Results tagged “tedkennedy”

The NY Times obtained an early copy of late Senator Edward Kennedy's memoir, True Compass. While he apparently doesn't add too much detail, Kennedy did call the 1969 incident at Chappaquiddick—where he drove his car off a bridge, killing passenger Mary Jo Kopechne, and did not report the accident—"inexcusable" and suspects the scandal might have hastened his sick father's death. The Times also reports the book mentions his drinking (which worsened after brother Robert's death), his divorce with first wife Joan, his brother John's assassination (he accepted the Warren Commission's report) and "Among other things, it says that in 1984 he decided against seeking the presidency after hearing the emotional objections of his children, who, it says, feared for his life." Kennedy also described his competitive family, "As I think back to my three brothers, and about what they had accomplished before I was even out of my childhood, it sometimes has occurred to me that my entire life has been a constant state of catching up." The memoir was originally planned for next year, but Kennedy's illness pushed the release date forward to September 14.

Before Ted Kennedy made his way down to Washington and onto his burial at Arlington National Ceremony, he was bid adieu Friday night by New York's most famous living Kennedy, his niece Caroline. After she and her cousin Robert greeted some of the thousands of visitors at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Library, Caroline spoke before the crowd in a tribute to her Uncle Teddy. She described her moment of reflection the night he died saying, "I looked up and there was this one star hanging low in the sky that was just bigger than all the rest and brighter than all the rest. I know it was Jupiter but it was acting a lot like Teddy." Still unable to shake her botched attempt to fill the Senate seat of Hillary Clinton at the beginning of this year, the News introduced her speech by immediately mentioning that her last time in front of the cameras as "a tentative, tongue-tied U.S. Senate hopeful." Yesterday Caroline played a less vocal but still visible trole during the funeral, serving as one of her uncle's pallbearers at his funeral.

       

The Kennedy family estimates (via Twitter) that 25,000 people paid their respects to Senator Edward Kennedy at the J.F.K. Presidential Library in Boston yesterday. The library was scheduled to close at 11 p.m., but stayed open until 2 a.m. due to the long lines. The family said, "We could not be more grateful for the amazing support. Thank you."

       

Plans for Senator Edward Kennedy's funeral services have been made: The Boston Globe reports, "The path of remembrance for Senator Edward M. Kennedy will follow the trail of his celebrated life - from his beloved Hyannis Port to his fallen brother’s presidential library in Dorchester, from the Mission Hill church where Kennedy prayed for his daughter to survive her bout with cancer to Arlington National Cemetery, where he will be buried beside his brothers after losing his own yearlong battle."

       

Senator Edward Kennedy, scion of the one of America's most famous political families, passed away at home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts late last night. He was 77. His family said, "We’ve lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism, and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever... He loved this country and devoted his life to serving it. He always believed that our best days were still ahead, but it’s hard to imagine any of them without him." (Full statement from the family after the jump.)

The White House will once again have a pet come this Tuesday, as the Obamas will welcome their new, long-awaited dog. With TMZ's report yesterday about a Portuguese water dog heading to the White House, the White House has now granted the Washington Post the exclusive: "The girls named it Bo -- and let it be noted that you learned that here first. Malia and Sasha chose the name, because their cousins have a cat named Bo and because first lady Michelle Obama's father was nicknamed Diddley, a source said. (Get it? Bo... Diddley?)"

It sounds like the Camelot clan is about as fond of Caroline as they were of William Kennedy Smith in the early nineties right now. Reports are that those close to Ted Kennedy are furious over Caroline apparently using her uncle's health struggles as an apparent smoke screen to drop out of her bid for Senate. One aide told Time, "It looks horrible. It makes him look like he is at death's door." And someone "close to the family" added insult to injury telling the magazine, "Everything that was special about her got stripped away." The latest report from the Times on why Kennedy withdrew says that the "personal reason" speculated as a motivation today is "problems involving taxes and a household employee." And if his niece crying wolf on his condition wasn't bad enough, Ted Kennedy's wikipedia page was just edited to claim he had died on Tuesday.

Know what NY tabloids love even more than a Kennedy being interested in the Senate seat being vacated by Hillary Clinton? That Kennedy's voting records! Both the Daily News and NY Post review her voting records and find a spotty showing. Baruch College's Douglas Muzzio sums it up, "It doesn't speak to a deep-felt commitment to the electoral process."

Governor David Paterson confirmed that Caroline Kennedy called him to discuss Hillary Clinton's soon-to-be vacated Senate seat. He said, "She told me she was interested in the position... She’d like at some point to sit down and tell me what she thinks her qualifications are.” While Paterson has said he will not decide on an appointee until next year, one Democratic source tells the Daily News, "She is in. I don't see how he [Paterson] says no. He has to do it."

A Marist poll finds New York Democrats prefer Caroline Kennedy over NY Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate, 31% to Cuomo's 21%. However, among all respondents, Kennedy and Cuomo each get 25%—and 26% aren't even sure who they would want! After that, less familiar (dare we say less dynastic) names like Byron Brown, Kirsten Gillibrand, Nydia Velazquez and Tom Suozzi are in the single digit percentages.

With news that Caroline Kennedy is interested in taking Hillary Clinton's Senate seat, it seems natural that her uncle Senator Ted Kennedy wants to help her out. According to the NY Post, the elder Kennedy contacted Governor Paterson's office to say that his niece "has contacts and family connections that would mean legislation affecting New York would receive prompt attention." A source said that the usually private Caroline Kennedy is, now that her children are grown, "looking for a mission in her life. Preferably in politics." However, one Paterson administration source said Kennedy is "barely in the game" since she has no political experience. And in the Kennedy rumor department: Gawker wonders if the NY Times got the scoop on her Senate interest because she might be involved with Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr.

Turning rumor into fact, Caroline Kennedy is "very interested" in replacing Hillary Clinton in the Senate. Governor David Paterson confirmed that Kennedy called him to discuss the position and her cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told the NY Times, "I believe that she is considering it. A lot of people the last couple of weeks have urged her to do it."

        

The Democratic National Convention's first night in Denver was capped off by a speech by Michelle Obama, but the emotional highpoint was a speech from Senator Ted Kennedy. The ailing lion of the political dynasty surprised many by speaking, as he has been undergoing treatment for cancer. Introduced by his niece and Obama adviser Caroline Kennedy, Kennedy stirred the crowd:

Nothing, nothing is going to keep me away from this special gathering tonight...

Continue reading "Democratic National Convention Kicks Off with Ted Kennedy, Michelle Obama"

Doctors for Senator Edward Kennedy tell the AP the 76-year-old has a malignant brain tumor. He had suffered a seizure on Saturday, and the tumor was discovered when the doctors performed tests and is believed to be the cause of the seizure.

Senator Barack Obama's campaign got a huge boost yesterday as nine superdelegates pledged support for him. Now, for the first time, Obama leads Senator Hillary Clinton in the number of superdelegates, according to the NY Times' calculations (the Times has a good graphic), while the AP says that Clinton still leads by half a superdelegate.

What State of the Union? All we know is that "BAMALOT" and "SHAF-TED" are funny-in-a-silly-way Post and Daily News (respectively) covers and that Rudy Giuliani heads into today's Florida primary with a "Goodbye Rudy Tuesday" Newsday cover.

There are lots of great stories about how couples meet. Kindergarten, the Peace Corps, a subway platform, by chance at a bar, you name it. But we love this Daily News story about how one couple met, because it appeals not only to the romantic in us, but to our respect for jury duty: Traci Nagy and Jonathan Cinkay met while serving on the same jury during a Queens murder trial. A fellow juror told Nagy "I thought you should date John," and Nagy explained to the News, "We were in the jury room so much and we weren't allowed to talk about the case. We talked about movies, travel, everything. It was a very good way to get to know someone."

Ceasar Borja was invited by Senator Hillary Clinton attend last night's State of the Union address in order to highlight the need for more federal government aid to treatment September 11 workers. Borja's father, NYPD officer Ceasar, who volunteered at Ground Zero in 16 hour shifts, had been been waiting for a lung transplant. But a few hours before the State of the Union, 21 year old Borja found out his father had died while having dinner with other State of the Union guests. The Daily News reports what Borja said to his mother:

"He passed away right when I'm down here fighting for him. This is the most I've ever done for Dad. Mommy, you know I'm strong, Mom. You were with him, though, right? Good. That's all that matters to me. Comfortably and no pain... Dad always knew the man I could become, and I love him for that. Dad didn't go down without a fight, Mom. You know that."

The polls in New York close in a half hour, so the media won't be reporting returns until then. But it's still exciting and heartbreaking to watch the other states' elections returns. For starters, Bob Casey ousting Rick Santorum for a Senate seat in Pennsylvania? That's exciting. Heartbreaking would be reports of bugs and intimidation at the polls.