stirred any controversy at all. Furthermore, Carlson relates his own fury when Bush’s spokeswoman, Karen Hughes, spread the word that Carlson had invented the quotes in the Talk piece.

By my count, that’s two refutations, including one from Bush himself. The failure of Carlson to stand his ground mounts heaps of doubt on his claim.

Nice try.

Too bad it didn’t work for you.

Care to try again?

A leftwing partisan quoted an story that has been shown to false in an attempt at moral equivalency? I’m….not shocked.
Don’t be surprised if he accuses us of doing the same thing with the Ed Klein claim.

You’re welcome, JGabriel. We’d all like to believe that our news types actually put their nose down the the grindstone in research. But we’ve all been fooled too many times… all of us on both sides of the aisle. And in these times, we should all take comfort in what commonality we do share. Certainly the pols and media are working overtime to rile up pure hate between Americans. And this is a trend that bothers me tremendously. I think it’s safe to say that all of us here on this blog have friends that have different political beliefs in our daily lives.

As I said, this is an “unverified” story to me, and I see that Curt has also put his caveats in as well. So I believe your comment should also automatically be extended to Curt as well. As far as what Klein is saying – he *is* making the talk show rounds for his book, making quite a few comments and (his) clarifications of Kennedy. Eventually someone might start questioning his source information.

But one must also accept Klein is an admirer of Kennedy, and seemed to be making the point about the Kopechne jokes as an endearing trait. If [what Klein says] true, I can’t say that I agree. My guess is that you probably wouldn’t either.

“Some Old Guy”. There is no relation whatsoever to a self-deprecating joke video for the press club dinner about caches of WMD that have not been found, and “making fun of killing people”. While I thought that was a poor choice for his speech writers as a joke, it doesn’t compare to Kennedy’s abandonment of a young woman, drowning in a car while he worked things out with his political handlers for 10 hours.

@Some Old Guy:
@JGabriel:

Once we’ve laid to rest the idea of moral equivalence on this thread, perhaps the two of you would like to discuss how Crazy Uncle Teddy attempted to engage in treasonous activities with the Russians in an effort to help the Dims win the 1984 presidential election.

I will be posting on that topic tomorrow. I look forward to your commentary, and your thoughts, on that thread.

Aye Chihuahua:

You’re quoting something sans links expecting us to believe that your claim has any sort of credibility whatsoever?

As you were able to find stories confirming the quote, you know that it exists. Furthermore, I provided the original source for the quote, Talk Magazine, September 1999. It would be impossible to provide a link to the original source since Talk ceased publication in 2001 and no longer has any Internet presence that I know of.

Aye, quoting “Bush Meets Rush”, AP, 1999:

… Bush told the AP. “It was a serious, somber time. Mr. Carlson misread, mischaracterized me. He’s a good reporter, he just misunderstood about how serious that was.”

“Patently false” seems to be rather strong condemnation for such an equivocal defense, Aye. Bush doesn’t say he was misquoted, merely “misread” and “mischaracterized”. It’s hard to see how one puts a nice spin on the quote, “Please, don’t kill me.”

That said, it is a defense, albeit a weak one, and I shouldn’t have used the word “certainly” and I should have said “never contested the quote” rather than “never contested it“.

My apologies for the error on the first part and the ambiguity in the second part

In any event, it was meant to disprove your statement that “Bush never once joked about someone’s death. Other than yourself, no one is making that claim.”

Clearly, Tucker Carlson made that claim. And not even Bush accused him of bad faith; note the second half of Bush’s defense “[Carlson’s] a good reporter…”

Finally, it seems like obvious projection for conservatives and Republicans to accuse Kennedy of enjoying ugly jokes about Kopechne, jokes that conservatives and Republicans have been making for four decades. I’m not sure why the right would even harp on this – at best, or worst, you’re accusing Kennedy of repeating your own jokes.

One would think it unlikely that Kennedy, as a liberal, would share a conservative’s sense of humor, especially regarding such a personal tragedy. A tragedy that Kennedy has expressed responsibility, regret, and sorrow for, repeatedly and publicly, over the years. And as a repetition of hearsay from a gossip columnist, the accusation continues to lack credibility.

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I would say Bush was being his usual polite self in saying he merely made a mistake, although mischaracterized could be considered bad faith.

So let me get this straight, it’s wrong for Conservatives to make jokes about MJK, but it’s ok for kennedy? You are giving him a pass. Or are you still trying to say he never made such jokes? Which partisan claim are you pushing?

Lastly, what jokes are Conservatives alleged to have made?

Oh and BTW, regardless of who made what jokes the fact is kennedy murdered a young woman and later made jokes about it. Stop trying to take focus off that fact.
Ed Klein a gossip columnist? Ha. No credibility? Yeah, I’m sure he got that out of thin air. Keep spinning lefty.

Musta missed that “gossip” columnist bit from JGabriel.

JG, he’s the former editor of Newsweek, former New York Times Magazine editor, and a contributor to Vanity Fair. While I’d like to consider these “gossip” rags in some form, I’d have to place them several cuts above his weekly money making column in Parade…. LOL

If anyone else had been involved in the Chappaquiddick incident, that person would’ve gotten life in prison. If John, Bobby, or Papa Joe(he was still alive, but incapacitated at this point) were around, Chappaquiddick would never have been heard of.