KGB Letter Outlines Sen. Kennedy's Overtures to Soviets, Prof Says

Cyber News Service ^ | 10/20.06 | Kevin Mooney

[bornacatholic]

(CNSNews.com) - The antipathy that congressional Democrats have today toward President George W. Bush is reminiscent of their distrust of President Ronald Reagan during the Cold War, a political science professor says.

"We see some of the same sentiments today, in that some Democrats see the Republican president as being a threat and the true obstacle to peace, instead of seeing our enemies as the true danger," said Paul Kengor, a political science professor at Grove City College and the author of new book, The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism.

In his book, which came out this week, Kengor focuses on a KGB letter written at the height of the Cold War that shows that Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) offered to assist Soviet leaders in formulating a public relations strategy to counter President Reagan's foreign policy and to complicate his re-election efforts.

The letter, dated May 14, 1983, was sent from the head of the KGB to Yuri Andropov, who was then General Secretary of the Soviet Union's Communist Party.

In his letter, KGB head Viktor Chebrikov offered Andropov his interpretation of Kennedy's offer. Former U.S. Sen. John Tunney (D-Calif.) had traveled to Moscow on behalf of Kennedy to seek out a partnership with Andropov and other Soviet officials, Kengor claims in his book.

At one point after President Reagan left office, Tunney acknowledged that he had played the role of intermediary, not only for Kennedy but for other U.S. senators, Kengor said. Moreover, Tunney told the London Times that he had made 15 separate trips to Moscow.

"There's a lot more to be found here," Kengor told Cybercast News Service. "This was a shocking revelation."

It is not evident with whom Tunney actually met in Moscow. But the letter does say that Sen. Kennedy directed Tunney to reach out to "confidential contacts" so Andropov could be alerted to the senator's proposals.

Specifically, Kennedy proposed that Andropov make a direct appeal to the American people in a series of television interviews that would be organized in August and September of 1983, according to the letter.

"Tunney told his contacts that Kennedy was very troubled about the decline in U.S -Soviet relations under Reagan," Kengor said. "But Kennedy attributed this decline to Reagan, not to the Soviets. In one of the most striking parts of this letter, Kennedy is said to be very impressed with Andropov and other Soviet leaders."

In Kennedy's view, the main reason for the antagonism between the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1980s was Reagan's unwillingness to yield on plans to deploy middle-range nuclear missiles in Western Europe, the KGB chief wrote in his letter.

"Kennedy was afraid that Reagan was leading the world into a nuclear war," Kengor said. "He hoped to counter Reagan's polices, and by extension hurt his re-election prospects."

As a prelude to the public relations strategy Kennedy hoped to facilitate on behalf of the Soviets, Kengor said, the Massachusetts senator had also proposed meeting with Andropov in Moscow -- to discuss the challenges associated with disarmament.

In his appeal, Kennedy indicated he would like to have Sen. Mark Hatfield (R-Ore.) accompany him on such a trip. The two senators had worked together on nuclear freeze proposals.

But Kennedy's attempt to partner with high-level Soviet officials never materialized. Andropov died after a brief time in office and was succeeded by Mikhail Gorbachev.

In his attempt to reach out the Soviets, Kennedy settled on a flawed receptacle for peace, Kengor said. Andropov was a much more belligerent and confrontational leader than the man who followed him, in Kengor's estimation.

"If Andropov had lived and Gorbachev never came to power, I can't imagine the Cold War ending peacefully like it did," Kengor told Cybercast News Service. "Things could have gotten ugly."

In the long run of history, Kengor believes it is evident that Reagan's policies were vindicated while Kennedy was proven wrong. In fact, as he points out in his book, Kennedy himself made a "gracious concession" after Reagan died, crediting the 40th president with winning the Cold War.

[bornacatholic]

Let the Democrats win to punish the republicans?

Yeah, I had thought about doing that.

Not anymore

[SlowBoat407]

Maybe he was going to take a Andropov for a nice drive.

[WorkingClassFilth]

...a KGB letter written at the height of the Cold War that shows that Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) offered to assist Soviet leaders in formulating a public relations strategy to counter President Reagan's foreign policy and to complicate his re-election efforts.

All that needs to be known about Democrats.

[cb]

Its sort of the point though. Pubbies with a known traitor in their midst do nothing.

[Diogenesis]

President Ronald Reagan:

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.
We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream.
It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same,
or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children
and our children's children what it was once like in the United States
where men were free."

---

“If Mary Jo Kopechne had lived, she would be 64 years old.
Through his tireless work as a legislator,
(Boston Globe reader and Sen. for Life) Edward Kennedy would have brought comfort to her in her old age.”
Charles Pierce, January 5, 2003 Boston Globe Magazine

[AmericaUnited]

The Great One has that look of "You maggott, what's your question?" :)

[Eagles6]

save

[NonValueAdded]

Waterboard him until he confesses!

[sgtbono2002]

*****"We see some of the same sentiments today, in that some Democrats see the Republican president as being a threat and the true obstacle to peace,

---

No:----They see the Republican Presidentas a threat to them getting the power. Its all about power to democrats.

[johnny7]

Hell... Bill Richardson has MET with the North Koreans five times. Jay Rockefeller went to Syria a few weeks before our invasion of Iraq... to let them know it was imminent! While I'm not dismissing Kennedy's quisling behavior.... we got Dhimmicrat's doing it RIGHT NOW.

If these traitors ever regain power... they will kill us all.

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

"In his book, which came out this week, Kengor focuses on a KGB letter written at the height of the Cold War that shows that Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) offered to assist Soviet leaders in formulating a public relations strategy to counter President Reagan's foreign policy and to complicate his re-election efforts."

Kennedy's conduct was traitorous. Collaborating with our enemy against an elected President. This is worse that Jimmy Carter's stabs in the back.

[WideGlide]

Dumb and Dumber.

Congressman Dumber is a drunken idiot in his Daddy's image. But Senator Dumb the FAT, drunken idiot, and murderer, is now a documented TRAITOR. Thanks Massachusetts!

[ryan71]

Treason and he should be hanged.

[teddyballgame]

These excerpts sound too specific to be BS...calling Sentor Kennedy's office for a comment...

[bornacatholic]

It is worth remembering that Reagan was highly intelligent and wrote, literally, hundreds of his own speeches, whereas Kennedy says, "Am I too late for Happy Hour?"

[johnny7]

2:39 PM 10/23/2006... Rush brings up the Kennedy letter to Andropov.

[bornacatholic]

I imagined hearing these words from Brit Hume on FOX News, "Today, Speaker Nancy Pelosi.."

I sobered-up

[FreedomProtector]

"Paul Kengor, a political science professor at Grove City College and the author of new book, The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism."

Grove City College Ping! Go Wolverines!



Grove City is one the best colleges in the world.

[Dumb_Ox]

bump