The Buzz - Kennedy's 'Kong' Kris Kringle - Karen Feld
21Dec'05
Published: Tuesday, December 20, 2005 9:42 PM EST
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Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., and his wife, Vicki, scored high marks again this year at their traditional off-the-record holiday party for friends and staff Monday evening in the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Each year the senator and his wife surprise guests when they arrive in costume and perform a topical dialogue scripted by longtime aide Kerry Parker. Kennedy, dressed as a furry King Kong, explained that he was late because he was on a phone call with President Bush. Vicki, dressed in a curly blond wig as Ann Darrow - immortalized by Fay Wray and now played by Naomi Watts - asked Kong if the president called him. "No." Did you call the president? "No. He's on top of every call," of course referring to the recent National Security Agency wire-tapping story. No Republican was off limits, from Karl Rove and Dick Cheney to Tom DeLay and House Speaker Dennis Hastert.
A healthy tumble down
Kennedy did a very funny routine spoofing our health care system: When falling from the top of the Empire State Building, he said, you'd better call and get your half-tablet of generic aspirin before you reach the 34th floor, and fill out the form for the HMO before you hit bottom.
Falling for beauty and the beast
The couple sang special lyrics - "Falling Polls" to the tune of "Falling Snow." Spotted among the guests: the junior senator from Massachusetts, John Kerry, hanging near the door long enough to wave when Kennedy said how patient the Massachusetts House delegation has been and that there might be an open Senate seat in their state in three years when Kerry moves to the White House. Other present and former Kennedy aides joining the celebration: Melody Miller, Jim Flug, Mary Beth Cahill, C-SPAN's Steve Scully and Williams & Connolly power attorney Greg Craig, who has represented high-profile clients such as Kofi Annan, Bill Clinton, publisher Conrad Black and Elian Gonzalez. Mrs. Kennedy told me that neither she nor the senator had seen the new "King Kong" film.
Should I puke now or later?
Kennedy went as King Kong? Doesn't he know that fur makes you look fat?
Lots of familiar names there, including Mary Beth Cahill and Greg Craig, not to mention that that dweeb Steve Scully of C-SPAN was a guest. Is Scully a friend or staff?
"Kennedy, dressed as a furry King Kong,"
This doesn't even take any effort. It's like trying to picture Jessica Simpson as a beautiful ditzy blonde.
I'm not surprised to see that Greg Craig was the Kennedys' party but...Steve Scully?
What, they don't have mirrors at home?