THE TRUTH HITS CLOSE TO HOME---Can't Repubs say "Mary Jo Kopechne?"

NY POST ^ | 1/28/06 | EDITORIALS

[Liz]

THE ISSUE: Sen. Ted Kennedy's membership in Harvard's all-male Owl Club. Picking on the ponderous Sen. Ted Kennedy is like picking only the low-hanging fruit — it's too easy......

*** ....when he first ran for the Senate, Kennedy's opponent said, "If your name was Edward Moore, instead of Edward Moore Kennedy, your candidacy would be a joke"........ the joke has been on us. Paul Bloustein Cincinnati, Ohio

*** The person responsible (for Teddy's dog Splash's name) may well be Ted's old friend and occasional nemesis — John Barleycorn. James Ring Ossining

*** Now that he's become a leading anti-Republican attack dog, positioning himself as Washington's leading arbiter of truth and integrity..... It's time to say the name "Mary Jo Kopechne" out loud. Bill Morin Vernon, Conn.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Try this. There were a number of threads on it which you obviously missed.

[demkicker]

That's incorrect buzz. Martha Ann Alito never knew Mary Jo, but the Alito family knew them. Kennedy killed Mary Jo years before Mary Jo met the judge.

[texasbluebell]

Has anyone mentioned the "waitress sandwich" yet?

"Those to the manner born who’ve been in trouble -- Ted Kennedy and Chris Dodd, for instance, who participated in the famous “waitress sandwich” at La Brasserie in 1985, while their dates were in the bathroom -- have tended to get out of it by claiming that their boyish high jinks had simply gotten out of hand."

http://newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/news/politics/national/features/2165/

[texasbluebell]

Yes, pretty sad if the rumors about the payout are true.

Here's an interesting older thread on TK:

Ted Kennedy and the Temple of Booze
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1157014/posts

[skimask]

It does seem kind of funny that as soon as Splash announces a fillibuster on Alito, boy-toy Johnny hops off a ski lift and chimes in.

[texasbluebell]

Here's a post from just the other day re: the money the parents might have taken:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1553551/posts?page=20#20

"Kennedy's motel room phone records: Forty plus long distance calls that night and early morning, before he notified the cops. Plus he tried to persuade Gargan to say he'd been driving and take the rap, but Gargan refused. The refusal of MaryJo's parents to allow an autopsy fuels speculation that she was pregnant, naturally. They were paid hush money by the Kennedy's and couldn't speak publicly about the case for 25 years. Once that time passed, they said they blame him, and that the whole thing was covered up by authorities, etc.."

[Frank_2001]

I'm sure you meant to say, Kennedy killed Mary Jo years before MARTHA ANN met the judge;)

[demkicker]

Oooops, yes I did. Thanks for the correction!

[Fudd Fan]

Imagine what his lawyers and intimidation thugs did to that woman's poor and undeserving parents to silence them for all these years!

I've read it wasn't so much that, as that Kopechne was pregnant and her parents didn't want that known. I have no idea which it was, I'm just sayin'

[Fudd Fan]

Sen. Kennedy and Mrs. Alito's Tears:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1565980/posts

[Anita1]

If Kennedy's cousin Michael Skakel was convicted after more than 30 years for killing Martha Moxley to death with a golf club in 1975 in wealthy Greenwich, does anyone actually know if Teddy cannot also be charged with Manslaughter by gross negligence (where a person causes death through extreme carelessness or incompetence)??

I know about the statute of limitations, but how was Skakel able to be indicted and charged after 30 years?

The DemocRats are looking to impeach President Bush - we should go after their top dogs too - Reid, Kennedy, Leahy!

[skinkinthegrass]

"Senatorial Privilege: The Chappaquiddick Cover-Up - by Leo Damore"

Its' a GREAT BOOK....really shows the sleazy world/legal mechanizations of (IMHO, Bootlegger :) the "Great" Joseph Kennedy Family.

[Wolfstar]

Thank you for the ping, LucyT.

Baynative, thank you for the summary you posted in #6. From your summary:

There was a conflict on what time the accident had occurred. A sheriff said he had seen Kennedy’s car hours after Kennedy said the accident occurred. The senator said he based his estimate on the clock of the rented car he was driving. When it was determined the car didn’t have a clock, Kennedy changed his story.

After having read two excellent books about Chappaquiddick, I came to the conclusion that the "accident" may not have been an accident at all. We only have a single eyewitness's word for what happened at that bridge, and he has not told the truth. Not 36 years ago and not anytime since.

The independent (of Kennedy's lies) facts of the case are that Mary Jo was found in the back seat, in a position indicating she kept her head in an air pocket. The condition of her body when it was pulled from the car also indicated she died from asphyxiation, not drowning.

The police officer who saw the car that night, saw two people in the front seat. If I recall correctly, not only did he see the car at a time that was inconsistent with Kennedy's story, but he saw it parked. In other words, the officer's testimony makes it clear Kennedy did not drive directly from the party, take a wrong turn and accidentally arrive at the bridge where the car went in the water.

Also if I recall correctly, the damage to the car was not totally consistent with merely driving off the bridge accidentally.

When you add...

(1) Kennedy's total disinterest in saving the girl when help was mere yards from the "accident" scene,
(2) the attempt to fix things before the car was found,
(3) leaving the scene and failure to report the "accident" until after the car was found,
(4) all the lies Kennedy told, and
(5) the hurried disposal of Mary Jo's body,

...to the known hard evidence, it leads to the strong -- how best to put it? -- inference that Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts is guilty of first degree murder.

There is no doubt whatsoever that he is guilty, at minimum, of manslaughter. He should NOT be in the United States Senate.

I commend the following two books to those who want to know more and draw their own conclusions:

Teddy Bare was published in the early 1970's and was a ground-breaking book. Although they couldn't quash it, the Kennedy clan tried to do so.

Both are available at Amazon.com, along with a third book I have not read, so cannot recommend: Death at Chappaquiddick by Thomas L. Tedrow.

Finally, here is a plausible scenario that fits the known facts better than Kennedy's multiple stories ever did:

Kennedy and Mary Jo leave the party. He finds a secluded spot, parks and tries to have sex with her. For whatever reason, she balks and he whacks her. Either that or the sex is rough. She is injured in a way that causes Kennedy to think she's dead, even though she is not. He panics and decides the only thing to do is make it look like an accident. He drives the car to the bridge, gets out and pushes it over. All of known facts after that point are consistent with this scenario, including how Mary Jo's body was found. She comes to in the back seat of an upside down car. It's dark, cold and wet. She's disoriented. She can't find a way out, but there's an air pocket. So she holds onto the seat and keeps her head above water, probably thinking someone will find her.

[onevoter]

Putting this idiot out front nearly guarantees that a judge will get in anymore. Remember the Clarence Thomas hearings. CNBC was buzzing with phone calls wondering why this immoral windbag was given the opportunity to question ANYONE about morals. Now the Owl Club issue arises. I think the Pubs should put Kennedy on the front stage whenever they want to pass something the liberals won't like. The more this pig rants against something the more likely it is that the Pubs will get what they want. Massachusetts may love Kennedy but the rest of the nation doesn't.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

A bump for putting Kennedy on trial in the Judiciary Committee...

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

(Moments later Hatch, having swerved into the truth, realized what he said and apologized to his friend Ted.)

And that should tell you something about the lack of spine in Orrin Hatch!!!!!!!!

[Wolfstar]

I know about the statute of limitations, but how was Skakel able to be indicted and charged after 30 years?

There is no statute of limitations on murder. Skakel was finally indicted because somebody (Mark Furhman) finally had the cajones to take on the family. Also helped that it happened in Conn. and not Mass.

[muir_redwoods]

Check out my tagline. I truly believe that, if Tookie Williams can generate some groundswell of noise to get his sentence reduced we ought to be able to get Sirhan Sirhan released from prison. Name another California inmate still serving time after 38 years for his first offense.

Granted, it might be difficult for his victim's nephew-in-law, Arnie to authorize the release but if we got the movement started it would be a wonderful way of putting it to the fat larda$$ from Massachusetts.