'Today' Invites RFK's Daughter on to Promote Book, Bash GOP

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On the day after Barack Obama won the Democratic nomination, NBC's "Today" show invited on Kerry Kennedy to promote her book about her father, Robert F. Kennedy, but during the interview viewers were subjected to an anti-Republican rant.

Asked by NBC's Matt Lauer if there can be "unity in the Democratic Party," Kennedy responded by listing a series of grievances against the Bush administration -- from health care to Iraq to Guantanamo -- that would rally the Dems behind Obama.

MATT LAUER: You, you're obviously politically active. You supported Hillary Clinton, your uncle Ted supported Barack Obama. In many ways your family is representative of what happened in this country. There was a split down the middle. So are you confident, are you hopeful that there can be unity in the Democratic Party?

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KERRY KENNEDY: Absolutely. You know my family always has a rigorous political debates and I think that, that's reflective of our country as well. And I think, the, the main issues are the ones, though, that, that we are agreed upon. That we need to get health care for all Americans. That we need to bring our troops home from Iraq. That we need to close Guantanamo. We need to, you know, stop extraordinary rendition and so many of the other civil rights violations that have happened under the Bush administration. And that will be, unify our party.

The following is the full interview as it occurred on the June 4 "Today" show:

MATT LAUER: 40 years ago tomorrow a towering political figure, Robert F. Kennedy, was assassinated after winning the California Democratic presidential primary. Much has been written about the man, his message and of course his legacy and today his daughter Kerry Kennedy is here to share her memories of her dad. Hi, Kerry. Good morning nice to see you.

KERRY KENNEDY: Great to be here.

LAUER: 40 years, you were eight at the time.

KENNEDY: I was eight-years-old.

LAUER: And I'm curious, it struck me last night when I was looking at this I'm thinking how much of your recollections of your dad are from your personal dad are from your personal recollections and how much have come from what you've read and been told and seen of the images that have captured his life?

KENNEDY: Well you know I think that, that I've been so blessed as somebody who lost her father, at such a young age to have so many people who are willing to share those memories. But many of them are from me, directly, as well. You know one of my memories is when I was probably three or four-years-old going to the Justice Department with my father. And I, actually have a letter, on my wall, from one of those visits, where he wrote, "Today was a historic day not only because of your visit but because the, because, today, over the objections of the governor of Alabama, two negroes were allowed to register to go to college there."

LAUER: Yeah a sign of the times.

KENNEDY: And you know this was an amazing, amazing moment where you had to send in, where the President had to send in the National Guard just to get people into college.

LAUER: But I'm curious, Kerry, when you look and you realize it's been 40 years and your dad did so much to talk about and, and raise awareness of racism and poverty in this country and yet they are still very much a part of our lives here.

KENNEDY: Absolutely. And that's what the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial is doing today. For instance, on that issue of race, we are working with Steven Bradbury who is, who ran the biggest community development organization, Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans, to create change in that community. Through "Speak Truth to Power," we're educating students across this country about how they, giving them a tool kit for action so that they can create change in their own communities.

LAUER: And, and when you stop and think about it, though, the events of last night are really living proof that, that some of your, your dad's dreams have come true. We had a Democratic race come down to what could have become the first woman nominated by a major political party, turns out the first African-American nominated by a major political party. So that, that speaks to progress.

KENNEDY: Well it absolutely does and still there's so much more to be done. And with the Immokalee farm workers in Florida who are working for their rights and for wage increases against organizations like Burger King, where we were able to create change there, just a few weeks ago. It's really, you know, there's, there's a lot to be done but there has been a lot of progress made.

LAUER: You, you're obviously politically active. You supported Hillary Clinton, your uncle Ted supported Barack Obama. In many ways your family is representative of what happened in this country. There was a split down the middle. So are you confident, are you hopeful that there can be unity in the Democratic Party?

KENNEDY: Absolutely. You know my family always has a rigorous political debates and I think that, that's reflective of our country as well. And I think, the, the main issues are the ones, though, that, that we are agreed upon. That we need to get health care for all Americans. That we need to bring our troops home from Iraq. That we need to close Guantanamo. We need to, you know, stop extraordinary rendition and so many of the other civil rights violations that have happened under the Bush administration. And that will be, unify our party.

LAUER: I need to, in the last few seconds, ask you about your uncle. He had surgery a, couple of days ago, for his brain tumor. How's he doing? How are his spirits?

KENNEDY: His spirits are unbelievable. Yesterday, when he got out of surgery, he said, "I'd like to do it all again." So he's, you know, great sense of humor. And he's so mighty and he's an exemplar for all of us. And he will be as he fights this cancer.

LAUER: Kerry Kennedy. It's nice to have you here, Kerry.

KENNEDY: Thank you.

LAUER: Thanks for your memories, also, we appreciate it.

—Geoffrey Dickens is the senior news analyst at the Media Research Center.


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Oh, gosh, uh-oh, I can see

Oh, gosh, uh-oh, I can see it coming. I'm sure someone's already done it, but I'm sure we'll see ad nauseum in the campaign, the media calling Obama "the new RFK"...

Yes - Obama's will be Amercia's second Royal family

libs like Royal families.

Dee, Well, it's

Dee,

Well, it's patently obvious the media wants to skip over the election and crown them: King Barak I and Queen Michelle...

Wait, wait, Chris

I thought with the Camelot comparison they were the new John and Jackie...could they be both? LOL

"We need to, you know, stop

"We need to, you know, stop extraordinary rendition and so many of the other civil rights violations that have happened under the Bush administration"  It is interesting that she doesn't name any civil rights violations or that rendition started under Clinton.

Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark.

It was stated earlier when

It was stated earlier when Ted announced his support for Obama that they were passing on the Kennedy Legacy to the Obama's.

Precious...yes?

Don't you feel warm and fuzzy all over...

Btw...Matthews is well ahead with RFK comparison...

"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Wilson

MATT LAUER: 40 years ago

MATT LAUER: 40 years ago tomorrow a towering political figure, Robert F. Kennedy, was assassinated after winning the California Democratic presidential primary.

   Well I was around at the time of RFK and I was unaware that he was a towering figure.  And not just me, but a lot of people would have been unaware.  What we were aware of is that because he was a kennedy he got the usual positive press.

   However RFK had experience working in the Whitehouse with his brother and as Attorny General.  So obama's similarity to RFK is that he also gets positive press.

Another Similarity

Obama will also be immortalized one day in a painting on black velvet...

No way on God's green earth

are RFK's daughter and her siblings fitting of this remark "In many ways your family is representative of what happened in this country". You know my uncle never left a young girl to die, my two uncles fought in WW2, came home, worked, and raised families. My grandfather did not leave a fortune to his family thru devious means and did not cheat on his wife, and he certainly did not declare "Democracy is finished in England. It may be here, [in the US]." at the beginning of WW2. Oh, yeah, he only is talking about the dims.

This kennedy daughter's remark regarding "stop extraordinary rendition and so many of the other civil rights violations"; please my son fought for her rights and he certainly did not do what she imagines the troops do on a daily basis.

The word "pander" must be related in the dictionary to the msm.

"In many ways your family

"In many ways your family is representative of what happened in this country."

 

I think Matt hit the nail on the head there, sure they are representative of what happened, they represent all the garbage politics the Dems bring to the table, they helped try to ruin this country and now they are the ones who give Barack ideas of making the country look like weaklings looking for approval.