Posted on 04/28/2005 6:20:03 PM PDT by wagglebee
For 20 years I have kept my silence. I will do so no longer. In the debate over John Bolton's nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, it finally has been made clear to me that a human being who yells at another human being does not deserve to hold high office. It's what Sen. George Voinovich calls “the Kitchen Test.”
And so, it's time I finally told the painful truth: Ted Kennedy yelled at me. He hurt my feelings. Therefore, those who believe John Bolton does not deserve to be confirmed must surely also agree that Senator Kennedy must step down. Here is the never-before-told story:
It happened in Ethiopia during the height of the Great Famine of the 1980s. Sen. Kennedy had come on a fact-finding mission. As Africa correspondent of The New York Times, I was assigned to travel with him.
One night, after we had flown into a small city northeast of Addis Abba, we repaired to a ramshackle hotel. One of the Senator's staffers told me there would be no further events that evening. So I turned to Martha Radditz (now of ABC News but in those days a Boston anchor woman) and said something like: “Great! What say we go check out this burg?” Martha agreed.
We had a pleasant excursion but found no restaurant to our liking so we returned to the hotel early. We were shocked at what we saw: Senator Kennedy was holding forth at a dinner with local luminaries. As quietly as we could, we tip-toed into the dining room to take our seats -- but the Senator spotted us. He was furious. He interrupted the proceedings.
“What do you think you're doing?” he shouted for all to hear. “You're either with this group or you're not with this group. You don't come waltzing in anytime you choose!”
I can't recall whether his hands were on his hips; probably not since he was sitting down. I do know that he scolded us for what seemed a long time. To be candid, his words were a bit slurred. It was his custom, in those days, to propose a few toasts – and then a few more toasts - to Ethiopian-American amity.
In any case, Martha and I retreated, meekly, to her room, feeling like children sent to bed without supper. Not long after, one of Kennedy's staffers knocked on the door.
“It's been explained to the Senator that there was a mistake,” he said. “He now knows you were told there was no event tonight and you had left the hotel before plans changed. The reception is continuing and the Senator would like you to re-join it.”
We demurred. Our self-esteem was too badly battered. He insisted. “The Senator would really like you to return,” he said. “I would like you to return.” And something in the way he said it made us believe that if we did not respond to this entreaty, he, too, might feel the Kennedy wrath.
Downstairs, Martha and I approached the Senator to offer our apologies. “Oh, forget about it!” he said amicably. “Let's just forget the whole thing.” He seemed in a much improved mood.
“Forget it, Senator?” I responded. “Senator, I will never forget it. I will forever remember the night that Edward Kennedy laid me to bat guano [I actually used a more common term] in Ethiopia.”
“Oh, don't say that!” he exclaimed. “It was no big deal.”
And all these years, I have tried to convince myself that it was no big deal. People get angry. People yell. People get over it. Life goes on.
But now I know better. Now I know what happened was a terrible trauma. And what the Senator did was unpardonable. People who hurt people are the most hurtful people in the world – and they should not serve in positions of trust and authority. They should not serve as ambassadors, senators or maitre d's.
It was what Sen. Voinovich might call: “The Dining Room Test.”
Teddy belched on me and I got arrested for DUI.
I love it. I hope every blogger in the local group is staking out Voinovich for making any of his subordinates the least bit uncomfortable. I hope this comes out in time for the next primaries.
Ted Kennedy is rude,arrogant,and overwhelmed by his sense of entitlement.Bobby was worse!
How in the name of God Ted claims he represents the poor and working class is beyond me.
Agree with you on both points!
Teddy belched on me and I got arrested for DUI.
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Actually, Comrade Kennedy most likely spends his nights YELLING AT HIS BOOZE BOTTLE...!!!
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Young Senator TED KENNEDY in Vietnam-1965:
http://www.lzxray.com/guyer_set1.htm
(See 5th Photo)
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How Kennedy claims to be a practicing Catholic in good standing makes me angry.
...about 300lbs. ago! LOL! That's a mighty stylish hat he's got on in that pic.
When Ted Kennedy dies, his body could be cremated for several days.
Cliff's article is great.
AND YES.....that fat drunken commie slob should resign....and go directly to jail...
You're crazy as hell! Do you have any idea how quickly alcohol burns?!
For the U-Boat Commander to claim practicing anything besides being a murderer and serial liar makes me angry. The only good thing is that his rants were probably worth a few thousand votes last year.
Hey,bootlegging booze paid off for old Joe.What an awful man he was.
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
New Evidence "surfaces": Pic of Perp fleeing scene of the crime
Voinovich himself cursed out a pilot, so shouldn't he resign?
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...In between our 1st Cavalry's 1st Offensive Operation in the Central Highlands of a then Free South Vietnam and our 1st Major Battle with North Vietnamese Communist Army Regulars in the Fall of 1965...
...a Congressional Junket came visiting our 1st Cavalry Headquarters to check on the War Refugee problem.
...1st Congressional termers and College roomates, Senator TED KENNEDY and Rep. JOHN TUNNEY, were in this group. They had been touring all over South Vietnam, including the visiting of some Australian Army units. KENNEDY is wearing an Aussie Army Hat given him by one such unit in my above Photo.
...KENNEDY was very open and kind with us 1st Cav SkyTroopers that day, posing for numerous photos.
This was almost 2 years after the death of his bigger brother JFK.
...Too bad he had to go a little NUTS on us a little later on down the line..?
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That picture is disgusting, and I am NOT an "envy" or hate-the-rich type person. What's disgusting is the generations of immigrants that he put in public housing projects, in cities like Lowell and parts of Boston. But where he lives- no gangs, no drugs (well, that's not necessarily true...).
The man's sick. Can't wait until he's gone, he actually drags my own Irish stereotype down even further than any 'punk' image I've ever had to deal with. He's scum.
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