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	<title>Comments on: A Clymer&#8217;s Paean To &#8216;Teddy&#8217;s Idealism&#8217;</title>
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	<link>http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism</link>
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		<title>By: MinnesotaRush</title>
		<link>http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159754</link>
		<dc:creator>MinnesotaRush</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 29 Aug 2009 03:09:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159754</guid>
		<description>Teddy who????</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Teddy who????</p>
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	<item>
		<title>By: Whizzer</title>
		<link>http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159701</link>
		<dc:creator>Whizzer</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:34:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159701</guid>
		<description>Bush and Cheney were right!  Remember when they were caught on an open mike saying Clymer was &quot;a major league ass-hole&quot;?  Details here:  http://archive.salon.com/politics/feature/2000/09/04/cuss_word/ 

Gotta love it!</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Bush and Cheney were right!  Remember when they were caught on an open mike saying Clymer was &#8220;a major league ass-hole&#8221;?  Details here:  <a href="http://archive.salon.com/politics/feature/2000/09/04/cuss_word/" rel="nofollow">http://archive.salon.com/polit.....cuss_word/</a> </p>
<p>Gotta love it!</p>
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		<title>By: OneAmericanCitizen</title>
		<link>http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159697</link>
		<dc:creator>OneAmericanCitizen</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:52:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159697</guid>
		<description>Didn&#039;t a certain family member of his commit the first American troops to Vietnam at the bequest of a certain Frenchman named Charles DeGualle.

Wasn&#039;t this family member elected by a margin that was secured by Chicago voter fraud. 

Didn&#039;t this family member withdraw air support and let hundreds die or be captured on the Beach of Pigs. 

Didn&#039;t this family member remove our missiles from Turkey after a phony crisis.

Didn&#039;t Kruschev have the Berlin wall built because he knew this guy was a wimp.

Didn&#039;t his ex-mistress Marilyn die in mysterious circumstances.

Did he not sleep with women provided for him by the Mob?</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Didn&#8217;t a certain family member of his commit the first American troops to Vietnam at the bequest of a certain Frenchman named Charles DeGualle.</p>
<p>Wasn&#8217;t this family member elected by a margin that was secured by Chicago voter fraud. </p>
<p>Didn&#8217;t this family member withdraw air support and let hundreds die or be captured on the Beach of Pigs. </p>
<p>Didn&#8217;t this family member remove our missiles from Turkey after a phony crisis.</p>
<p>Didn&#8217;t Kruschev have the Berlin wall built because he knew this guy was a wimp.</p>
<p>Didn&#8217;t his ex-mistress Marilyn die in mysterious circumstances.</p>
<p>Did he not sleep with women provided for him by the Mob?</p>
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		<title>By: Liberals Make Great Speedbumps</title>
		<link>http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159661</link>
		<dc:creator>Liberals Make Great Speedbumps</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 28 Aug 2009 04:01:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159661</guid>
		<description>Huh......artboy......I was expecting one of your always hilarious, dripping with sarcasm installments, not a factual recounting of the tale. What&#039;s up with that?</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Huh&#8230;&#8230;artboy&#8230;&#8230;I was expecting one of your always hilarious, dripping with sarcasm installments, not a factual recounting of the tale. What&#8217;s up with that?</p>
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		<title>By: Colonel1961</title>
		<link>http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159654</link>
		<dc:creator>Colonel1961</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 28 Aug 2009 02:11:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159654</guid>
		<description>Brilliant!  And far too close to the truth...</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Brilliant!  And far too close to the truth&#8230;</p>
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		<title>By: Colonel1961</title>
		<link>http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159653</link>
		<dc:creator>Colonel1961</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 28 Aug 2009 02:04:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159653</guid>
		<description>He would have lived just as long, as Members of Congress and Senators are exempt from pretty much all the laws they pass.  He would have retained his Congressional health insurance and his personal wealth would have smoothed out any rough edges.  

Now, if you want to posit the same question re: humble members of the proletariat...</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>He would have lived just as long, as Members of Congress and Senators are exempt from pretty much all the laws they pass.  He would have retained his Congressional health insurance and his personal wealth would have smoothed out any rough edges.  </p>
<p>Now, if you want to posit the same question re: humble members of the proletariat&#8230;</p>
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		<title>By: Chuckk</title>
		<link>http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159651</link>
		<dc:creator>Chuckk</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 28 Aug 2009 01:28:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159651</guid>
		<description>Kennedy lived about a year after being diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. I wonder how long he would have lived under Obamacare?</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Kennedy lived about a year after being diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. I wonder how long he would have lived under Obamacare?</p>
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		<title>By: GetBackJack</title>
		<link>http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159617</link>
		<dc:creator>GetBackJack</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:08:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159617</guid>
		<description>There is but one consolation I have in Ted Kennedy&#039;s death.

He is in Hell. He will be in Hell for Eternity. He cannot now escape the sins of his life, and he will pay for those sins through the rest of Time. 

His is eternal torment.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There is but one consolation I have in Ted Kennedy&#8217;s death.</p>
<p>He is in Hell. He will be in Hell for Eternity. He cannot now escape the sins of his life, and he will pay for those sins through the rest of Time. </p>
<p>His is eternal torment.</p>
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		<title>By: 12 Gauge Rage</title>
		<link>http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159615</link>
		<dc:creator>12 Gauge Rage</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:59:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159615</guid>
		<description>PR, Ted&#039;s vacancy won&#039;t stay that way for long. As my wife has often said, &#039;Nature abhors a vacuum.&#039; Something has to fill in the emptiness. Or in this case an empty seat. Don&#039;t be surprised if they were already grooming a replacement while the Senator from Chappaquiddick was still alive.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>PR, Ted&#8217;s vacancy won&#8217;t stay that way for long. As my wife has often said, &#8216;Nature abhors a vacuum.&#8217; Something has to fill in the emptiness. Or in this case an empty seat. Don&#8217;t be surprised if they were already grooming a replacement while the Senator from Chappaquiddick was still alive.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>By: Liberals Demise</title>
		<link>http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159612</link>
		<dc:creator>Liberals Demise</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:48:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159612</guid>
		<description>Why have a Senate dynasty when all can be  replace with unelected Czars?</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Why have a Senate dynasty when all can be  replace with unelected Czars?</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>By: proreason</title>
		<link>http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159610</link>
		<dc:creator>proreason</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:40:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159610</guid>
		<description>As the patriarch of the Kennedy Mob, Teddy with his lawyers was certainly one of The Moron&#039;s primary handlers.

Note his timely endorsement of Obamy which was a big event in killing off the upstart rival Clinton facist oligarchy.  The Kennedy&#039;s had a 40 year head-start in political crime, but had to suck the hind communist tit from 1992 to 2008.  They didn&#039;t like it.

The only important question now is who will replace the evil sot in Obamy&#039;s politburo, or will that slot remain unfilled?

Maybe it&#039;s a minor issue as we see our country ooze into the sewer, but we do know the Moron, in addition to being illiterate and stupid, is a drug-addled dreamy Marxist type, which Teddy was certainly not (drug-addled yes, but idealist?....snicker snicker).

So the thing to wonder about is whether you want a Soros-type facism, or a Fidel-type facism.

Personally, I&#039;m rooting for the Moron to take a larger hand in the plot.  He may be a dedicated Marxist, but every day that goes by demonstrates that he is one of the dumbest revolutionaries who has ever lived, and lazy to boot.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As the patriarch of the Kennedy Mob, Teddy with his lawyers was certainly one of The Moron&#8217;s primary handlers.</p>
<p>Note his timely endorsement of Obamy which was a big event in killing off the upstart rival Clinton facist oligarchy.  The Kennedy&#8217;s had a 40 year head-start in political crime, but had to suck the hind communist tit from 1992 to 2008.  They didn&#8217;t like it.</p>
<p>The only important question now is who will replace the evil sot in Obamy&#8217;s politburo, or will that slot remain unfilled?</p>
<p>Maybe it&#8217;s a minor issue as we see our country ooze into the sewer, but we do know the Moron, in addition to being illiterate and stupid, is a drug-addled dreamy Marxist type, which Teddy was certainly not (drug-addled yes, but idealist?&#8230;.snicker snicker).</p>
<p>So the thing to wonder about is whether you want a Soros-type facism, or a Fidel-type facism.</p>
<p>Personally, I&#8217;m rooting for the Moron to take a larger hand in the plot.  He may be a dedicated Marxist, but every day that goes by demonstrates that he is one of the dumbest revolutionaries who has ever lived, and lazy to boot.</p>
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		<title>By: 12 Gauge Rage</title>
		<link>http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159607</link>
		<dc:creator>12 Gauge Rage</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:27:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159607</guid>
		<description>Ted Kennedy The Lion of the Senate? Yeah right. More like The Lying King if you ask me. The only agenda he ever had was his own.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Ted Kennedy The Lion of the Senate? Yeah right. More like The Lying King if you ask me. The only agenda he ever had was his own.</p>
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		<title>By: Right of the People</title>
		<link>http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159606</link>
		<dc:creator>Right of the People</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:24:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159606</guid>
		<description>&quot;All four trips had led to the release of families and individuals, mostly Jewish refuseniks including Natan Sharansky. The 1974 trip also led to an exit visa for the renowned cellist, Mstislav Rostropovich, to leave the USSR.&quot;

I wonder what state secrets he had to give the Russkies in return?  Teddy or as I like to call him, the Fredo of the Kennedy Clan.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>&#8220;All four trips had led to the release of families and individuals, mostly Jewish refuseniks including Natan Sharansky. The 1974 trip also led to an exit visa for the renowned cellist, Mstislav Rostropovich, to leave the USSR.&#8221;</p>
<p>I wonder what state secrets he had to give the Russkies in return?  Teddy or as I like to call him, the Fredo of the Kennedy Clan.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>By: Georgfelis</title>
		<link>http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159605</link>
		<dc:creator>Georgfelis</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:08:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159605</guid>
		<description>Sounds like &quot;Major League&quot; Clymer is shooting for a position on the Obama public affairs department.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Sounds like &#8220;Major League&#8221; Clymer is shooting for a position on the Obama public affairs department.</p>
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		<title>By: artboyusa</title>
		<link>http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159598</link>
		<dc:creator>artboyusa</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:29:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159598</guid>
		<description>It won&#039;t stop his canonization but let&#039;s not forget the brutal way Ted treated his luckless first wife, Joan. I first brought this subject up here a couple of years ago. Check out this relic from the Artboy Archives: EXCLUSIVE – KENNEDY ‘DISAPPEARS’ FIRST WIFE, CHILDREN ‘RE-ASSIGNED’ – now that’s one headline you’ll never see in the Boston Globe but its true. 

If you visit his official website (wwww.kennedy.senate.gov – go ahead, your taxes are paying for it) you’ll find that in the “Senator Kennedy’s Bio” section the Conscience of the Senate makes no mention whatever of Joan Kennedy (neé Bennett), his first wife and the mother of his three acknowledged hatchlings. Search the site for her and you’ll get O returns. 

She’s gone, baby, gone. A non-person. Disappeared. She, and 22 years of marriage, never happened. Instead, we’ve got this: “Kennedy lives in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, with his wife Victoria Reggie Kennedy. Together, they have five children –Kara, Edward Jr and Patrick Kennedy, and Curran and Caroline Raclin. They also have four grandchildren”. 

I bet that that savage “Together, they have five children”, when three of them are HER kids, had poor Joan staggering back into rehab pronto. That unhappy woman; she’s usually described as “troubled” but how troubled, exactly? Well, Google “Joan Kennedy” and the first three hits you get are “Fall revives Joan Kennedy’s struggle with alcohol”, “Kennedy’s Cape Cod home put on market” and “Kennedy’s children become her guardians”. That’s enough trouble for anybody.

How’d she get that way? As usual with the Kennedys, it’s a sad, cruel story, and here’s how it happened, kinda:

TED KENNEDY, the DOGGED ACHIEVER*, stars in “Joan Who?”

Ted knocked back another slug of rum and gazed fondly at the faded, gold framed photograph of his first wife. Joan. Oh, my Joanie he sighed. Joan – so beautiful and so doomed.

Ted took a sip of his highball and thought back about how it had all begun with so much love and hope and how it had all gone so wrong. 

He remembered that special day in 1957, making an appointment to see his Dad, and then, that even more special day in 1958 when he finally got in to see him. Ted recalled waiting on the bench outside his father’s office. 

Gotta pee, he thought, but if I get up I could lose my place. Must try to hold it…

After His Excellency the Ambassador had to take care of his other business– with Sam from the Chicago outfit, (Hey, kid” the squat Sicilian had said. “How’s tricks?” “Hi, Uncle Momo” answered Teddy) then Pabletta, the Ambassador’s personal masseuse, and her friend Candi, then Tony from Atlantic City, followed by Richard Cardinal Cushing, personifying so perfectly the majesty of the Church, then after 18 holes of golf and lunch, it was finally time for Ted’s appointment.

“You still here?”

“Hi, uh, Dad”

“Cut the crap. Wadda you want, Tad? Is it money? Are you in some kind of trouble again?”

“No, Dad. I want to, uh, get married”.

“Oh, jeez… Well, you better sit down – not the good chair, you could have one of your accidents. The other one”.

Nervously, Ted had told his father of his feelings and desires.

“I love her, Dad, and I want to marry her. I, uh, hope I’ll have your blessing”.

“I could test her out for you, Tad” grinned the old man. “Waddaya say? Make sure everything works all right down below? You don’t wanna get hitched to a dud, now do you?”

“Please, Dad” said Ted in a quiet voice. “Not this time. Not again. Please”.

“Aw, get outta here, I was just kidding. You can keep this one. Now amscray; I’m busy writing this letter to the Pope telling him how to handle those lousy Jews”.

 The old man waved his big, freckled hand in dismissal.

“Then its –okay?” 

“Sure, Tad. Fine. Whatever. Now get lost”.

“Thanks, Dad, thanks! O boy! Wait’ll I, uh, tell everybody! O boy!”

“Fucking retard” muttered Old Joe as his youngest son skipped away down the hall.

At first Ted and Joan were so happy and so much in love. Every day passed in a golden haze of joy but, before very long, dark and sombre shadows appeared. 

She seemed to be everything he needed –blonde, hot, not too bright, good breeder – but, alas, Joan was not the woman he thought her to be, not at all. She was a deeply flawed person and each day her imperfections became more glaring, more obvious, more painful, to him.

She aged, for example. Despite Ted’s clear instructions to stay eternally young, after just a few years of marriage Joan was looking distinctly older. What a cruel trick! She was doing it on purpose – just to spite him!

She also expected him to be “around” and to help “raise” their children. Didn’t she understand that he had other, more important, things to do? He came home at Christmas most years – wasn’t that enough?

She didn’t understand about his, um, personal requirements, either. As a virile Kennedy male, he had certain manly needs which needed to be ministered to on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis. Not only was she not always available for him, she actually objected when he went elsewhere for that oh-so necessary relief. It was so unfair! 

His sisters had tried to help Joan see her responsibilities –“breathe through your noise” they’d advised her. “Just lie there and pray for it to be over” Mother Rose had counselled - but it was no good. No good at all.

She let him down with the children, too. She actually had the gall to miscarry his fourth seedling –selfish bitch! It was only a couple of weeks after the thing- we- don’t- talk- about at Chappaquiddick happened, so it wasn’t like he was in any way responsible.

Ted poured himself another glass of Absolut. Then there was the drinking…the fights, the embarrassments, the public humiliation, the multiple DWIs, the recurring trips to Rehab. It was a terrible burden having to live with an alcoholic. He knew all about that…

It was the women’s fault, really. All they ever caused were problems. Every time some Kennedy male got in trouble, there was some woman right next to him; getting splattered with his brains or lying on the ground under him getting raped or being paralyzed when he flipped the Jeep over or nagging him that he was flying the plane upside down into the ocean – “I know what I’m doing, Carolyn. Quit screaming!” or hammering desperately on the window as the car filled with water –“Ted! Don’t leave me! I’m afraid!”

Nag, nag, nag. Me, me, me. I’ve got brains in my hair. I’m paralyzed. I’m raped. I’m drowning. I’m dead. It was always something with them, always something. Joan was no different. His Dad had tried to warn him.

“What are wives for, Tad?” the venerable tycoon asked as they stood together outside the cathedral on Ted’s wedding day, surrounded by all the teeming, swarming family, the murmuring priests and nuns, the clouds of incense, the banks of flowers, the State Troopers, the Swiss Guards sent over specially from the Vatican, Dad’s old German friends up from Brazil, the dazzling Hollywood royalty –hey! That’s Peter Lawford!

“To, uh, love, honor and cherish?”

“No, dummy!” said Old Joe, giving Ted a playful belt in the head with his heavy fist. “What’s the matter with you? Wise up! To bear our kids and take our shit, that’s what. Jeeez. You want plenty of kids, Tad. You always need lotsa back stock in case of accidents and plane crashes or if any of them turn out to be a…disappointment. Take my tip, Tad. Knock her up fast and keep her knocked up. Then she’s always busy with other stuff and you can do what the hell you want”.

“Like sailing?”

“Sure, Tad – sailing. That’s what I’m talking about”.

“I like sailing”.

“You fucking retard. C’mon; lets go and get this over with…that poor girl”.

Then, after so many years, it was finally over. She’d clung to his side, a walking Al-Anon poster, through the 1980 campaign, when America had foolishly spurned his bold leadership but after that…well, what could he do? 

He couldn’t be expected to stay home and look after her or try to make her happy, could he? He had his family’s devotion to public service to think about. And anyway, why should he? Not after everything she’d done. It was too late for her to change and, frankly, she’d got in the way of his happiness for too long. 

The divorce was a mess, of course. “Irretrievable breakdown” –ha! She was the one who was broken down, he was doing great. Nothing the matter with Ted! Cost him $4 mil but it was worth it, a bargain, in fact. Getting the Church to bless his second loving union had cost him lots more. Lots.

Poor, uh, Joan; she, uh, didn’t deserve me, thought Ted, dropping her picture into the wastebasket before mixing himself another gin and tonic. She sure didn’t.

* “Ted Kennedy -The Dogged Achiever”. TIME cover story April 14, 2006.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It won&#8217;t stop his canonization but let&#8217;s not forget the brutal way Ted treated his luckless first wife, Joan. I first brought this subject up here a couple of years ago. Check out this relic from the Artboy Archives: EXCLUSIVE – KENNEDY ‘DISAPPEARS’ FIRST WIFE, CHILDREN ‘RE-ASSIGNED’ – now that’s one headline you’ll never see in the Boston Globe but its true. </p>
<p>If you visit his official website (wwww.kennedy.senate.gov – go ahead, your taxes are paying for it) you’ll find that in the “Senator Kennedy’s Bio” section the Conscience of the Senate makes no mention whatever of Joan Kennedy (neé Bennett), his first wife and the mother of his three acknowledged hatchlings. Search the site for her and you’ll get O returns. </p>
<p>She’s gone, baby, gone. A non-person. Disappeared. She, and 22 years of marriage, never happened. Instead, we’ve got this: “Kennedy lives in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, with his wife Victoria Reggie Kennedy. Together, they have five children –Kara, Edward Jr and Patrick Kennedy, and Curran and Caroline Raclin. They also have four grandchildren”. </p>
<p>I bet that that savage “Together, they have five children”, when three of them are HER kids, had poor Joan staggering back into rehab pronto. That unhappy woman; she’s usually described as “troubled” but how troubled, exactly? Well, Google “Joan Kennedy” and the first three hits you get are “Fall revives Joan Kennedy’s struggle with alcohol”, “Kennedy’s Cape Cod home put on market” and “Kennedy’s children become her guardians”. That’s enough trouble for anybody.</p>
<p>How’d she get that way? As usual with the Kennedys, it’s a sad, cruel story, and here’s how it happened, kinda:</p>
<p>TED KENNEDY, the DOGGED ACHIEVER*, stars in “Joan Who?”</p>
<p>Ted knocked back another slug of rum and gazed fondly at the faded, gold framed photograph of his first wife. Joan. Oh, my Joanie he sighed. Joan – so beautiful and so doomed.</p>
<p>Ted took a sip of his highball and thought back about how it had all begun with so much love and hope and how it had all gone so wrong. </p>
<p>He remembered that special day in 1957, making an appointment to see his Dad, and then, that even more special day in 1958 when he finally got in to see him. Ted recalled waiting on the bench outside his father’s office. </p>
<p>Gotta pee, he thought, but if I get up I could lose my place. Must try to hold it…</p>
<p>After His Excellency the Ambassador had to take care of his other business– with Sam from the Chicago outfit, (Hey, kid” the squat Sicilian had said. “How’s tricks?” “Hi, Uncle Momo” answered Teddy) then Pabletta, the Ambassador’s personal masseuse, and her friend Candi, then Tony from Atlantic City, followed by Richard Cardinal Cushing, personifying so perfectly the majesty of the Church, then after 18 holes of golf and lunch, it was finally time for Ted’s appointment.</p>
<p>“You still here?”</p>
<p>“Hi, uh, Dad”</p>
<p>“Cut the crap. Wadda you want, Tad? Is it money? Are you in some kind of trouble again?”</p>
<p>“No, Dad. I want to, uh, get married”.</p>
<p>“Oh, jeez… Well, you better sit down – not the good chair, you could have one of your accidents. The other one”.</p>
<p>Nervously, Ted had told his father of his feelings and desires.</p>
<p>“I love her, Dad, and I want to marry her. I, uh, hope I’ll have your blessing”.</p>
<p>“I could test her out for you, Tad” grinned the old man. “Waddaya say? Make sure everything works all right down below? You don’t wanna get hitched to a dud, now do you?”</p>
<p>“Please, Dad” said Ted in a quiet voice. “Not this time. Not again. Please”.</p>
<p>“Aw, get outta here, I was just kidding. You can keep this one. Now amscray; I’m busy writing this letter to the Pope telling him how to handle those lousy Jews”.</p>
<p> The old man waved his big, freckled hand in dismissal.</p>
<p>“Then its –okay?” </p>
<p>“Sure, Tad. Fine. Whatever. Now get lost”.</p>
<p>“Thanks, Dad, thanks! O boy! Wait’ll I, uh, tell everybody! O boy!”</p>
<p>“Fucking retard” muttered Old Joe as his youngest son skipped away down the hall.</p>
<p>At first Ted and Joan were so happy and so much in love. Every day passed in a golden haze of joy but, before very long, dark and sombre shadows appeared. </p>
<p>She seemed to be everything he needed –blonde, hot, not too bright, good breeder – but, alas, Joan was not the woman he thought her to be, not at all. She was a deeply flawed person and each day her imperfections became more glaring, more obvious, more painful, to him.</p>
<p>She aged, for example. Despite Ted’s clear instructions to stay eternally young, after just a few years of marriage Joan was looking distinctly older. What a cruel trick! She was doing it on purpose – just to spite him!</p>
<p>She also expected him to be “around” and to help “raise” their children. Didn’t she understand that he had other, more important, things to do? He came home at Christmas most years – wasn’t that enough?</p>
<p>She didn’t understand about his, um, personal requirements, either. As a virile Kennedy male, he had certain manly needs which needed to be ministered to on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis. Not only was she not always available for him, she actually objected when he went elsewhere for that oh-so necessary relief. It was so unfair! </p>
<p>His sisters had tried to help Joan see her responsibilities –“breathe through your noise” they’d advised her. “Just lie there and pray for it to be over” Mother Rose had counselled &#8211; but it was no good. No good at all.</p>
<p>She let him down with the children, too. She actually had the gall to miscarry his fourth seedling –selfish bitch! It was only a couple of weeks after the thing- we- don’t- talk- about at Chappaquiddick happened, so it wasn’t like he was in any way responsible.</p>
<p>Ted poured himself another glass of Absolut. Then there was the drinking…the fights, the embarrassments, the public humiliation, the multiple DWIs, the recurring trips to Rehab. It was a terrible burden having to live with an alcoholic. He knew all about that…</p>
<p>It was the women’s fault, really. All they ever caused were problems. Every time some Kennedy male got in trouble, there was some woman right next to him; getting splattered with his brains or lying on the ground under him getting raped or being paralyzed when he flipped the Jeep over or nagging him that he was flying the plane upside down into the ocean – “I know what I’m doing, Carolyn. Quit screaming!” or hammering desperately on the window as the car filled with water –“Ted! Don’t leave me! I’m afraid!”</p>
<p>Nag, nag, nag. Me, me, me. I’ve got brains in my hair. I’m paralyzed. I’m raped. I’m drowning. I’m dead. It was always something with them, always something. Joan was no different. His Dad had tried to warn him.</p>
<p>“What are wives for, Tad?” the venerable tycoon asked as they stood together outside the cathedral on Ted’s wedding day, surrounded by all the teeming, swarming family, the murmuring priests and nuns, the clouds of incense, the banks of flowers, the State Troopers, the Swiss Guards sent over specially from the Vatican, Dad’s old German friends up from Brazil, the dazzling Hollywood royalty –hey! That’s Peter Lawford!</p>
<p>“To, uh, love, honor and cherish?”</p>
<p>“No, dummy!” said Old Joe, giving Ted a playful belt in the head with his heavy fist. “What’s the matter with you? Wise up! To bear our kids and take our shit, that’s what. Jeeez. You want plenty of kids, Tad. You always need lotsa back stock in case of accidents and plane crashes or if any of them turn out to be a…disappointment. Take my tip, Tad. Knock her up fast and keep her knocked up. Then she’s always busy with other stuff and you can do what the hell you want”.</p>
<p>“Like sailing?”</p>
<p>“Sure, Tad – sailing. That’s what I’m talking about”.</p>
<p>“I like sailing”.</p>
<p>“You fucking retard. C’mon; lets go and get this over with…that poor girl”.</p>
<p>Then, after so many years, it was finally over. She’d clung to his side, a walking Al-Anon poster, through the 1980 campaign, when America had foolishly spurned his bold leadership but after that…well, what could he do? </p>
<p>He couldn’t be expected to stay home and look after her or try to make her happy, could he? He had his family’s devotion to public service to think about. And anyway, why should he? Not after everything she’d done. It was too late for her to change and, frankly, she’d got in the way of his happiness for too long. </p>
<p>The divorce was a mess, of course. “Irretrievable breakdown” –ha! She was the one who was broken down, he was doing great. Nothing the matter with Ted! Cost him $4 mil but it was worth it, a bargain, in fact. Getting the Church to bless his second loving union had cost him lots more. Lots.</p>
<p>Poor, uh, Joan; she, uh, didn’t deserve me, thought Ted, dropping her picture into the wastebasket before mixing himself another gin and tonic. She sure didn’t.</p>
<p>* “Ted Kennedy -The Dogged Achiever”. TIME cover story April 14, 2006.</p>
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		<title>By: Liberals Demise</title>
		<link>http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159597</link>
		<dc:creator>Liberals Demise</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:24:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sweetness-light.com/archive/a-clymers-paean-to-teddys-idealism#comment-159597</guid>
		<description>I wonder if Ted is posing for Robert Maplethorpe with garter belt and stockings in a half filled glass of urine?</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I wonder if Ted is posing for Robert Maplethorpe with garter belt and stockings in a half filled glass of urine?</p>
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