Posted on 03/13/2005 6:38:40 PM PST by nypokerface
Leading Irish-American politician Ted Kennedy says he will not meet Gerry Adams during the Sinn Fein leader's St Patrick's Day trip to the US.
It comes as Sinn Fein faces increasing pressure over IRA involvement in the killing of Robert McCartney in Belfast.
A spokeswoman for Senator Kennedy said he had cancelled a meeting planned for Thursday in light of the "ongoing criminal activity" of the IRA.
Mr Adams has also been denied a meeting with President Bush at the White House.
Instead, Mr Bush will play host to Mr McCartney's sisters.
Mr Adams will face tough questions in the US over the killing, on 30 January, and over alleged IRA involvement in the £26.5m Northern Bank raid.
Kennedy spokeswoman Melissa Wagoner said: "Senator Kennedy has decided to decline to meet with Gerry Adams, given the IRA's ongoing criminal activity and contempt for the rule of law."
She said the events surrounding the death of Mr McCartney underscored the need for IRA violence and criminality to stop and for Sinn Fein to co-operate with police.
Meanwhile, Sinn Fein's most high profile supporter in Congress, New York Republican Senator Peter King, called on the IRA to disband.
Mr King said the IRA had made a series of poor decisions that had sparked anger in Irish-American circles and was now standing in the way of a power sharing deal between Sinn Fein and Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionists.
He added that Americans were finding it "hard to see what the justification is for the continued existence of the IRA".
BBC Pentagon correspondent Adam Brooks said it showed the Sinn Fein leader was no longer assured of a warm welcome in the US.
And Mr Bush's decision to host the McCartney sisters and not him on St Patrick's Day was "a powerful signal from the president himself that America's patience with Sinn Fein is leaking away," he said.
- LOL. The Kennedy's are built on this sort of thing.
Well the guy is still sober enough for one hour a day to still know how to cut his loses. Advantage Bush. When it comes to foeign affairs, Bush lately has been winning one set after another, like pearls on a string. If only the string on the swimmer would run out.
this is sort of an aside and I don't mean to steer the thread aside BUT the other night I was in the gym and there was Ted Kennedy on the (mercifully) muted television ranting about something. The bold, action-red caption said, "HIJACKING THE MIDDLE CLASS." It was CNN. Hard to imagine anything less objective than that little scene.
The entire Kennedy family is "an on-going criminal activity". Does anybody think it stopped being that just because they got government jobs?
It's too bad that the man you most despise beat you to it, you fat sot.
"Hello....Hello".
I have a very healthy doubt that they won't meet; except it will be under cover instead.
It's all in the perspective!
"Senator Kennedy has decided to decline to meet with Gerry Adams, given the IRA's ongoing criminal activity and contempt for the rule of law."
What a joke. No problem with @ss kissing this murdering terrorist back under krinton's reign of terror. Nosireebob - just one Irishman to another then. He'll probably still meet Adams for a private drink or two...or twenty.
Who cares what Ted does ?
Whoa!!!!!!! The gun-runner family is turning on their number one client? I don't believe it. There has got to be an under the table deal here. Only lots and lots of money could make this happen or maybe an alcohol soaked brain.
I cant beleive he did the right thing for once in his life. So unlike the lush to do something non-contraversial. Maybe we will get lucky and he will have a heart attack...
That's rich, a Kennedy not wanting to associate with criminal activity.
Then how do they hold family reunions?
Kennedy and King!
This may portend more than the end of the IRA!
Adams must be refusing to "shout".
It is a genuine humiliation for the IRA and a well publicized one as well. If I refused to meet with them after years of supporting them, no one would care. Ted has the spotlight and now has to serve as the Amen Corner to Bush. Ted is eating crow too.
The evil Karl Rove must be behind this.
The entire Kennedy family is "an on-going criminal activity". Does anybody think it stopped being that just because they got government jobs?
=====
Yes this statement by ole Boozer Teddy is the height of HYPOCRISY. The entire history of the Kennedy family is ONE OF CRIME AND ESCAPING CRIME. Their twisted elitist liberal minds still think there is a double standard when it comes to obeying the law, and paying for crimes in America.
"I AM THE LAW"!!!!!
This is rich coming from Teddy "I AM THE LAW" Kennedy; what a POS!
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