29 August 2009

Sympathy For The Teddy

Some readers have complained on the Khaki blog or via Khaki email about my less than sympathetic treatment of Ted Kennedy's death. So to honor their heartfelt (and deeply empathetic) request, I vow from this day forward to treat Teddy's passing with all of the sympathy and respect that he treated Mary Jo Kopechne's untimely demise.


I will take my lead from this exchange on NPR's Diane Rehm Show between Newsweek’s Ed Klein and Katty Kay:
Kay: Ed Klein, that's what I'm hearing today, that people are sad at his passing, and yet celebrating this huge life and its huge long list of accomplishments.

Klein: I think he'd be the last person who would want us, those he's left behind, to, um, be, uh, morose and, and full of bathos. I think he, he --

Kay: He would come in with a big guffawing laugh and make us laugh too.

Klein: He would, yes. You're so right, he would. And he'd probably have a joke to tell as well.

Kay: At his own expense.

Klein: Well y'know, he, I don't know if you know this or not but, one of his favorite topics of humor was indeed Chappaquiddick itself. And he would ask people, "have you heard any new jokes about Chappaquiddick?" . . . I mean, that is just the most amazing thing. It's not that he didn't feel remorse about the death of Mary Jo Kopechne (background music begins building), but that he still always saw, um, the other side of everything and the ridiculous side of things, too.

Kay: Ed Klein, former foreign editor of Newsweek, and author of a new book on Ted Kennedy.
So our dearly departed Teddy got a kick throughout his life from hearing and telling joke about the women he left dead in his car. I suppose that explains why he didn't report it to the authorities, he need time to develop a killer punchline.

So Ted, if you're down there watching, this one is for you and you're gonna love it!



7 comments :

  1. Sue said...

    thats all fine and good Khaki but your everyday comings and goings is in some good way connected to the great things Sen. Kennedy did in his 47 years in the Senate. I and thousand upon thousands will mourn this great man, he truely was an inspiring, giving,human being loved by the good people of this country. You could get a clue from your Sen. Hatch who spoke with love and kindness at the service last night. Just face it, Sen Kennedy was loved by all and will be terribly missed.

  2. Khaki Elephant said...

    I would submit that not everybody loved Ted Kennedy and, in fact, I'd wager that among those who "loved him" very few are aware of his real record beyond some of his civil rights support (which are commendable, but hardly unique . . . though a higher percentage of republicans than democrats supported the 60s civil rights legeslation, so it was nice of him to stand with the right on that issue).

    However, many of us also note the damage he has done to this country: He was a strong supporter of the Art-Cellar act that led to our current illegals debate, he supported virtually every anti-2nd amendment bill that made an appearance, he voted against partial-birth abortion acts, he supported an ammendment to loosen regulations on cell phone & internet monitoring, he was an environmental hypocrit in his voting record etc, etc, etc.

  3. Anonymous said...

    Khaki, you are simply a tool.

  4. Lone Ranger said...

    The age of Camelot finally ends -- with the death of Mordred.

  5. Khaki Elephant said...

    A tool of the righteous truth, Anon, a tool of the righteous truth.

  6. Khaki Elephant said...

    Lone Ranger, that actually did make me "LOL." Well said.

  7. WomanHonorThyself said...

    excellent!..and accurate post title too girl!